The WORST Wall System For Your Lake Michigan Custom Home (it’s not what you think!)
You can’t unknow something. If you are happy with the status quo, maybe it’s best to skip this post and move on. If you read this, you may end up like me: convinced it is unethical to build a home you know will have hidden problems. You’re...
Should I Wait For Home Prices To Drop In Grand Rapids?
Interest rates are high, and both material and labor costs are high. It’s an election year and the political climate and stock markets are unstable. Is now a horrible time to build a custom home in Michigan? Should I wait for a better market, for...
8 Principles For a Successful Custom Home Building Project
Start With WHY. You may be finding yourself asking these questions: Why do you want to move out of your existing home? Why do you want a sustainable home? Why you aren’t buying or remodeling an existing home? Why should I start looking for a...
Can I Price My Custom Home by the Square Foot?
I need to start by qualifying these comments. The problems below are mostly unique to custom home building. Semi-custom and Production Home Builders, or “spec” builders are structured differently, and can often achieve higher accuracy with square...
How Hidden Site Costs Increase the Cost of your Home
An unfortunate reality is that many folks get blindsided with the actual cost of their home. We seem to think the only things that make a home costly to build are the flooring and countertop choices. In part 1 we looked at design, in this blog we’ll...
Is It Cheaper to Build a Custom Home or Remodel?
Recently I encountered an interesting study on the real cost of home ownership. I’ll look at the data below, but suffice to say I found it quite interesting, because it reminded me of the main reasons my wife Missy and I purchased our 1893 Victorian...
6 Surprising Factors That Blow the Budget, Plus 1 You Already Know
We all want to know how much to budget for our new home cost in West Michigan. We do our research on square foot costs, look at new homes for sale in our ideal neighborhood, and consider the additional cost of major items, like ICF walls. Yet an...
How Much Does a Custom Home Cost in Grand Rapids, MI
Building a custom home in Grand Rapids is an unparalleled opportunity to create a space for your family that is tailored to your particular needs and goals and that you can cherish for many years to come. However, it’s also an investment—and likely...
The Inflation Reduction Act & Building Green
Green homes often come with a prohibitive price tag, or at least that’s a perception that keeps many homeowners from considering purchasing green homes or pursuing eco-friendly home improvements. The Inflation Reduction Act is not the only...
