How House #Construction Works

Second in our series on the steps that go into making a new home. You’ve asked yourself some of these questions before. How is a house built? What holds up the ceilings and the walls? What keeps the rain out? What parts go into making a house? How many different people are involved when a house goes up?  Here we focus on site preparation so read on.

Grading and site preparation

Time to "break ground! The first step in the actual #construction of your new home is site preparation. Site preparation consists of clearing away the trees from your building site, doing whatever rough grading (smoothing out the holes, mounds and slopes) that is necessary, and staking the house location in preparation for installation of the footings and foundation.

Before staking, you will need to go over the things that will affect or be affected by the placement of your home on the lot with your contractor. These are;

Setbacks and Easements

Topography (slopes)

Views

Driveway

The Sun's Exposure

Trees you want to keep

Well and Septic Tank Location

Your Relationship to other houses in the area/neighborhood

Distances you'll have to run utility lines to hook up with municipal services

OK, if you already took all these things into consideration before you did your site plan, do yourself a favor, check them all again - before you begin your site preparation. It's much easier to make changes now . . . BEFORE the concrete if poured!

Clearing the Lot

This involves the removal of trees, roots, and other vegetation from the building site. 

Rough Staking the Home

Here is where to start laying out the home. 

Just be sure to check the new location against setbacks and easements and the required distance to your septic tank drain field. Also be sure to advise your building department and get their OK before going forth with your new location.

Excavation

If your home will have a basement, it'll need to be dug - excavated. Some builders like to pour the concrete for their driveway at the same time they pour their slab. This makes it a lot easier to build the home, since you can get out of the mud early.

. . . Since there is "Rough" grading, there must also be "Finish" grading! This will be done when the construction on the home is completed and you are ready to tackle the exterior stuff. It's the fine tuning of the drainage patterns around your home and the set up for your landscaping.

Erosion Control

"Erosion control" is really a bit of a misnomer. You won't really control erosion, but you may be required to take special precautions to prevent the runoff from your cleared land from carrying mud to adjacent roads and property. Check with your building department to see what may be required. There are a number of materials/systems used to minimize the problem. They allow water to pass through but screen out fine particles. They can be as simple as bales of hay. 

We’ll will walk through foundation and framing in our next blog so that you can understand what’s involved and start to see the outline of your house come alive. Stay tuned.

Celebrate New Homes Month

RMS Companies celebrates newly built homes every time it launches a new community development, but in April we really like to show our customers just what our new homes and communities are made of!

April is New Homes Month, as proclaimed by the National Association of Home Builders and other industry associations, and we’d like to share with our customers what the big news is. Thousands of home shoppers in dozens of cities across the nation were interviewed by N.A.H.B., including buyers considering both new and used homes.

Here’s what they had to say… today's new homes have five main features and benefits that make them so attractive:

1.    Low cost of ownership — with all-new products (and typically the home itself) under warranty, there's much less chance for unexpected, potentially costly repairs.

2.    Quality construction — today's new homes are highly engineered, comprised of state-of-the-art building materials, and constructed to meet the latest building codes.

3.    Designed for living — with open floor plans with kitchens that merge seamlessly into great rooms, higher ceilings, larger owner's suites and closets, built-in storage and larger master baths.

4.    Energy efficiency — newly built homes, on average, are 30 percent more energy efficient than homes built just 5 to 7 years ago, saving you money as well as energy.

5.    Save money, get more value – home buyers can save 15% on their homeowner’s insurance with a new home and afford to pay 23% more for a new home while achieving the same operating costs as an older home.

Home buyers also told the industry how much they enjoyed personalizing their new home by selecting their favorite colors, styles and products in categories such as appliances, cabinets, counter tops, faucets, flooring, lighting and more.

Here are some more reasons buyers prefer new homes;

New home communities offer resort-style community centers that may include a clubhouse, community room, fitness center, cafe, pool, outdoor bar, fireplace, movie screen, rooftop deck, walking, hiking, and biking trails, and much more.

Safety features include security systems, fire-resistant building materials and new materials that use fewer volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.’s) like formaldehyde, scents, and toxicities.

Today’s new homes are made with cutting-edge building products that require less care and maintenance than older homes.

Advanced technology and design; just like a car, the options here are many.

So, what are you waiting for? Celebrate New Homes Month with us by visiting RMS Companies newest model homes and communities!

Home Sweet Home

A house is defined as a building in which people live. A home is defined as a place in which people live.

What one person may see as four walls, you may see as a place, a community, a neighborhood, or a world of memories. It’s those memories that can sometimes make it hard for you to move to a new set of four walls but the place, community, neighborhood and anticipation of new memories often make it easier.

So, while you’re planning for a big (or small) move, instead of dreading the process ahead of you, think of it as a trip down memory lane. Get your family and/or friends together and use it as an opportunity to reflect on all of the good times that you’ve had in that home. Bringing them to see the new neighborhood may generate the excitement you need to deal with it all. Sometimes, the mere fact of moving into a brand new house in a brand new community can ease your trepidation.

Consider leaving some of your memories behind. Perhaps its little Johnny’s carvings on the basement pole that you leave behind or the time capsule that the kid’s buried a decade ago in the backyard. There’s something exciting about the possibility of someone else finding your story and discovering the joys you had at your old home.

Whatever it is that helps you move forward into the house that will become your new home think of it as more than just a house with four walls but as a place that’s near and dear, home sweet home.

Ring in the New Year in Stamford!

http://themodernestamford.com/

December is flying by and though we haven't reached Christmas yet groups are already planning their New Years Eve celebrations! Have you and your group decided on a place to ring in the New Year? Why not try some of our favorite bars and restaurants in Stamford:

• Bar Rosso: Offering a delicious menu, complimentary champagne toast at midnight and DJ Matt until 3am. After 11pm there is a $30 cover charge, call 203.388.8640 to make your reservations
• Eos Greek Cuisine: Offering a $75 Prix-fixe 4 course menu, champagne toast at midnight and DJ entertainment. Call 203.569.6250 to make your reservations!
• Pinot's Palette: Paint in the New Year! Pinot's Palette is hosting a New Years party complete with nibbles and a champagne toast included in the painting package for $65 per painter
• BUtterfield 8: Offering gourmet passed hors d'oeuvres, full dinner buffet, top shelf bar, and champagne toast at midnight with a live DJ. Group rates, table reservations and private rooms are available, call Jessica at 203.504.8123 for more information
• Hudson Grille: Enjoy a four course New Year's Eve Menu for $65 per person or $85 per person including a wine pairing! Now accepting reservations!
• Dolce Cubano: Enjoy a waterfront New Year's Eve! 4 course dinner, champagne toast, DJ & dancing. Call 203.817.0700 for reservations!

 Where are you planning to celebrate the New Year? Share with us on our Facebook page!

The 20th Annual UBS Parade Spectacular This Sunday!

http://themodernestamford.com/

Don't miss out - The UBS Parade Spectacular is happening THIS Sunday, November 24 at 12 noon - rain, wind, snow, or shine!

Last year the spectacle attracted roughly 200,000 attendees and is expecting even more this year. In addition to large helium balloons, there once again will be marching bands from the tri-state area, as well as dancers and actors.  The Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team, featured on America's Got Talent, will also be performing!

The parade will begin at Summer and Hoyt Streets in Stamford at noon. There are public restrooms along the route. For more information visit CT Post.

Photo Sources: CT Post & Hey Stamford