At what point are repairs on your home more than it’s worth

There is a point when you need to say “it’s not worth it” in home repairs. I am working with a couple in Canon City, Colorado, whose home was damaged by flooding caused by a neighbor’s actions. They are suing the neighbor and his insurance company and originally they just wanted their home back to normal. Due to the nature of the damage which is movement of the foundation, causing interior and exterior damage all the way to the roof. The cost of repairing the home will reach nearly the amount the home is currently worth.

Once the repairs are completed they will still have a 30+ year-old home, worth no more than it was before. The windows will still be old and inefficient, the walls will still be poorly insulated by todays standards, they will still have a formal living room that gets little use, because it is inconsistent with their current lifestyle. The exterior will look like a home that was built in the 70’s.

Each solution has it’s pro’s and con’s, they must choose the best option for them, I can only lay out the options.

Doing the repairs will require the least amount of inconvenience for them. They can live in the home and while some furniture and knickknacks may have to be packed up and moved it will not require them to relocate.

Knocking it down and rebuilding means they will have to relocate for 6 months, rent and two moves, but they will have a new efficient home in their own neighborhood. The neighborhood is filled with dated homes that will bring down the resale value of their new home and the floor plan will be somewhat limited by the existing footprint.

Selling the home for a discounted price and buying another home, means they can move quickly and put their home on the market, then hope they can find a buyer willing to take on and repair the issues. The problem here is, piece of mind, they know the problems their old home has, can they trust buying another home. Yes, having a home inspection would help to ensure the home won’t have issues, but after what they have been through will that be enough to assure them?

Selling the home and building a new one in a new neighborhood, they could stay in the damaged home until the new one is built and move in to a brand new, energy-efficient home that is everything they choose with a much smaller energy bill. At their age this will most likely be the last home they purchase. They will still need to sell their damaged home and hope for a buyer that is willing to do the repairs, but the piece of mind knowing it is a new home with warranties might be worth it.

A decision can’t be made until we know what happens in court with the insurance company, but these are things they need to think about to make an informed choice. There is never just one answer, Which would you choose?

www.apachecreekbuilders.com

Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving Southern Colorado offering remodeling services as well as building energy-efficient homes

How do I build my own home? Do I really need to hire a builder?

Many people assume that a builder makes huge amounts of money on each home they build and that by acting as their own General Contractor (GC) they will be able to put this money into their own pocket or use it as sweat equity in their home. This is rarely the case.

Regardless of how much you know about the building process, it requires a lot of time and attention to detail to build a home. You need to hire subcontractors and schedule them in such a way that they are the most efficient and not in each others way. Most subcontractors base their bids on who they are working with. If they know the builder is knowledgable their bid will be less than if they are working with someone they don’t know. Many of the best subcontractors won’t work with a homeowner acting as their own GC. If they do, they charge a premium, because they know, they will most likely be making extra trips and will have scheduling nightmares.

A quality GC knows weeks ahead of time their schedule and can schedule each trade to within a few days of actually needing them. A homeowner acting on their own, building one house, does not have the benefit of understanding how long it will take to prepare the foundation before calling in the framers, or how long it will take the framers before calling in the plumber or electrician. This problem is compounded because the electrician, plumber or other trade is more likely to put off the homeowner building one house to take care of the builder who keeps him in business.

Ultimately, if there is any cost savings it is minimal and in many cases it costs a homeowner more time and money to build their own home than it does to hire a qualified builder. The builder knows the best subcontractors and products to use and how to schedule them, as well as how to get the best price from them. Many marriages have been ruined by the process of building or remodeling a home, it can be very stressful. A quality builder can make the process enjoyable, the experience of a lifetime, not a reason for a divorce.

Another consideration; no matter how great your architect is, most likely there will be changes to be made in the field. You need to understand what must be done to fix the issue without creating more problems. What looks great on paper and what works well in real-life are rarely the same.

I know you are thinking “of course, he says that, he’s a builder” and it is true that I would like to build your dream home for you. That doesn’t change the facts that I have laid out here. My job as your builder is to get you the best product for your money, using my knowledge and connections. I know what works and what doesn’t. I can help save you money and avoid costly mistakes. Your home will be completed on schedule and within your budget. If you make changes, after we get started I can help you understand how that will affect your costs and schedule, together we can determine if the changes are necessary.

www.apachecreekbuilders.com

Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving Colorado including Pueblo, Colorado City, Rye, Walsneburg, Cripple Creek and more. I specialize in building in areas that other builders won’t and I understand septic and well water systems.

 

What are ICF Homes and are they right for you?

      

ICF home in process

ICF stands for Insulating Concrete Forms,  ICF’s are interlocking forms which are dry-stacked and then filled with concrete to create structural walls of a building.

There are many different brands and materials that the forms are made of, I will concentrate only on the types that we prefer to work with at Apache Creek Builders. These hollow blocks are pounds lighter than standard masonry blocks because they are made of expanded polystyrene – similar to the white, insulating foam used for take-out coffee cups. They either stack together like giant interconnecting, toy building blocks or are separate panels connected with plastic ties.

 The benefits to using ICF‘s :

• e-star rated
• green building material, environmentally friendly
• save an average of thirteen trees per house
• homes are six times quieter than ordinary wood frame homes
• have a three to four-hour fire rating
• provide 25% to 50% energy savings
• homes have lower insurance costs
• homes qualify for energy-efficient mortgage rates
• have an R-50 wall insulation value
• require smaller HVAC units

ICF homes can be designed in any style, and will accept any traditional exterior finish including vinyl or wood siding, stucco and brick. Because custom angles and curves are easily created, it’s simple to build in bows, bays and curved walls. ICF systems accommodate any of today’s most popular design features, such as tall walls, large openings, long floor spans, and cathedral ceilings.

ICF’s originated in Europe (where concrete home building is standard) ICF systems have been used successfully around the world for more than 30 years. Thousands of ICF homes have been built in recent years throughout the United States and Canada. They have proven successful in every region and climate, from Orlando to Calgary. ICF systems are accepted by all the major model codes in the U.S., and by the R-2000 program in Canada.

Check back often for energy-saving tips and more information regarding building with ICF’s. Please check out our website at http://www.apachecreekbuilders.com to see photos of ICF’s as well as pictures of completed homes.

Charlie Kattnig – Owner of Apache Creek Builders, serving South Eastern Colorado including Pueblo, Colorado City, Hatchet Ranch, Canon City, Walsenburg, Trinidad, La Junta, Las Animas and more