Sunday, December 14, 2008

Asheville Real Estate, then Construction

Realty and property in Asheville North Carolina is selling quickly... and there is a lot of it... and even more if you include Buncombe County... and so on if you include the surrounding Counties. Asheville is just about centered in Buncombe County. Going 15-20 minutes in almost any direction will introduce you to a new county. It just seems like the more people that find out about the area, the more people want to leave their overextended or stale life wherever they are, and get over here to the Western North Carolina mountains. Some of our clients refer to it as an escape, while others come to WNC to retire. Some people are just looking for a new great place to start life again, and they connect with the WNC area before they ever visit. My company developer is talking to MapJack about getting Asheville photographed and listed so our "out of town, out of State, and out of Country" clients and friends can view this beautiful city from their office, home, or Blackberry... from anywhere in the World!

There are many choices when it comes to Asheville home building and Asheville real estate. As far as land and property preferences, some people are looking for a mansion with a 50 acre ranch away from everything. Other people want 1/4 of an acre lot with a little bungalow within walking distance of Downtown Asheville. Asheville Custom Home Builders, LLC works and will work with you to find exactly what you are envisioning. A client can contact us with a floor plan they are considering and just tell us "I am looking to build this home in Asheville (or beyond) and I would like about 2 acres of mountain property, within 20 minutes of Downtown Asheville", and that is what we will find for them. When it comes to choosing your custom home, some people go by styles like building a "Cape Cod", "A-Frame", "Tudor", "Log", etc. Some clients know how much square footage they need. In a 1200 square foot home, some 3 person families would feel very comfortable (400 square foot per person), while others may want or need up to 800 or more square feet per person. Once you have lived in a home with 10' or 12' foot ceilings, it is very hard to build or live in a home with standard 8' ceilings. You get used to and comfortable with the height the same way you get used to the space and room.

Building up instead of out? When considering some "green" concepts, many are using a smaller home foot print and saving earth space in the process. Instead of using 2000 square feet of your land, use only 1000 square feet and make a two-story home that equals that same 2000 square feet. Build Up... if you can. I know that as many of us get older, we only want and need one level. Building up is a great option, but it is not for everyone.

For Example: (Sample Real Estate & Home Building Costs in WNC)

Private Acre of land in Buncombe County: $25k - $100k+ (depending on how close to Downtown, if it is in a development, or what type of property it is). We have access to many land options and there are some nice 1 acre private mountain building lots about 25 minutes from downtown for only $30k! We also work with some developments that have beautiful inner-community lots (small town development effect within walking distance to small shops, hiking trails, gazebos, playground, pools, activities, development shops etc.). These lots can easily cost $250k+. Biltmore Farms, and Reynolds Mountain have perfected this high end community plan. You can contact us about private acreage or high end development options. We have access to many reviewed choices in Asheville North Carolina when it comes to construction and realty.

*(Talking about homes now...)Please note that when we say "Standard", we mean great! Hardi Siding, Green Framing (by Asheville Framing & Building... of course), Hardwood & Tile Floors, Nice Bathroom and Lighting fixtures (customers choice) etc. When we say "High End", we mean adding some things like custom timbers in the gables for accents, more decks or porches, some metal roof accents. High End may also include some green options like "green" paint, solar panels, radiant floor heating, Superior Wall foundation, Isynene insulation, etc.

Sample 1500 Square Foot Cape Cod Home (w/o land): Standard $150k+ or High End for $200k+
Sample 2500 Square Foot A-Frame Home (w/o land): Standard $260k+ or High End for $320k+
Sample 5000 Square Foot Luxury Home (w/o land): Standard $710k+ or High End for $890k+
***Of course these are just numbers and we can get it down to the penny once your request a detailed quote per your set of blueprints.

*Estimates are on a "crawlspace" foundation (basement would be extra, but you would get extra available square footage as well, that you have the option of finishing now or at a latter time). Grading & Land Improvements would be additional. We cannot figure this until we see the piece of property and determine what it needs for improvement and for a "house pad".

Just some ideas for you if you are considering building a home in Asheville North Carolina. For more exact custom pricing, don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you.
Asheville Custom Home Builders, LLC http://www.ashevillecustomhomebuilders.com/

Asheville Home Building, Quality not Quantity

Asheville Custom Home Builders, LLC. can design & build a beautiful home for you in Western North Carolina.

Anyone can say $59 a square foot for a brand new home in Asheville North Carolina, but in all reality, this is not accurate. For some reason some clients love to hear that "lowball" number when thinking about building a home. This magic number is nothing more than a starting point to start adding to if you want to construct a real home.

If I were to show you a nice brand new Mercedes Benz and tell you that it is going to cost you only $20,000, your next question should be "What's wrong with it?" There are many factors to think about here. The car may be operational and look good, but where and how was the money saved? It has to be somewhere!

The same goes for when you are building a new home. Companies try to attract clients with low dollar amounts by using the lowest end materials they could find, at the cheapest price. Of course, some big companies get bulk pricing and then the savings sometimes even gets passed down to the end client, but for the most part... you get what you pay for. On top of that, the subcontractors that are used to get this low pricing are working at their bare minimum, making hardly any profit, but at least keeping steady work. Is this the American dream? Working for monster builders who are simply keeping your business afloat when work is slow? Subcontractors quickly get frustrated with this setup and do the lowest quality of work for builders that keep them in this mode. Quality work is valuable and you must be willing to pay a fair price for the work requested.

Not all homes are built the same. We have seen home builders use #3 studs to save a few thousand dollars after they gave a client a low low "unbelievable" price. This is very dangerous. When uninformed clients deal with builders who are working off of the "lowest price" angle, they trap the builder into having to make his livlihood ($) up somewhere. So they get the "cheapest" labor, the "cheapest" lumber, the "cheapest" flooring, and many other "second hand" materials that you as the client will never know about. Eventually, you will have a "cheap" house. A Mercedes with a lawnmower engine. For example: defective old Hardiboard at your local "seconds shop" is half the price of new premium HardiPlank. "Their crew" also does insulation? No thank you! I want a crew where insulation is their main focus and they learn daily how to improve the insulating factor and air flow of my home. I do not want a "cold end or corner of the house" or a mold problem in the near future. There are many ways for builders to "save" money, but it will end up costing you plenty more in the long run.

In Asheville North Carolina www.AshevilleCustomHomeBuilders.com can assist you with choosing the right piece of Real Estate in WNC. Then we can begin choosing or designing the perfect home to fit your every need.

Asheville Home Builders, serving clients as usual


As a home building professional in Asheville North Carolina, we know that an election year is a slow year for construction. Then you can add all of the economy problems on top of that and it became a really bad year for building. Not that construction was not happening. It was just not moving at the pace many companies in the Asheville area had accustomed themselves to. So when you have a lot of overhead, and clients stop coming, your company goes down. Builders started thinking "lite" once again, started revamping their business philosophy, and increasing their competitive edge.


We did not have a huge amount of projects this year, but we know what the future of Asheville holds and we are settled in that. Clients can come to us for a large array of home options, including log homes, custom timber homes, custom built stick built homes, cabins, townhouses, and more. Our teams are the experts in these categories. Looking for an Asheville Home Builder? We can meet with you and start building the home you desire according to every minute detail we get specified. Contact us for a free consultation in Asheville North Carolina. http://www.ashevillecustomhomebuilders.com/


For more information about Asheville North Carolina, please visit http://www.askasheville.com/. Ask Asheville is the most complete and comprehensive guide to Asheville Western North Carolina. You can find all of the main Asheville area links on the top of every page including the new "newcomer" page that has everything you need to know about getting set up here. Also, see some great worldwide links on the bottom of every page, a search engine custom designed for Asheville North Carolina, and a "Quick Link" page that has plenty of direct links to everything you could think of in Asheville NC.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Exterior Ideas when home building


Asheville Custom Home Builders works closely with each client to make sure that every detail is balanced and to their liking. This client actually chose to put rock in the lower gable and hardiplank siding (dark red) in the high gable. New color combinations are used many times to give smaller homes like this the "Arts & Crafts" look and feel.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Hiring an Educated Home Builder in Asheville NC


General Contractors come in such a wide variety. Some have just begun, some have been doing it for many years, and some have mastered the trade. I guess when you are looking for a Home Builder, you do not want a builder that doesn't have it together. I am talking about prices, figures, documentation, communication, service, good attitude, and so much more. I talk to people in Asheville all of the time that say "It would have been great, but I picked the wrong builder". Or "I wish I would of met you guys a few years ago". This is what happens when the builder is not responsible, not organized, not updated on technology, and cares more about their profit than gaining a satisfied client.


Many times the builder does not lead the homeowner in the options they need to choose and the questions they need to ask, so when something goes wrong on the project, there is no place to look back and say "this is what we figured". Then the builder comes to you with a $10k additional charge because it was "not figured" or "unseen" as some of them say. Ridiculous, but it happens all of the time. Let us take you step by step and answer any questions you may have about home building in Asheville North Carolina. www.AshevilleCustomHomeBuilders.com

Asheville Site Updates Coming Soon!

As Asheville Home Builders, we watch the market and act accordingly. Most development and future plans had been put on hold until this market picked back up, the President was chosen, and these Holidays pass. People are nervous about the economy. Planting seeds is what my Asheville team did while the market was slow.

Getting ready to do some updates for our Asheville Custom Home Builders website. We are connecting this blog to us so we can have some Western North Carolina construction interaction. We are also adding a "Resources" page with some of the top links in Asheville. Our "Contact" form will now have a land profile questionairre that we will use to find you a piece of property in Buncombe or the surrounding Counties.

We are very excited about the "market to come" here in Asheville NC. So many people have contacted us with the "waiting to see what happens" attitude. We expect very great things to come in the near future. Your wait is over! Seriously consider Asheville if you are looking to relocate.

Rainy days in Asheville NC

It is going on three days of rain today in Asheville and Weaverville, and do you know what a builder does when it rains? Stresses! Of course we have learned to never believe the weather. We go out to get the job completed and if we paid attention to every rain scare, nothing would ever get done. We do not watch the clouds, we build homes! Normally we have a few projects at different stages, so when it does rain, we usually refocus on a job that is already "dried in" and has inside work.

If you are looking for a General Contractor / Home Builder in Asheville North Carolina, please visit our main site at http://www.ashevillecustomhomebuilders.com/. Thank you.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Successful Home Building In Asheville North Carolina

Building things is a practice that many people learn during their childhood. Just like everything else, if you have to learn the "building trade" later in life, it is more difficult. Some refer to contractors as "mechanically inclined", but it is more like committed experience. Builders are trained, not born. But, when you are born into a "construction family" or household, you learn little things from just being around it as a youth.

For example, one of our owners was recruited by his Mother and Aunt when he was about 11 years old to do full demolition on two seperate homes and then restore both places. It was a 2 year process and the experience taught him something he will never forget. He learned the plan, the process, and the completion of a very successful construction project. Successful projects do not come easy. Successful projects require great communication. Successful projects come by working with a successful team. This is where we come in. http://www.ashevillecustomhomebuilders.com/

Monday, November 3, 2008

Western North Carolina Real Estate, Asheville

Western North Carolina (WNC) real estate is thriving, contrary to the national housing slump. And it’s no wonder, when you consider the benefits of living near Asheville, which is neighbored by Weaverville to the North and Hendersonville to the South.

Asheville thrives with music, festivals, shopping, dining and nightlife. Weaverville is a small town, with laid-back restaurants and unique shops. Historic Hendersonville is just 22 miles away and is rich with culture and annual festivals.

Just a few benefits of living near WNC are: the pleasant year-round weather, the variety of festivals and cultural events, the superb local art, a population below 80, 000 in Asheville, and the outdoor activities.

Beautiful, spacious subdivisions surround the Asheville area. No where you look to build or buy, you’ll find yourself surrounded by picturesque scenery. It’s long been a favorite vacation destination. Why not make it your hometown?

www.AshevilleCustomHomeBuilders.com

Welcome to North Carolina. Asheville to be exact.



When people see this sign, they are looking at more than just another State line. North Carolina is a beautiful place to live, with many families growing, and a great future ahead. The mountains of Western North Carolina (Asheville) is a place where many choose to spend the rest of their lives. I am not talking about living here a few years as you may have in other towns and cities you have lived. I am not even talking talking about retiring to Asheville.

I am talking about making Asheville North Carolina the permanent place where you actually plan to spend the rest of your life. A place where you can come and connect with a local community. An area where your business can begin, grow, or revive. Join in with people that are coming from many places all around the globe to contribute to our future. We welcome you into our home... Asheville North Carolina.

*For home building and real estate options in Asheville or the surrounding areas, please visit http://www.ashevillecustomhomebuilders.com/. Thank you.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Asheville Home Builders Ready to Build!

Asheville is conducive to a peaceful, laid-back lifestyle. Surrounded by superb mountains and sparkling rivers, there is no better place to raise a family or to retire.

Asheville Custom Home Builders, LLC. is a local, family owned and operated company. Our hearts and our families are firmly rooted in this area. No matter what the economy does, ACHB continues to grow and is here to stay. We've designed our company with low overhead, which allows us to move forward even in tough economic times. This gives our clients security when they work with us. From concept to completion, ACHB will be here for you.

ACHB has a dedicated team and is a fully licensed and insured company, with reliable subcontractors. We pride ourselves in being dedicated to creating a quality-built-home, with on-time completion. We offer competitive pricing, and we build each home like it was our own. A representative is on-call for you 24-hours a day. ACHB stands behind our commitment to build it right the first time. Build with us and we guarantee you will be 100% satisfied with the quality of your home.

The goal of Asheville Custom Home Builders is to build a beautiful comfortable home for you with a pre-established budget and stringent schedule. References from satisfied clients are available to you, because we build our company on great references and referrals.

Building in this historic area, ACHB recognizes the importance of building homes that complement the scenic beauty of our area. We strive to be environmentally conscious by recycling and will always choose green products when projects allow.

Ask ACHB about land home packages in one of our quiet, convenient Weaverville subdivisions. We can even help you secure a loan on our land or yours.

The professional team at ACHB is committed to fulfilling your dreams. After all, the Asheville area is where we live. We want to maintain client relations for personal reasons too. We have a vested interest in seeing this community thrive. We want you to live in and take pride in this remarkable area, just like we do.

www.AshevilleCustomHomeBuilders.com