WASHINGTON— Homeowners who decide to undergo a home improvement project, whether it be interior or exterior modifications, often find that the task was worth the investment and time, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors®, with insights from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. The 2019 Remodeling Impact Report, an examination of 20 projects, surveyed Realtors®, consumers who have taken on home renovation projects and members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Remodeling Impact: Project – 3 Top Joy Score Project The report examines…
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Native Landscaping Sells Houses
Increase the value of a home with environmentally-friendly natural landscaping By Kitty Connolly This past April, the American Society of Landscape Architects released its 2018 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey, a members’ annual rating of the expected popularity of design elements. For the sixth year in a row, native plants were top of the list (either #1 or #2). Southern California real estate listings often call out yards as “water-saving” or “native landscape,” whether or not the description is accurate. In stark contrast, the National Association of Realtors 2018 Remodeling…
Read MoreCalifornia Energy Commission Expert Panel
The leaders in changing codes share insight, advice, and more as builders prepare for Title 24 changes By CHRIS OLVERA, PETER STRAIT, MAZI SHIRAKH, AMBER BECK Chris Olvera, Supervisor of the Outreach Education Unit Peter Strait, Supervisor of Standards Development Unit Mazi Shirakh, Lead for ZNE and PV Requirements for Standards Amber Beck, Public Information Officer What are the key changes to Title 24 being enacted January 1st? Chris Olvera: As a summary for the changes for residential buildings: We have updates for the thermal envelope, which includes insulation for high-performance…
Read MoreTransition from Witnessing Change to Effecting Change
Improving your management style can mean improving the success of your project By NORB SLOWIKOWSKI I get asked a lot of questions in the construction industry. You would be surprised how much the same commonalities emerge from different parts of the country. They often revolve around questions about management, leadership, and skills training. Everyone wants to run their operation in the best way possible to attract the best people possible. This takes having the best possible management team in place. One trend that I have noticed over the last decade…
Read MoreThe Path to Growth for Builders
Construction technology is transforming productivity in the industry By KYLE SLAGER As a trade, building hasn’t changed that much over the years. Productivity growth has remained stagnant compared to other industries that have continued to reinvent themselves through innovation. The construction industry has often been disinterested in adopting technological advances. This has started changing in recent years as long-term skilled labor shortages force builders to find ways to increase productivity with smaller crews. All these years after the housing market crash, the skilled construction labor pool has still not recovered. As…
Read MoreGod-Made Versus Man-Made Stone
Who will win the great man-made vs. natural stone debate? By Scott Harris We continue to see choices for building materials, and especially hard-surface options multiply like rabbits. So which is the right one? Every sales professional we lend our ear to has a script expressing why their product or material has superior virtues over the competition. Listening to everyone can be confusing, so how do you fairly find the unbiased truth? Ladies and Gentleman, please take your ringside seat. The 16-time, welterweight, national champion: Man-Made is challenging, the undefeated,…
Read MoreHigh-Performance Homebuilding and Weatherization
By Glenna Wilson As California builders gear up for the changes in Title 24, builders across the country can improve the efficiency and performance of their builds with these strategies. Many homebuilders assume that high-performance homebuilding is too expensive to be a good investment, but it can be a huge advantage for both homebuilders and homeowners. If you research the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR and Indoor airPLUS programs, you’ll see that high-performance homebuilding is not much more expensive for the rate of return, and it allows the builder to…
Read MoreRaising Homes and Raising Contractor Profits
Make homes more resilient to flooding and increase home value with home lifting By RANDY YOUNG People will always want to live by the water. “Salt Life” isn’t just a cute phrase — for some, it truly is a way of life. Current building codes and Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) regulations are greatly reducing the risks that affect homes in the floodplain. These are all good news for homeowners and insurance companies. For the contractor, new homes are a great source of production and income. But what about the…
Read MoreNAHB Recognizes Leaders in Residential Construction Safety
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 — The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has named the winners of the 13th annual NAHB/Builders Mutual Insurance Company Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) for their commitment to strong safety programs. The awards program recognizes member companies, workers and other individuals for outstanding safety programs that make them leaders in the residential construction industry. “It is exciting to see home building professionals dedicated to workplace safety receive such a prestigious honor,” said J. Gary Hill, NAHB Construction Safety and Health Committee chairman and home builder from Winston-Salem,…
Read MoreVirginia Remodeler Leo Lantz Named 2018 NAHB Remodeler of the Year
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 – The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers is honoring Leo Lantz, CAPS, CGP, CGR, GMR, a remodeler from Glen Allen, Va., as the 2018 NAHB Remodeler of the Year. The NAHB Remodeler of the Year award recognizes superior business management, exemplary NAHB involvement at all levels and outstanding contributions to the remodeling industry. “Leo Lantz has become a distinguished remodeler over the last three decades by providing excellent work for his customers, and has sincere enthusiasm to give back to his local community and industry,”…
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