General Questions
Do
you draw floor plans?
Do you just
build homes or do you do other work?
Home Improvement Questions
Does
your company do painting?
Is it worth replacing the windows in my older
home?
Do you
do roofs?
New Home Questions
Are
Harvest Homes modular homes?
Do you stick build homes?
Does the land come with the
home?
What about “sweat equity”?
What will my
house cost per square foot?
Will you build on land we already own?
What if we wish to change something after the building
begins?
General Questions
Do you draw floor plans?
We will draw plans only for small projects auch as decks, porches,
and small garages, and only when your municipality does not require
an engineers stamp to obtain the building permit. Complete
homes, and most additions, require 'stamped' floor plans, a
'ResCheck' (certification for a home's insulating envelope), a
light & vent schedule, as well as various cross
sections.
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Do you just build homes or do you do other
work?
We build new homes, additions, decks, and garages. We also
remodel kitchens and baths as well as install new windows, doors,
and siding.
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Home Improvement Questions
Does your company do
painting?
As a general rule we do not engage in painting as a project in and
of itself. Naturally though, painting is included when
building new projects.
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Is it worth replacing the windows
in my older home?
If you have single pane windows there is no question about it.
New windows can be one of the best methods of dealing with
today's ever increasing heating costs. New 'replacement
windows' can be installed in a rather short period of time and
usually without even disturbiung the walls or window casings.
Our choice of windows are vinyl windows that are 'Energy
Star' compliant. Why Vinyl? Unlike most materials,
vinyl does not transmit heat and cold. Wood and metal both
do. Installed correctly they can greatly reduce energy loss
as well as outside noise.
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Do you do roofs?
We do not do what is considered reroofing, however, when building
an addition, a garage or a new home, we will complete the
roof.
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New Home Questions
Are Harvest Homes modular?
Harvest Homes are not modular, they are panelized. The walls
and floor decks are built at the factory then transported to the
building site. A crane is used to lift the floors and walls
into position. Depending on the size and complexity of a
building this process is often accomplished within two days which
is a great advantage. The remainder of the building project
is identical to that of a stick built home. Of notable
distinction is the fact that Harvest Homes come with a ten year
structural warranty. We know of no other company providing
such a warranty.
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Do you stick build
homes?
Yes.
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Does the land come
with the home?
Some homes are built and sold with the land included with the
purchase. Not all are done in this manner.
Some builders will quote the home price without the land figured
into the cost of the new home. Make sure you
understand this and question your builder about the cost of the
land.
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What about “sweat
equity”?
Sweat Equity is the homeowner applying his or her talents to the
completion of their own project. Some clients like to
paint, others may know how to lay floors or install lighting.
We know that your hard earned dollar is important to you and
you may want to use a talent that you posses to cut down on costs.
Sometimes this may be practical but in most cases it is
not.
Why? Projects work on timing and
professionalism. As an example, lets say you are an
excellent painter. Like most of us, you likely have busy
activity and work schedules. Doing your own painting
may sound like it will generate some savings, but there are other
factors involved. First, if you do not complete that job
within the contractor's schedule it impacts every other contractor
down the line such as the trimmers, floor installers, cabinet
installers, counter top installers, etc. When this happens
additional costs and delays are incurred.
Most contractors will plan weeks and months ahead in order to
complete a project in a timely fashion. Doing so is a
necessary element of controlling costs. A lost day's work
means a lost day's pay for most contractos and
employees. As an example: A stone or brick mason
scheduled to build your facasde may put your project off, and move
to another job, in order to keep his employees working when he
finds your site is not ready as expected. In turn, the
schedules of other contractors dependent on the completion of this
facade is then impacted. This can result in delays and
additional costs.
Secondly, most lenders demand that contractors provide liability
and compensation insurance for every employee working on a job.
Each and every contractor provides 'Certificates of
Insurance' to the builder prior to being allowed onto the
worksite. This would include you as the painter. It is
our responsibility is to ensure that everyone has the proper
insurance in case of a mishap. Doing so protects us as the builder
and you as the homeowner. This insurance requirement is also
state law.
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What will my house cost per square
foot?
We know and appreciate that you work hard for your
money. We also want to give you the best finished
product for your hard earned dollar. We feel it is
unfair, to you, for us to quote a specific dollar amount per square
foot before we get to know what your expectations and desires
are.
Each client is unique and has varying degrees of expectations for
their new home. Some clients want vinyl siding while others
want prestigious stone work, wood siding or a combination of both.
Some people like linoleum while others prefer hardwood and ceramic
floors. Each feature in a home may require specific
underlying structure and preparation which leads to varying labor
and material costs. Once we've come to understand your individual
preferences we can give you a true and honest idea of what your new
home will cost.
Some builders will tell you that they can build you a house for a
fixed square footage price. We caution our clients to
speak closely with that builder and ask for written details of
exactly what will be provided. A low square
footage price is likely to net an 'entry level' home, built with
inexpensive materials often referred to as “builder grade”
materials for carpeting, flooring, cabinets, fixtures,
etc. This statement is not intended to discourage you,
rather, it is to educate you and help you gain an accurate
understanding of 'new home' pricing.
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Will you build on land we
already own?
We are more than happy to build on your land. We have dealt
with many people wanting to build on their own land.
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What if we wish to change something
after the building begins?
This situation presents itself sometimes as people begin to see
their vision become reality. Deciding to change a window, move a
door, or just add a closet is not at all uncommon. Long
before we build your home, we will agree on how changes are handled
and just what is involved with them. We do our best to work
with our clients to meet their needs as they arise.
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