ePicketFence.com Blog

If template floor plans don’t appeal to you, perhaps you should build a custom home instead. There are a lot of companies that offer their services to people who want to build their homes from the ground up. Below are tips to help you build your customized home.Good locationChoose a lot to build your custom home from. The closer your lot’s location is to the city, the higher the price range will be. You need to decide on whether or not the convenience is worth the price. Look at the terrain too. The more level the land is, the easier it is to prepare the space for construction. It would be more challenging to build your custom home on a cliff or rocky land. Take the terrain into consideration when you’re looking for architects as well because you would want only professionals who specialize in these types of lots.Floor planEven if you’re going to hire an architect, make a floor plan. This will help you give a clearer vision so you can have the right number of rooms, the c... Tags: Untagged Read More

Interested in using your website to increase your long term business success? Your Remax site can do much more than simply provide your clients with another way to contact you. With the right attitude and a little bit of work, you can foster long term customer relationships that will build your business and help your client base grow. Read on for some of the benefits of helping clients find the right Remax Agent for wherever they're ending up.Referring Clients Builds RelationshipsWhen you have clients that are moving out of state, it can be frustrating to know that you won't be able to personally help them pick their next home. Many times it may seem easier to simply let them find a real estate agent at their intended destination without your help. However, one of the best things you can do for your long term success is take these clients and refer them to a Remax Agent who covers the area they are moving to through your website.By sending your clients to a Remax website ... Tags: Untagged Read More

Who doesn’t want to live close to a water system? Whether you’re planning to purchase a home for the summer or a house by the lake or the river you’re planning to spend your retirement days in, you should consider these things first. Qualities What kind of qualities are you looking for? If you’re a big fan of fishing, you might want to ensure the cleanliness of the lake and the kinds of fishes that can be found there. Are you purchasing a plot of land and planning to build your home? Ask about the city ordinance because you don’t want to build your waterfront home there now only to find out that developers are planning to surround the area with other houses. You might not have the seclusion and peace you were looking for. Legal requirements A lake house or a house by the river needs certain permits before they’re built. If you’re buying a structure which is already built, double-check if its design met all of the environmental requirements. Do the same if you’re designing... Tags: Untagged Read More

Wondering who ended up with all the money after the housing market collapsed? When the market started to fall into recession, there was a huge outcry against the ridiculous paychecks and bonus offers the banking industry and wall street executives ended up walking away with. One group that escaped a great deal of scrutiny were the builders that stopped building homes, started massive unemployment problems by laying off most of their workforce, and raked in the bailout money right alongside the banking and automotive industry. Read on for a little bit about how builder executives came out ahead even while their industry collapsed.Home Builder CEO Pay During The CrashWall Street, banks, and the automotive industry got quite a bit of scrutiny for the way CEOs were being paid during financial collapse. Home builders, on the other hand, were completely ignored. The biggest ten homebuilding companies had an average CEO paycheck of almost $6 million dollars a year during the two... Tags: Untagged Read More

Interested in saving money on the construction of your home? Many people are interested in trying to handle the general management of the subcontractors for their project without hiring a general contractor. However, if you want to be a general contractor for your home there are some important considerations to think about first. Read on for a little bit on what to be ready for when you want to be the general contractor for your home.Time CommitmentOne thing to understand about becoming the general contractor for your project is that you will be engaging in a full time job. There are many things involved in building a home, and by deciding to be your own contractor you are committing to being there for every step of the process. You can't risk leaving subcontractors to do the job without you without risking potential delays and problems because you weren't there to answer a question or make a decision. Being a general contractor is a full time job.Educate YourselfBe prepa... Tags: Austin real estate, Austin Texas homes Read More

MANIFOLD PLUMBING SYSTEMS   A new method for supplying hot and cold water to plumbing fixtures in homes is rapidly gaining greater acceptance by home builders and homeowners. Rather than the traditional method of running branch lines with many fittings and valves to each plumbing fixture, a manifold plumbing system has a central point for hot and cold water distribution, with individual lines running off of it. Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) piping is typically used with manifold systems. PEX is a high-temperature, flexible, corrosion-resistant plastic pipe–not to be confused with polybutylene piping (PB). It is less labor intensive to install and makes use of mechanical connections, which eliminates the need for soldering. Its flexibility also makes it easier to install in both existing and new construction. PEX systems often stand out by the dark red and blue colored piping used by some manufacturers for the hot and cold water respectively. Inappropriate comparison... Tags: Untagged Read More

  DRIVEWAY SEALCOATING   Periodically applying a sealcoat to an asphalt driveway will not only improve its appearance but will help it last longer. A sealcoat protects the driveway from the sun’s ultraviolet rays and helps prevent water from seeping through cracks, were it can contribute to freeze-thaw damage or undermining of the driveway. New asphalt driveways should be allowed to age a year or so before applying a sealcoat. Generally a recoating is only needed every three years in most areas; however, in sunny, hot climates or where the driveway is subject to heavy traffic, more frequent application may be required. Whether a new or existing driveway, the appearance of fine cracks is a clue it is time to apply a sealcoat. The graying of a driveway’s surface is another indication the asphalt is drying out. If you are ready for a little hard labor you can tackle sealcoating yourself, and should be able to do a good job provided you follow the manufacturer’s directio... Tags: Untagged Read More