2011 the year in review for Village Builders Inc.
It has been an interesting year for Village builders Inc in 2011.
For the third straight year the overall work taken on and completed has grown. We have grown every year since the credit crunch and stock market crash of 2008.
2011 was the year of the house for Village builders, we started and completed more houses in one single year than ever before in the company’s 30 year history.
Renovations on the other hand were down compared to the previous two years but still ahead of the pre 2008 pace.
Trends
The trend for houses seems to be that they are getting more expense per square foot. Houses now have all the bells and whistles in them and every feature imaginable to make life a little easier. Things such as rough-ins for elevators and generators are now a common theme in all our houses. Electronics and automation is on the rise with more tech savvy clients wanting to be able to control their house functions from there smart phones.
The trend for pre 2008 was that the houses grew in size, but were close to the same price per square foot and tended to be in the chalet or country style. The trend in 2011 was houses of all sizes, shapes, styles and locations but with an ever rising price per square foot.
· Energy efficiency in all the aspects of the home is growing year over year, 2011 was no different. High efficiency gas furnaces are now the norm and if the property allows geothermal heating seems to be the only sensible option for houses in the country that have no access to natural gas. More insulation is being added to houses, in the walls and in the attic with the rising cost of electricity and gas.
· A larger percentage of houses that we built or were building in 2011 are getting away from wood siding and are turning to stone or brick. Also cement sidings popularity has continued to grow.
· Steel roofs have become the most popular option for at least half of the houses that were built. With the uncertainty of the quality of shingles these days and the extreme weather steel will continue to grow in popularity.
· Decking is undergoing a major revolution with so many new products and options. Builders are being asked to look into products that they have never even heard of or seen before. Composite decking is becoming the most popular because of its longevity and new materials that are making it look more appealing.
· Fireplaces are growing in size, especially natural gas fireplaces, with so many options out there people are being buried by choices and so are builders.
· Painted trim is the most popular way to finish off the house in 2011 and reclaimed floors that are finished on site were also the most popular.
· Window sizes seem to have grown in size. Also the amount of different manufactures that we seem to be using has grown as well.
· Houses with attached double car garages seems to be the norm again in 2011, this is a trend that has continued for the last couple of years, even with the space for a detached garage people are opting for the attached version.
· Master suites are now the norm in all houses built in 2011. Suites commonly all contain a large bedroom, large Ensuite bathroom and an ever growing walk in closet with custom shelving units installed.
Overall it seems that homeowners are becoming more and more confused with the over abundance in choices that they are able to find on either the internet or in the stores. There is a growing lag on the building process because of homeowners being bogged down with choices.
Employment
Village Builders as a company now employs more people than they ever have before. This is in every department from the operations, office staff and the design.
With the prospect of large new projects in the spring and the current ongoing projects the operations side of the business looks to grow even more in 2012.
With the increased management and growth of the business, perspective clients are being identified earlier on in the building process. Instead of being identified months before there project starts they are now being identified years in advance. This is allowing Village Builders to take a more active role in the planning process of their perspective client’s entire project. This is one of the main reasons for the growth in 2011 in Village Builders.
Overall the year of 2011 was of growth and change with so many new employees.
2012 looks to be another year of growth with less change to structure of the company and more infill around the current structure.
Design Department
This year marks the 1st anniversary of the interior design department at Village Builders. The prospect of growth in this sector seems to be very large as not only new clients are using our service, but former clients as well are taking advantage. The design department has revolutionized the renovation side of the business with new modern designs and out of the box thinking. They are also giving our clients more personal attention than ever before and being able to help keep a strict eye on all the purchasing of materials and order tracking.
2011 was one of the most successful years for Village Builders Inc. and 2012 looks to be even better!
Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village builders Inc.
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