Lack Of Homes Pushes People To Build New Custom Homes In Collingwood Area

If you are looking to move up to the Collingwood/Thornbury/Town of The Blue Mountains area and you just started looking at real estate, you might be disappointed at the utter lack of houses that are for sale in the area.

This is because there are simply not enough homes in the area for the amount of people that want to move here. There is also not a lot of people that are moving out of the area to go somewhere else. There has been enough development in infrastructure that people of all ages can now live here.

This has created a scenario that has seen the price of homes rise and the demand for those homes rise as well. Supply and demand in action.

What is a person to do if they can't find a house that properly suits their needs?

You could always build yourself a new house.

That's right you could build a new custom home for yourself. There are still pieces of property inside and outside of town that you can buy and build a new house on.

How do you get started?

1. Look on the real estate listings for a home that will suit your family, if you can't find anything there then you might need to build a new home.
2. Once you have decided on building a new home you will need to figure out what your budget is, remember that a new custom home might cost you a little more then buying a used home, but its a brand new home not something some else has already used.
3. Start looking around through the real estate listings for the perfect piece of property to build a new custom home on, this is were real estate agents really come in handy. Remember that the cost of your lot will come out of the new home budget.
4. Find yourself an architect/builder. Why do I say both? Because you need at least one of them, an architect can find you a builder, but also a builder can find you an architect. They both can advise you on how much building a new home will cost and what you can afford.
5. Once you have both then you can plan your new home and budget for it.This might take longer then you think as architects are fairly busy these days, every time you change the drawings or adjust something in the plan you extend the design time that it takes to get the plan completed.
6. Secure your financing. If you don't have the luxury of having all the money already to build your new home then you will need to take your plans and the budget that your builder has given you to a financial institution for funds. Do not make the mistake of taking less money then what your builder has budgeted. Thinking that you will com under budget is a mistake. You might come under budget in your build but if you don't then there will be a point in the build where you run out of money and the build will come to a stop until you can secure more funding.
7. Get your permits. This might take sometime depending on how many different organizations will be involved (municipal building department, conservation authority, escarpment committee).
8. Build your new home.

It sounds easy and its not actually very hard it just takes some time and patience. Remember one thing about building a new custom home, in the end it might cost you more then a re-sale home but as soon as your new home is completed its probably worth more then what you paid to have it built.

This entire process will go smoother with the right companies, find the right ones for each step and the process will be a lot smoother and less stressful.

If your moving to the area and want to build a custom home send us an email and let us help.

Rob

Village Builders Inc.

Generator For My New Home?

Does my new custom home need a backup generator?

This is a question that I get asked a lot when people are setting the budget for their new custom home build. Its a good question and one that isn't as simple as you would think.

What is a stand by back up generator?

A stand by generator is the type of generator that is connected to a gas supply (natural or propane), it's wired into a sub-panel in your new home and when the electricity fails in the home the generator automatically turns on and powers whatever is hooked up to the sub-panel. You as the homeowner do not have to do anything, you don't have to flip a switch, turn a dial or put fuel in anything. The entire point of the system is to start and stop by itself when there is a lack of electricity.

This means that the system works when you are not at home, it also means that you don't get to power your entire house. The system is designed to only power what you have put in the sub-panel.

What is a sub-panel? 

It is a smaller electrical panel that is placed near the main electrical panel. It has a smaller capacity and usually has less room in it for electrical breakers. The generator is sized to the amount of the load that you are going to draw. The load will depend on what you are actually trying to power, the more you want to power by the generator the larger the generator. 

Stand by generators are expensive.

That's right they are not cheap, they work well but they are not inexpensive. This is one of the reasons that you should way the benefits of having one compared to the cost of buying one. 

If you have things that are critical that require constant power then a generator like this will be a no brainer. Here are some of the systems that you might want constant uninterrupted power too;

• Sump pump. If you have high water levels around your new home you will want your sump pump to always turn on especially in extreme weather that can knock out the power grid.
• Freezers. If you have freezers with perishables in it and they can't lose power.
• Work. If your job depends on you always having power to your devices or equipment.
• Medical equipment. If you or someone in the home needs constant power to medical equipment for a life or death scenario.
• You want power. In the modern work some people just can't survive without all the modern conveniences. Electricity is a must for quality of life.
• Heating units. Depending on how cold the climate is where you live being without power could be dangerous.
• Electric car. If the only vehicles you own are electric then being able to charge them off a generator might be essential.

There are some cons to having a stand by generator;

• Cost of installation. They are expensive to have installed.
• They use gas even when not needed. Every week they turn on for a while and run a test cycle burning fuel. They do this so that they will always work when the power actually does fail.
• They require maintenance like any thing that has a motor.
• They take up room on the side of your house. If you are tight to the lot lines then they could be in the way of you trying to get around the house.
• Generators are limited in what they can power, there will always be things that will not be able to be wired into the generator. You will have to make sacrifices.

Whether you install a generator or not will depend on you making a list of needs and wants, you will have to decide if a generator is a need or a want. Then you can decide if it fits in your budget and the maintenance of it going forward.

Rob Abbott

Village Builders Inc.