For the homeowner attempting to reconcile future market value of their home versus costs, the calculation can seem daunting.  All living arrangements carry an expense, but we have grown accustomed to expecting others (potential buyers, appraisers, lenders) to share our perspective of our home’s dollar value, even without considering the emotional value that we tend to add on top of the market.  After all, a home is where the experiences of family are most immediate, and we cherish that history.  

So how does one account for how much to spend on updating and enhancing structures and interiors when some portion of what we spend may be an expense instead of an investment?  Probably the same way one arrives at any difficult decision—decide on what is most important in your particular situation, gather information, sort options, and then decide.  Having made the best decision you can based on the information available at the time, don’t look back.  You’ll go nuts trying to control the uncontrollable, of which everything that lies in the past is included!  Spend on what is most important to YOU, and save on what you care the least about in terms of your home experience. 

For the builder who is carrying on in this business climate, the choices can also be difficult; however, in business a calculation based on emotion may end an enterprise.  If we can’t make a profit that allows us to build our business, then there is little point in being in the building business.  Just turning over dollars to stay busy is operating at a loss, because the liability factor in creating a custom home using thousands of components, any one of which could unexpectedly underperform, carries a risk to the business that must also be accounted for.  As a homeowner, you certainly want your contractor to be available in the future, because houses can be depended upon to need fixing, even if they can’t be depended upon to go up in market value. 

To sum up this philosophy, you can use the same decision making strategies that would be prudent in any decision of importance.  Be as honest as possible about what is important to you and why, and make choices that are reasonably calculated to return whatever proportion of resale versus expense that you are comfortable with.  Borrow the least amount that still gets the job done, give yourself credit for your efforts, live happy, and don’t look back…except to remember fondly that you purchased a chance at history that only you could make.

INTEGRITY.  Clients need to know that their builder possesses integrity in his business relationship with them, with trade partners, with regulators, and with finances.  Builders build homes to make a profit, an essential element in maintaining a business, but also for the creative reward they feel from making a really good product and having clients speak well of them.   A good contract document that balances the responsibilities of both parties helps to clarify understanding, but a document cannot impose integrity.

There will be challenges to overcome with any custom design.  Bringing together thousands of components assembled by dozens, or even hundreds, of craftsmen in a one-of-a-kind setting will present some obstacles.    A good builder is constantly refining techniques and systems to improve his process not only because it improves his referrals, but because he enjoys doing business that way…with integrity.   A good businessman wants to know when his clients have concerns so he can help them find solutions.  Good communication happens much more easily in a climate of trust.

The Farlow Group has been blessed with many clients who call on us for multiple projects.  We consider their continued patronage and referrals to be the highest form of compliment.  As the testimonials on our website convey, clients value their ability to trust in our relationship as much as they do the enjoyment of their homes.  To us, integrity is an essential component in building homes.

As a home builder in Wilmington, North Carolina, we have constructed many styles of homes.  While doing research online concerning exterior elements of a classical revival home, we came across a website that we thought you may enjoy.  The website http://www.ontarioarchitecture.com/ has excellent photos and descriptions of architectural styles from many periods.  There is also a wonderful glossary of building terms relating to architectural elements. 

The Ontario Architecture site was created by an associate of the building and construction department of Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; however, many of the photos look like they could easily have been taken here in the Wilmington area!

The Farlow Group recently completed this water side porch

enclosure with glass doors that open completely by sliding to

stack on the sides.  The clients love it so much that we are

now enclosing their ground level porch as well. 

The sliders control how much breeze enters without

blocking the views. Baseboard heat makes the space

comfortable in winter too.

Remember when you were looking for that perfect home to buy or thinking about building your dream home?  Did you identify certain rooms, or even just a space within a room, that would be just right for a favorite activity; be it reading, surfing the net, crafting, yoga, or watching nature through the window…whatever you like to do? 

Do you have that space now? Strategy…you can still carve out your space using the first steps involved in reshaping any space:  EDIT and REARRANGE.  Maybe you couldn’t find a spot for your favorite activity because all the spots are already taken up with, well, things.  Remove unneeded items to make space.  Before moving any big furniture, get a light-weight chair, perhaps from the breakfast or dining room, and move it to various places within the room to check out what a chair in that spot would feel like.  Check out the room from both seated and standing positions to get additional info on how it would feel to arrange the room differently. 

If these preliminary steps inspire you to more involved refurbishing—perhaps you need more light, sound control, or an entire addition–you can Contact Us for a complimentary consultation.  Plan, execute, and enjoy!

The business of being a general contractor is, basically, bringing the needed resources to a project at the time they are needed.  Obviously there are thousands of details that go along with what happens both before and after the issues of what and when.  Who, how, and why being among them.

So where does a contractor committed to excellence turn for resources to enhance his skills and improve his knowledge and methods to benefit his clients?  Professional organizations are a great source of knowledge, and an opportunity to connect with colleagues to draw on their experiences as well.

At The Farlow Group, we belong to a local buying cooperative, Cape Fear Builders Guild http://www.capefearbuildersguild.com , to enable us to obtain collective pricing from selected vendors.  The concept began as a way to allow a group of contractors to function as independent businesses, but achieve the attractive pricing options from suppliers that might otherwise be reserved only for large tract builders.  That concept has certainly been beneficial, but along the way, the group members have also become friends and developed an appreciation for one another as colleagues with common problems and interests. 

At the national level, Jim Farlow is a member of the National Association of Home Builders program known as Builder 20 Groups.  Membership in the Builder 20 program joins builders from around the country together in groups of up to 20, to share any information that will enable the members to improve their businesses.  Groups can also function like a board of directors to solve problems by one member posing a question to the group and opening a discussion.  Because members of each group are from non-competing markets (different states or geographic areas), information can flow freely without compromising any member’s competitive advantage in their own market.  Jim Farlow is a member of the Keystones group, who meet every 6 months at different locations around the country, with each member taking a turn hosting the meeting in their area.  Between meetings they stay in touch by email, phone, and yes, on Facebook!

Remodeling is about adapting your home to meet the needs and desires of your current lifestyle.   

If you are thinking about a remodeling project for your home, from a minor “facelift” to a major renovation, some preliminary planning will help you decide what to tackle and what to leave as is.  You may find it easier to plan your project by breaking the decision process into three broad categories:  logistics, budget, and resources. 

LOGISTICS:  Logistics basically means choosing what to include in your project, and whether you will remain in your home while the work is underway, or stay somewhere else.  Knowing the scope of the project will certainly affect your decision about whether or not to remain at home.  Start by listing everything you want to get out of your new environment in terms of your lifestyle; such as better traffic flow, opening up views to the outside, or creating a get-away within your home.  From your lifestyle wish list, you will create a more specific list of “To Do’s”.  For instance, if you want to update your kitchen, will that involve changing the counter tops, cabinets, appliances, plumbing fixtures, moving walls, and so on?  Start with everything you want for a particular space, with the realization that you may have to proceed in phases according to your budget.  

BUDGET:  Have a clear understanding of how much money you have available to spend.     Remember to include amounts in your budget for permits, installation, debris disposal, and a place to stay if you will not remain at home.  Depending on the extent of what you have in mind, you may also need the services of a design professional or a contractor.   A preliminary visit to an appliance store, or a showroom for plumbing or lighting fixtures, will give you an idea of the costs associated with some of the components for your project. 

RESOURCES:  You have already considered what you want and how much you have in your budget.  A committed do-it-yourself homeowner may be ready to proceed at this point.  Try to have an understanding of how much of your time will be involved in selecting components and accomplishing the work, and what else you normally do in your life that you may not have time for when performing your own renovations.  A qualified contractor may seem an added expense, but may be a critical resource for accomplishing your goals, and actually provide a savings of both time and money.  Contractors know the requirements of the building codes and are experienced in dealing with all of the agencies having jurisdiction over the work.  Your contractor will also manage the tradesmen, deliveries, and payments needed to keep the work moving.  

A home renovation is a great way to upgrade your life, and your style.  Plan, execute, and enjoy!

The home known as Ligon Point, located on Figure Eight Island in Wilmington and completed in 2010 by The Farlow Group, has been certified as an ENERGY STAR qualified home.  The homeowners can expect to spend less on energy costs due to the efficiency of the materials and systems installed in their home.  The electricity provider, Progress Energy Carolinas, also offers a 5% discount off regular residential rates with the ENERGY STAR qualification.

The certification of Ligon Point for ENERGY STAR rating was submitted to the EPA on behalf of The Farlow Group and the homeowners by Building Performance Specialists in Wilmington, NC, www.moisturematters.com , who performed inspections and analysis from start to finish to document that standards were met for qualification.  The commitment to energy efficiency throughout the home was important to the owners, who needed substantial square footage to accommodate visits by their large extended family, but still desired an environmentally conscious home.

For more information on the ENERGY STAR program and products, visit the website www.energystar.gov .