Build Your House Yourself University

Although communicating with our contractors is an important part of successfully building our homes, there are certain things that we should never say to them.  This week, and next week, we’ll discuss some of those taboo phrases and questions that should never be uttered to our contractors.

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Last week we talked about whether a buying an extended home warranty is a smart idea. Those home warranties are offered by third party companies that will help pay for repairing, and, if necessary, replacing, covered appliances and home components, such a

If you’re like me, you’ve been seeing commercials for extended home warranties and wondering if they’re a good investment.  These home warranties are supposed to go beyond the coverage that you get with the usual homeowners insurance policy.  They are warranties that are offered by third party companies that will pay for repairs, and, if necessary, replacing, covered appliances and home components, such as plumbing, should problems arise.  So are home warranties a good idea? 

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The information in this week’s episode comes from an article that was recently posted on Houzz called 32 Home Design Trends That Will Rule in 2019.   Houzz chose those 32 design trends after analyzing data from photos and articles that have been saved on the site, plus interviewing professional designers.  The trends are those they think you can expect to see a lot in 2019.   Many of them are features we’ve seen over the last several years but are still popular in new homes.

Now, To clarify, design features that are on trend can be very different than features that are trendy.    A trend is defined as a general direction in which something is developing or changing.  A design trend is often classic— something that will look good many years or even decades from now, like white or light colored walls. Something that’s trendy, has faddish appeal.  It may look very interesting and current in the next year or two, but it will probably look dated in a decade— think of sponge-painted faux finishes on walls from the early 2000s.

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I was trying to wait until we actually started construction before I did another project update, but I know you guys have been wondering what’s been going on since my last update back in September.    Well, as you know from the title of the episode, we still haven’t started construction. 

Our site has been cleared and leveled, and it’s ready for construction.  The floor plan is complete and Keith, the builder I hired as my construction manager, is ready to go. But, for several months, we’ve been waiting on the structural engineer to complete the foundation plan and the other portions of the plan that need to be engineered. 

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As with most features in your home, the way you design your kitchen island should be a matter of functionality, personal taste, your budget, and your lifestyle.  This week’s quick tips will help you design an island that is not only on trend style-wise but also functional and comfortable.

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You may or may not have heard of central vacuum systems, also called “central vac”.  People who know of them generally love them or hate them.  This week we’ll talk about the pros and cons of putting a central vac in your new home.  We’ll also go over the cost of the system and who would benefit from it most.

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This week we’ll talk in more detail about a rain screen, which is a moisture control measure that can be used in new construction.  I briefly introduced you to rain screens in episode 134 called “Learn to Control One of Your Home’s Biggest Enemies:  Moisture”. But in this week mini-lesson, we’ll have a more in-depth discussion of rain screens and talk about when they are recommended.

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Hardware refers to all the metal knobs, levers, latches, pulls, hinges, and handles in a house.  When building a new house, we’ll need to decide what style and color hardware to choose for the cabinets, windows, drawers, and doors.  So, in this week’s episode, we’ll go over what’s trending in hardware and metal finishes.  And we’ll talk about whether mixing metals is still ok.

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Most of us will include tiles in several rooms in our homes.  Tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms are most common, but new homes today might have tiles as the main flooring in our living rooms, on fireplace surrounds, as feature walls, and as outdoor flooring. 

As a material that will be used repeatedly in our homes and as a material that can be potentially pretty expensive, the last thing we want to do is invest in a tile that’s no longer in style.  As with everything, going for classic favorites that have stood the test of time is always a safe bet, but choosing materials that are classic, interesting and current, all at the same time, makes the most sense for the longevity of your design and for the resale of your house.

Show notes at BYHYU.com