Build Your House Yourself University

Small is a relative term.  You might think of a tiny house when you hear someone using the term “small house” or you might think of an 1800 square foot home.  Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there are some definite benefits of building a smaller house.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

This week we’re talking home automation with Carley Knobloch.  She’s a digital lifestyle expert who serves as a home automation consultant for HGTV and she’s worked on several of HGTV’s Smart Homes.  Carley also talks technology on CNN and the Today Show.  She’ll give us some insight on exactly what home automation is and tell us about some of her favorite technology for the home.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

Check out Carley’s blog at www.CarleyK.com

Most people want a quiet, peaceful home— one without a lot of outside noise and one where sound within one room doesn’t transfer to another room.  Controlling noise involves reducing the movement of sound waves from one place to another. The best way to minimize noise within a room is to combine a number of different sound-blocking and sound-reduction methods.  This week I have 10 quick tips that you can use to help sound proof different areas of your house.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

Windows 102--BYHYU 042

This week I have a meeting with a house designer. So in this episode, we’ll talk about what you and I should do to prepare for those initial design meetings.   What documents and information we’ll need for those meetings to be less time consuming and more successful.  Now I’m not going to talk a lot about how to choose a designer or architect.  If you’ve listened to this show for a while, you can probably figure that out.  Ask friends and family and contractors for their recommendations and get several references before settling on a house designer or architect. What we’ll concentrate on today, is what you do after you’ve decided on a specific design professional.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

BYHYU 039--Practical Luxury For Your Master Bath That's Totally Worth the Splurge

BYHYU 052--See What Your House Will Look Like Before You Build It

Together we’ll learn the basics of home design and construction and demystify the building process, so we communicate with designers, contractors, and suppliers more effectively and build quality dream homes, with or without a general contractor.

Most people think of their pets as members of the family.  So, it only makes sense to consider them when designing your new home.  This week I have 9 quick tips for designing a pet-friendly home.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

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In cold, northern states of the US, most homeowners really don’t have much choice of what type of foundation their house will have.  Most cold climate foundations are basements.  That’s because of the footing, which is the lowest part of the house, right beneath the foundation, has to be placed below the frost line.

If you live in a moderate or warm climate, you’ll have a choice to make.  Today’s mini lesson will cover the pros and cons of the different types of foundations.  It will help you decide whether a basement, crawl space or slab foundation is the best choice for your house.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

The house that my husband are planning to build will be our forever home— the first and last house that we’ll ever build.  At least that’s the plan. Eventually, everyone of us will either rent, buy or build our last home- the one that we’ll will grow older in. The one where our adult children and grandchildren will spend holidays.

This week’s quick tips will give you some ideas about how to design a forever house.  The list includes universal design elements, meaning features that will allow anyone of any age or anyone with any level of mobility to enjoy and live in the house.

But a forever house shouldn’t just be physically accessible to us as we age, it should also accommodate changes in lifestyle, habits and traditions as we progress from busy, working people to retirees.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

This morning, when I was on my knees scrubbing my small, framed, fiberglass shower stall, I thought to myself, “What would I do to make this shower better?  How would I design the perfect shower?”  One that would be a pleasure to use everyday and one that would be easy to clean and maintain.  In  this week’s episode, I’ll share with you some of the things I came up with.  We’ll go over some quick tips for designing the perfect shower. 

Now, obviously, what a perfect shower is for me, might be the perfect shower for you.  But I think you should be able to get several good ideas from this week’s perfect shower quick tips.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Solid hardwood floors are on the wish list of most people that I know who are planning to build a home.  Wood floors are warm and welcoming, but they’re also expensive and they don’t hold up well to moisture and humidity, pets, rowdy children and heavy foot traffic.   Fortunately, wood flooring alternatives have now entered the residential market in the form of wood look tile and wood look luxury vinyl flooring. They provide the warm look of wood, without many of the downsides that go along with hardwood flooring.   What gives these alternatives the look of hardwood is an high definition wood image that’s applied to the surface of the tile or vinyl. In this week’s mini lesson,  I’ll give you the pro and cons of wood look tile, plus some buying tips.  Last week we went over the pro and cons of luxury vinyl flooring.  Take a listen to episode 65 if you missed that.

Shownotes at BYHYU.com

Listen, I know what you’re thinking when I say vinyl flooring…inexpensive, unattractive linoleum-like floors.  Not something that you would consider worthy of a new, custom built home.  I used to think the same thing.

I always assumed that I would definitely put hardwood flooring in my dream house. But now I’m not entirely sure.  I’ve seen more and more wood look alternatives that look exactly like solid hardwood.  And what’s really intrigued me is that I’ve seen these wood look alternatives in several luxury model homes. Plus, in doing a bit of Google research, I’ve read that many homeowners are specifically requesting wood look alternatives, even in high end custom homes. 

This week, I’ll tell you about the pro and cons of wood look luxury vinyl floor planks and next week we’ll cover wood look porcelain tiles.  Both are great options for the look of wood, without the cost and maintenance associated with solid hardwood flooring. 

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

BYHYU 030-- Spray Foam Insulation and Rigid Foam Insulation