Homeowner Tips for Saving Money on New Construction and Remodeling Projects

Want to know how to save costs when building a new home or remodeling an older home? Industry experts have two major tips for you. First, research the building products that go into your home. Second, listen to building industry professionals.

“Homeowners who research the advantages and disadvantages of a product, the lifespan of the product, and the warranty offered by the manufacturer, are steps ahead in making the right choices for their home,” says Don Zeman, host of the nationally syndicated home improvement radio show, Homefront with Don Zeman. “Consider it your ‘job’ to gain product information so that you can make smart choices. Review web sites, read home improvement magazines, listen to radio shows, watch TV programs and carefully go through product literature from manufacturers.

“Knowledge is powerful. Your research can make the difference between selecting a product based on a good-looking advertisement and choosing a product that will give you a good return on your investment.”

According to Zeman, who was a contractor and builder for 25 years before starting his home improvement radio show, the next thing to do is consider the advice of your building professional. “Builders and remodelers live and breathe building products. They deal with products everyday and can give you great input on what products hold up well over time, which ones may not be suitable for your project and how you can save money by investing in ‘alternative’ products such as urethane millwork, fiber cement siding and acrylic block windows. When selecting your contractor, make sure you pick someone who is up-to-speed on building products and who you trust to give you solid advice regarding the investment you’re making in your home.”

As Zeman knows, the products chosen for new construction and remodeling projects can end up saving substantial job site time, labor and actual product costs. When looking at large building product expenditures for the home, people often think about roofing, siding and windows. These “big ticket” items can eat up a huge chunk of a budget, so it’s important for homeowners to get actively involved in the selection of these items.

“We look at windows as a long-term investment in a home and we encourage homeowners to view them the same way,” says Vernon McClure, president of Main Street Homes of Richmond, Virginia. “To us, it makes no sense at all to recommend or install windows that homeowners are going to be unhappy with or need to replace in five years. That’s why we take the time to explain energy efficiency benefits to homeowners --- including different glass package options --- and encourage them to purchase low maintenance vinyl windows. The investment in a top-quality vinyl window means that the homeowner will save on energy, maintenance and replacement costs during the lifespan of the home.”

McClure, who installs Simonton ProFinish® windows, takes the time to explain the benefits of fusion-welded corners and seams to his customers. “Builders and remodelers understand that selecting the least expensive product to put in a home is not the way to build a reputation. We try to share that knowledge with our customers. We’ve found that by partnering with a quality window manufacturer, we’ve built up a strong business and a good reputation with our customers.”

While windows are definitely a “large ticket item” for homes, many builders and remodelers don’t stop there with evaluating products that make good long-term investments for homeowners. Today’s building industry professionals are as concerned with the selection of subflooring as they are with the choice of trim products.

“Our company’s decision to use urethane millwork ultimately saves the homeowner money,” says Jim Benoit, CR of Benoit & Czarnecki Design/Construction, LLC in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. “We used to create built-up interior moulding profiles exclusively out of wood. That process was extremely time-consuming, but the results were great. We’ve discovered that we can get the same quality look with one-piece urethane mouldings from Style Solutions. These larger mouldings are lightweight and install easily, so we’re also saving our customers on installation time.”

“There are still some projects where wood is the preferred application, but when we compare the cost of materials in creating a four- or five-piece wood moulding build-up to a one-piece urethane moulding product, we find that the urethane product is generally more cost effective. Overall, the product looks great, lasts forever and saves our customers money. That’s a ‘win-win’ situation.”

Benoit has found out what many building industry professionals already know: “alternative” products, sometimes called “look-a-likes,” can save substantially on costs and labor. One remodeler, David Tyson of Charlotte, North Carolina, used to install only glass block windows until he found acrylic block products from Hy-Lite® Products. Now, whenever a client requests glass block windows from Tyson, his immediate response is to introduce them to acrylic block operable and fixed units as a smart alternative.

“The Hy-Lite acrylic block windows come as prefabricated units in frames, making them less bulky and heavy than glass block windows,” says Tyson, owner and CEO of David Tyson & Associates. “As a result, we have quicker installation and instant gratification for our customers.

“We also like the acrylic block products because they’re easy to finish the trim around the window inside and out. We firmly believe that using Hy-Lite® products has helped build our company’s quality reputation while giving our customers rooms they can enjoy without worrying about privacy or light issues.”

Also see; installing a replacement window.

Author Notes:

Don Zeman contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.replacement-windows-n-shutters.com. Everything you need for replacement windows; sizing, purchasing, installing and maintaining.