Author Archive
A Screencast of our Advanced Estimating Program at PL Lyons
We get a lot of questions about our advanced estimate. We get questions from customers, from subcontractors and from other builders. We’ve been teaching the Advanced Estimating class at the Home Builders Association of Louisville for several years partly because of our estimating program. This quick video gives you a glimpse into how we use our estimate to drill down to every area of a custom building or remodeling project. We’d love to answer your questions about our estimate. Leave them in the comments below or feel free to use our online contact form. We’d also love to estimate your project, but I’m sure you knew that already.
You can enlarge the screencast tutorial video by clicking the bottom right button to full screen mode. You can exit by clicking the esc button.
Exterior Remodeling project in Douglas Hills
In this weeks video, Perry Lyons walks us through a job P.L. Lyons Inc is getting ready to begin. The project is in the Douglas Hills subdivision, near Middletown in Louisville KY. P.L. Lyons Custom Building and Remodeling has done quite a few custom projects in the Douglas Hills area over the last 5-6 years. Perry built many of the homes in this area early in his custom building years. Some of the recent projects have been additions, others were kitchen remodels, while some involved the complete reworking of floor plans. This particular project is an exterior remodel. It involves some work on the front elevation for both enhanced curb appeal and more importantly to correct some drainage issues.
If you have a remodeling project in Douglas Hills give us call or contact us through our online form. We’d love to come out and discuss your unique project. We’ve worked for a lot of your neighbors and they’ve been happy with the results. If you’d like to speak to them we can probably arrange that as well. Along with Douglas Hills we’ve done a lot of work in Eastern Jefferson county subdivisions like Owl Creek, Plainview, Foxgate, Anchorage, Forest Springs and Lake Forest just to name a few.
Covered deck on an existing deck in Middletown
One last video in this series on Covered Decks and Porches in east Louisville. On this video Perry talks about how you can also add a cover to an existing deck. If you enjoy outdoor entertaining and want to look at an affordable way to improve your home, these remodeling projects have been very popular lately.
16 simple ideas for remodeling projects
Often times when we think of a custom remodeling project we get stars in our eyes. We think of the complete kitchen or bath remodel, the finished basement or the addition. Those are great projects and we like doing them, but sometimes if you don’t have the budget starting simple is the way to go. Add things incrementally over time. Below is a list of ideas for simple remodeling projects that won’t break the bank but that will add some freshness to your home.
- Adding a deck
- Adding a patio
- Adding a Gazebo
- Adding a covered deck
- Opening up the family room to the kitchen
- Opening up the family room to the sitting room
- Adding a window to a room
- Adding a new doorway to a room
- Adding a mud room or laundry room
- Converting a porch to a laundry or mud room
- Adding some built ins around the fireplace for an entertainment center or library
- Adding French Doors to turn a sitting room into an office
- Adding some shutters or a new door to spice up the front elevation
- Adding a closet to a room
- Adding wainscoting to a formal dining room
- Adding window seats to a bedroom
Hope this gets the creative juices flowing. Check back for more ideas for custom building and remodeling projects in Louisville KY. Most of the work we have done in the past 35 years has been in neighborhoods like Owl Creek, Douglas Hills, Plainview, Hurstbourne, Beckley Woods, Lake Forest, Anchorage, Winchester Acres and Fox Run.
If you have any ideas or simple projects you’ve done leave them in the comments below. We’d love to hear your ideas. This blog is about you not us.
Repeat customers are our best promotion
A doctor we built for had us build a second house and a medical office after that.
One family had us build 4 houses as their family grew, and we recently finished a commercial build out for their new company, Babyology.
Another family had us build, starting with the family patriarch, and we have built for one of his son’s and daughter’s.
A doctor in Anchorage had us build his first house, and we did 5 remodels/additions to his house. H later referred us to build a house for his brother in law.
Another client in Anchorage is still in their house we built in 1980, and we have done 4 remodeling projects at that house. We recently did a major remodel to their kitchen to accommodate the grandchildren, and we have completed 4 commercial remodels for their business. We are now working for two of their children, currently remodeling 2 projects for them.
We remodeled and built a new corporate addition to a dental office, and continued to build/remodel 5 additional offices for them, also building a new house for one of the dentist partners.
We built a home in Douglas Hills only to come back 20+ years later to do an addition and remodel.
We can only tute our own horn so much, but when our customers tute theirs it speaks volumes.
In the market for a custom home, remodel or addition? Just starting dream, that OK too. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Custom Craftsman Ranch Home
Well it’s been a big part of our life for the last 6 to 8 months. We’re proud of it and wanted to show it off a bit. We’ve also used these two videos (Part 1 and Part 2) to educate potential customers about our process and our true custom experience. We take you from “Concept to Completion” and really make a friend in the process.
The homeowners of this beautiful custom craftsman ranch home have offered to share a testimonial in the near future. So be on the lookout for that as well.
If you’re interested in turning your dream on a cocktail napkin or set of generic plans into a custom home in 6-8 months, within budget, then contact us today for a free initial consultation.
6 Reasons to Choose P.L. Lyons as your Custom Home Builder
Recently a client who was interviewing us to build their new home asked, “Why should I use you to build for us”?
I quickly answered:
- We have been in the building business since 1974, and have weathered many storms in our industry.
- We are progressive in our thinking and designing, but we also know what stands the test of time. Many new companies in our industry do the “now thing”, following trends and features that we have seen go by the wayside, leaving the “dated house” syndrome. Limiting your investment because of not knowing past experiences.
- We have been doing many of the features required for “Energy Star Rating” for several years. We recently had a house Energy Star rated, doing nothing different than we typically do, and our rater said “You had one of the best tests we have ever seen in this size house”.
- We have a staff that has been with us for several years. Including many of our subcontractor teams that have been with us since the mid 1970’s.
- We have a list of customers that will vouch for us and our product.
- We have had several repeat customers.
I suggested they contact a couple customers. We just finished a house for one and a commercial build out for the other. I wanted them to see how our customers felt about working with us, especially in this current economy. Allowing current customers to transparently express their views on their experience is far more powerful than us promoting ourselves.
We would love to build or remodel your next project, and if offered the opportunity, we hope you’ll feel like our most recent customer who said , “We like your experience and track record. Let’s proceed with the plans”.
Want to remove the wall between your living room and family room?
Does your wife want you to remove that wall between the living room and the family room to make all that space useable? How do you go about finding out if it is structurally and or economically feasible?
You start by calling a professional licensed building contractor. They will know, after visiting your house, whether or not the removal of that wall is structurally feasible. Most builders do this initial consultation for free.
If they advise you that it is structurally feasible, ask if they have ever done this type of work, and what all is involved. If you are satisfied that they could do the project, have a plan prepared to show how the changes would be made. A detailed estimate and a scope of work would be submitted, and you would contract to do the work.
These types of structural changes always require building permits. Depending on your state and locality, only insured and licensed contractors can obtain building permits.
Check to see that your builder is in good standing and that he/she can obtain permits.
Selecting a draftsman or architect
When selecting a draftsperson or architect to design my building project, who should I choose?
My experience over the years has varied. We have been involved with architectural firms. individual architects, draftsmen, and drafting firms. All have a place in the market, and many times the project itself dictates the firm or person that should be used.
If you are thinking of working with a building contractor, many times it is wise to get their counsel first.
If you have already decided to work with; lets say a draftsman, look at some plans he has finished in the past. Ask for references. Ask if he does work for builders. Ask those builders how they feel about that particular draftsman.
DO NOT BASE you final decision solely on price. Some draftsmen do not produce a good detailed sets of plans, and it becomes apparent when trying to obtain building permits. It also allows for interpretations in the field, that should be detailed for field crews. Much like a successful business needs a business plan, your building project needs a good set of building plans.
A good quick check is:
Are the beams sized and the dimensions detailed, or does the plan have the notation: “verify in field”, or “builder to verify”,or even notes like “lumber salesman to verify”. Obviously this draftsman does not know what he is doing, or does not want the responsibility of detailing the plans. Do you really want him designing your project?
Contact us to take your home from concept to completion today.