Archive for Custom Building
Custom home building in Louisville: two great neighborhoods
As a custom home builder in Louisville, I know a lot of great areas and neighborhoods to live in. I’ve been building in these areas for more than 30 years and can recommend some great family-friendly places to build a home and raise a family in.
If you’re currently searching for your dream home in a neighborhood in Louisville, let me suggest one that I actually have quite a bit of experience in: Fox Run. There are still eight lots left in Fox Run. We know the neighborhood well and have built six custom homes there already. Like this one. If you’re looking to build a home in the east end area of Louisville, contact me and we can talk more about Fox Run.
Another up-and-coming neighborhood in Louisville is Shakes Run. We’re in the middle of a contract house here and will be posting pictures and updates soon. This is an upscale, custom community that includes a clubhouse with a junior olympic-size swimming pool, preservation of the natural beauty of the area, and 70 acres of open space with creeks, a fishing lake, and walking trails.
It was also the site of the 2009 and 2010 Homearama. There are plenty of lots for sale here as well. If you want to learn more about building and living in Shakes Run, let’s talk.
Completed sun room in Winchester Acres
A few weeks ago we shared three videos of a deck enclosure in Winchester Acres in east Louisville.
The project is now complete so I wanted to show everyone how well the sun room turned out. This customer was actually a repeat client. We finished the deck for them a while back and they called us again to complete the sun room. Check out the gallery on my Flickr page and please contact me if you are looking to complete a similar project.
Share on Facebook
Why you should choose a registered builder
If you read my blog or newsletter, you know that I’m a pretty big advocate of choosing a registered builder or remodelor to complete your construction project.
The Home Builders Association of Louisville (HBAL) recently put this video together explaining some of the reasons why it’s better to work with a registered builder. If you’re looking for a custom home builder in Louisville, please contact me with any questions you have. I’ve building and remodeling homes in Louisville and surrounding areas for more than 30 years.
We hope you enjoy the video.
Share on FacebookIn today’s market, the kitchen sells the home
The majority of buyers today are looking for convenience. They want to purchase a house that is move-in ready. They are busy professionals with young families and not a lot of extra time to devote to renovations. Do you know what the most costly and time consuming renovations is? The kitchen.
When buyers are looking for a new construction, the kitchen is the top priority. Professional Builder recently conducted a survey of home builders and found that eight out of 10 believe the kitchen is the most vital space when it comes to marketing and selling new homes.
Focused around building and design trends, the survey provides some insight into what builders are seeing and what buyers are looking for—especially in the kitchen. One interesting finding about the importance of the kitchen revealed that while the average size of new homes has decreased, the kitchen has remained the same size, and in some cases, has actually gotten larger.
Builders are also selling more upgrades in the kitchen than in any other room in the house. The most popular kitchen upgrades according to the survey are: cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, islands, and lighting.
It’s simply the heart of the home for many families and functionality is key. I’ve been custom home builder in Louisville for more than 30 years, and I have to agree with this survey. Kitchens are the central gathering place for families and probably will be for years to come.
I’d love to hear your opinion on this. What is the most important room in your house? If you want to talk to me about a custom building or remodeling job, please contact me.
Perry on Homes
If you’re an HGTV fan like me, then you’ve probably seen the show Holmes on Homes. On the show, contractor Mike Holmes fixes houses that are a by-product of cheap labor, poor planning, and shoddy contract work. He totally revamps the home—sometimes gutting it if necessary—to meet code and cleans up the mess left behind by the previous contractor.
His philosophy is simple and I tend to follow his way of thinking: Do it right the first time.
So many builders cut corners these days. They take the fastest, easiest route possible to get the job done and forget about quality, customer satisfaction, and simply doing a good, honest job. Yes, we live in a fast paced world and we’re getting more and more impatient, but your contractor should never make you feel rushed. Getting it right the first time requires time and patience.
If you’re building a new home or remodeling and existing one, remember that it has to last you a lifetime. It’s a place where you live and raise your kids. Taking a little more time up front to get the details just right will pay off big time in the end. If your builder seems like this isn’t his first priority, maybe you should consider taking some time to search for a registered builder. Here a few reasons to give us a look while you’re researching.
Remember, the last thing you want to do is call Mike Holmes in to fix what the other guy did wrong.
Is price the only thing that matters?
We’ve definitely seen business pick up recently and are ecstatic about the seven bids we currently have out. Some of the builders we’re bidding against are licensed contractors—but some are not. As more and more people start thinking about home additions, remodels, or custom builds this spring, we wanted to remind everyone how important it is to not focus entirely on price. Quality is just as important when it comes to your home.
I wanted to list a few reasons why you should consider choosing someone like us, instead of the cheapest bid you receive. After all, you want the best price, but you want your home to last a lifetime.
- We’ve been in the building business since 1974, and have weathered many storms in our industry.
- We know the current design trends, but we also know what stands the test of time.
- Our homes have the features required for Energy Star Rating. In fact, one Energy Star rater said to us, “You had one of the best tests we have ever seen in this size house.”
- Our staff has been with us for several years including many of our subcontractor teams, which have been with us since the mid 1970s.
- We have many repeat customers and a list of references we can share with you.
- We give you detailed specifications and costs that let you make informed decisions about your project. YOU help create the budget.
- We truly are a custom builder/remodeler, in that we do not just use our “canned” plans, but help you create your dream plan.
Do your homework when it comes to selecting a custom home builder or remodeler. Use a Registered Builder or Registered Remodeler. We would love to bid your job, but remember, we won’t compromise quality just to bid the lowest price. We will, however, try to help get your project within your budget.
Covered porch addition
I wanted to share a covered porch addition we recently completed on a custom home we built. The buyers of the home called us back to add on a screened-in porch. We posted the complete process on our Flickr account so you can see the progression from start to finish.
After the planning process and the finalizing of the quote, we started and finished this project in about five weeks. Some of our product had to be ordered from the factory so we would have no seams in the porch floor. This cost us a little time, but the end product was worth it.
Our homeowners were very satisfied with the porch when completed. They now enjoy the sunshine much more, as the “rays” don’t bake them and the rain doesn’t soak them when enjoying the outdoors.
Below is a sneak peek of the before and after. Visit our Flicker page for everything in between. If you’re thinking about adding on to your house or just adding on a porch, get in touch with us. We’d love to start a conversation about how we could help.
Share on Facebook
Which home building group do you fall in?
We’ve put together some thoughts on home building and remodeling for this new year.
Some of you are just surviving (we understand there is no business that’s been hit harder than builders these last few years) and the thought of buying a new home, building a home or even doing a remodel are far from your mind. We understand. Who would want to push anyone to do something to stretch themselves in this economy? If you’re being pushed— run!
Some of you are not even surviving. You need help. You’ve lost homes to foreclosure, had to sell short or take a huge loss by selling in this down market. Some of you are just trying to find housing, to rent and to get back on your feet. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Hopefully, you’re finding some assistance from those close to you (charity starts at home) or from your local church, ministry or non profit.
Some of you are reserved. You are not in either of the situations above, but you aren’t exactly gung ho to spend money or take risk. We understand. That’s wise. We can’t fault wisdom, or sell against it without losing our moral compass— and we don’t plan on doing that.
Some of you are sitting on the sidelines though and we wonder why. You have saved your money. You have made wise decisions. You’ve paid the price. You are ready to sell your existing home and build a new one or you’re ready to do a major remodel. We are speaking to you today. The time to act is now. Need a lot? Take your pick. Want to get a good price on materials and labor? Tell me how they will get better than today. Want to make sure you get the best price from a builder? I can promise you are getting tremendous value for your money from us right now. Want to get a good interest rate? Are they going anywhere but up? The risk here may be in doing nothing.
We’re not advocating unwise risk for those in the first 3 situations. We are saying that there is no reward without some risk for those in the last situation. Of course you already knew that.
Perry Lyons has been a Louisville builder for over 35 years. Don’t go with a fly-by-night company in this economy. You’ll get our best price and won’t have to worry about all that can go way wrong.
If you’re in the market and want a quality custom home or remodel— we’d love to start a conversation. That’s all. Just a conversation.
Share on FacebookRepeat 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.
Share on Facebook6 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”.
Share on Facebook
