The Home & Garden Show is this weekend. Visit the show to get great ideas for the spring remodeling and custom building season. The show is sponsored by LG&E and powered by The Home Builders Association of Louisville (HBAL).

Here are a couple of quick links for more information about the show:

• Ticket and pricing information
• Location and dates
• Seminars and speakers

We find that even though the show is a wonderful place to get ideas and to see the latest products and services, you as the homeowner still need a quarterback on your team. You need a custom builder and remodeler. Below is a list of things you don’t always want to leave up to a subcontractor or vendor:

• Pricing projects accurately.
• Managing the permitting and appraisal process.
• Handling financing issues.
• Delivering on time.
• Project managing all the egos, timelines and deliverables.

This is where we come in. We have 38 + years of experience that we bring to the table.

If you go to the show this weekend, write down some questions or ideas you get from the show. If you see some new products you’d like to try but don’t know where to start or how to put it all together, then contact PL Lyons today. Let’s have a no-obligation conversation about your custom remodeling or building project. If you’re looking for a Louisville builder, you can start by asking us a question about your project. No strings attached!

We would love for you to bring in your cocktail napkin sketch, sit in our chairs and watch your dream home come together before your eyes. It doesn’t cost a thing for us to give you a ball park estimate. Of course we never leave it that. We do a full and thorough takeoff and estimate before we begin your custom home building or remodeling project. Contact us today at 502-244-0114, email us at perry [at] pllyons [dot] com or contact us online at any time to set an free initial consultation.

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.

When building your dream custom home, what comes first: the Chicken or the Egg?

This could be debated either way and our emotions tell us design your plan first. After all that’s far more exciting then picking out a piece of barren ground. With 35 years of experience we think the opposite. Home plans can be a endless search without some parameters. A good first parameter- what size and what are the restrictions of your lot? If your lot will only allow for a home that’s 55 foot wide and 50 foot deep then you can narrow your plan search quite a bit. Thus allowing for the plan to be customized to your specifications.

On the other hand if you find your dream home plan or better yet have it designed, then you may have to compromise where you’ll build it.

These are suggestions to think about. After you have a lot, you’ll have some boundaries with which to start your plan design. At P. L. Lyons, Inc., we will help you look for lots, in your price range, and we specialize in working with you to design your plans.

Call us today to discuss your plans for building a new home or to discuss the plans and estimates for your custom remodeling project.