An important aspect to consider when buying a new home is the type of warranty the builder provides.  Each Sonbuilt home comes with our standard 2-5-10 warranty provided through Travelers Guarantee Company of Canada.   This means the following:

2 Years – Materials and Labour Warranty

5 Years – Building Envelope Warranty

10 Years – Structural Defects Warranty

Travelers prides itself in being the warranty provider of choice for the best builders and developers in the province and we enjoy having a very positive relationship with them.

 Click here for additional information on our warranty. 

The British Columbia Real Estate Association recently announced that residential housing sales in BC climbed 40% in June 2009 compared to June 2008.  For the 5^th month in a row, sales have increased and we are now seeing the most activity since January 2008.

http://www.bcrea.bc.ca/news_room/2009-06.pdf

 Sonbuilt Custom Homes Ltd. is a registered R-2000 builder which means we are licensed, through  the  Canadian Government, to build certified and tested R-2000 homes.   See the R-2000 section of our website for more information.

We are also a registered Built Green builder with the Built Green Society of Canada.   By being Built Green, our homes will reduce the impact that the construction process and the newly built  home have on the environment.  Choosing a Build Green builder means you choose a “green” future.

For more information on Built Green within Canada, please visit:

 www.builtgreencanada.ca

Recently, the Fraser Valley Home Builders Association and the Canadian Home Builders Association for the Upper Fraser Valley merged to create one association for all construction related businesses from Abbotsford to Hope.  Sonbuilt Custom Homes Ltd. is proud to be a member of the newly formed Canadian Home Builders Association of the Fraser Valley.  We are pleased to be a part of this network of businesses within the construction industry in our area!

If you are a supplier or builder in the Fraser Valley and would like find out more about joining this association, visit their website at www.chbafv.com. 

Sonbuilt Custom Homes Ltd provides two methods of pricing for their customers based on the Construction Standards Institute 16 division format. Our pricing structures give our customers the option of choosing between our fixed price method and our cost plus method.

Fixed Price Method

The fixed price method gives us, the builder, control over the budget by setting the total cost of the new home prior to construction.  Our cost will include assumptions for the construction of your home as well as a discretionary margin for contingencies and profit.   

When a fixed price cost is chosen we will give you allowances for a few key areas such as floor coverings, tile and lighting within one final cost for your home.  You, the customer, may make changes, however, prior to changes being approved, a change work order must be signed by both the customer and the builder.  Change orders may slow the construction of your home and deadline extensions may be incorporated into the change order. 

This pricing method is beneficial for those customers who know prior to the construction of their home what they want and they are not planning on making many changes to their construction contract.   It can also be very advantageous for customers who desire the comfort of knowing the final price of their new home.

Cost Plus Method

Cost plus pricing allows the customer the flexibility of decision making without the burden of change orders and contingency fees. The customer may not be able to predict every detail of their home and they may wish to make decisions and changes as construction takes place.

A cost plus price is far more detailed than a fixed price budget and will itemize various levels within the divisional breakdown.  The cost of your home is based on our actual costs for building your home plus our profit margin.

This method of pricing is beneficial for those customers who know they will make many changes to the construction of their new home as it progresses, however, there is a greater responsibility to the customer to hold their ideas and possible changes in strict control.  The customer is responsible for all cost and budget overruns due to changes along the construction process. 

Summary

Both pricing methods are determined using our sixteen division breakdown once the design of the home has been finalized. 

Once we know what you are planning for your new home in terms of details like exterior cladding, roofing materials, finishing etc, we will go about the process of contacting our various suppliers and trades for accurate pricing.  This process may take a few days to a few weeks and will help us accurately determine the cost of building your new home.

Each method of pricing has it advantages.  Fixed price offers the comfort of knowing the final cost of your new home and cost plus gives you the flexibility of making changes with the knowledge you are getting exactly what you pay for.

Many people ask us how a Heat Recovery Ventilator works and what the benefit is to putting one in a new home. An HRV performs two main functions: it collects stale indoor air and it draws in outdoor air to distribute throughout the home.

Both the indoor and outdoor air streams pass through a heat transfer module, and the heat from the indoor air is used to pre-heat the outdoor air stream. Only the heat is transferred; the two air streams remain physically separate. Typically, an HRV is able to recover 70 to 80 percent of the heat from the indoor air and transfer it to the incoming outdoor air. This dramatically reduces the energy needed to heat outdoor air to a comfortable temperature.

Over a three hour period, an HRV can exchange all the air in an R-2000 home.

www.nrcan.gc.ca

I had to do a little job last week that required me to semi permanently attach a water line to a 1/2″ steel I-Beam in the roof of a warehouse. Rather than spend a great deal of time drilling the beam to attach the pipe to it I used medium binder clips from staples clamped at 4′ intervals along the beam.  I then zap straped the water line to the binder clips for a fast and easy attachment. 

The binder clips were more than stong enough to stay clamped to the steel beam and when it comes time to remove the pipe it will be quick and easy.  I have found many uses for these binder clips as mini clamps to temporarily clamp all kinds of things.  Any stationary store carries two or three sizes of them and they are very economical.

The house in question had the standard 2-5-10 warranty and he thought that it should be OK not to have an inspection because the builder said he would do any repairs after the first year. The builder was probably referring to the standard repair of drywall pops or cracks that appear after the first year and any other minor adjustments required as things wear in. 

I suggested to him that in my opinion and for the low cost involved it is always worthwhile to have a reputable, independent inspector take a look at any home purchase new or used. As a builder of new homes myself, even I recommend to people who are purchasing a new home from me that it would be wise to have an independent home inspection.

A good inspector checks the home out from top to bottom and occasionally, even in a new home, things may have been missed or not completed correctly. Bottom line here is, since for most people a home is the largest investment that they will make in there lifetime, a few hundred dollars invested in a reputable third party to do a proper inspection, is money well spent.

Now for those of you who know me, I don’t do face book nor am I very regular on emails and up to a few weeks ago I would never post a blog.  Many of you know our previous web site had a blog area that I never used and I resisted relentlessly to sit and type out my thoughts to you all,  it is so easy just to pick up the phone and call. However my very good friend Glenn Davies who has created this web site and worked hard to convince me about the neccessity of blogging has now made a believer out of me. 

I wish to extend my thanks to Glenn for his hard work in creating this site, and to honor his efforts, I will make good use of the blog area by bringing to you every week or so some interesting construction related advice or story to help you in your every day life. 

I sign off this evening saying GREAT JOB Glenn I love the site.

Jonathan