Your "Comfort Envelope", to Specia Custom Homes, refers to the budget you are most comfortable with in planning your custom home. Mortgage pre-qualification can make these choices easier, along with careful supervision so that the plans are not exceeded by later adjustments to the building plan, or by unforeseen changes in the financial market during construction. First, here are some important ways to save money that Specia Custom Homes advises each home buyer to be aware of in planning your custom home: Lot Considerations Slope: Try to pick a location for your home that slopes not more than 12' under the house foundation. Each additional foot of foundation costs approximately $2,000 per foot up to about 8 feet above ground. Extremely high, i.e. 14 or more feet, can cost $35,000 to $45,000 over a standard foundation cost. Trees: Pick a lot with an area that has few trees where the house is to be built, to save money on clearing. Fewer trees usually means lower lot cost. Utilities: Pick a lot with public water and sewer. Septic tanks run from $4,500 to $11,000 including haul off of spoils and rock charges. Design Consideration Rooflines: The "Texas Box" has a simple roof line. It is called this because the Texas Production Builders in Dallas and Houston build large box-type homes. Framers look at the roofline first when bidding jobs. Covered Porches: Production homes don't have covered porches as a general rule because they increase the "cost per square foot" of the home. Covered porches can cost $22 to $25 per square foot, and even more if you have tile flooring on the covered porch. Garages: Oversized garages can increase the cost per square foot of the home. Garages cost about the same as covered porches: $22 to $25 per square foot. Windows: Keep the windows to standard sizes and shapes. Oversized windows, or more windows than needed, can increase the cost of the wall, and increase the heat gain, i.e. larger air conditioning system required. Three Important Energy Saving Items We recommend Koolply or Tech Shield roof sheathing with Radiant Barrier foil coating on under side of sheathing. This product lowers the attic temperature 25 to 30 degrees and never wears out. Tech Shield can be installed on the walls as well with the foil facing out. 12 or 14 SEER Air Conditioning Unit . . . standard is 10 SEER. A 12 SEER unit gives you the same BTU's of cooling for 80% of the energy. A 12 SEER unit will pay for itself in 2½ to 3 years. SEER=Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratio. Insulated windows with tint and Low E coating. Low E coating is a film on the inside of the glass which reflects the radiant heat the same as the Tech Shield Ply roof sheathing. The Low E coating reflects radiant heat back into the home in the winter for savings all year round. Two-Story vs. One-Story plans Does a a two-story home cost less? If we build a 2,500 square foot one-story home and want a two-story with the same size and number of rooms we must add 250 to 300 square foot for the stairway and upstairs hallway. That extra square footage costs more than any savings. An exception would be if there is a lot of slope and the foundation costs would exceed the above costs. Staying on Track During the Design Phase Where do we start? At the first meeting we work out a "Comfort Envelope" as to size, price, and features based on the current cost data. Building Designer vs. Architect: Designers cost less because we are doing some of the work . . . specifications, etc. We give the designer our requirements, and using models we can compare the features so he knows what "price point" we are planning for. A preliminary design is drawn and a preliminary cost estimate is computed based on current cost ratios. If the plan and cost figures are in the "Comfort Envelope" we will proceed with the full size "blue lines". We review the blue lines for any changes that may be required and then put out the pans to the subcontractors for their bids. The subcontractors will give us input on ways to save in their areas and notify us of possible problem areas. If we stay on track, the bids will come in within our "Comfort Envelope". We then go over our options and work out the final production plans, specifications and Contract Agreement to submit to the mortgage company's appraiser. Use these rough figures for budgeting purposes: For homes with 9' ceilings, brick exterior, mid-size, composition shingle roof, two baths house only . . . Living area (heated/cooled): $57 to $63 per square foot Covered porches/garages: $22 to $25 per square foot Remember, stucco can cost more if there is a lot of detailing. Rock costs more than brick. Time Considerations Time is our enemy. Here is an example of the effects of inflation: Suppose Model 2524 home, which is 2,524 square feet, sells today for $150,950. That is $59.81 per square foot. The monthly payment for $150,905 at 7.5% APR for 30 years is $1,255.35. If labor and materials of the home increase by 5% in one year to $62.80 per square foot, the house size shrinks to 2,404 square foot to keep the same payment per month. If the interest rate goes up to 9% in one year, the same payment per month will pay for a note of $133,539. At $62.80 per square foot, the house shrinks to 2,126 square feet! Call our office today for an appointment to start drawing up your "Comfort Envelope" today at 210.349.1491 or e-mail Richard Specia at richard@specia.com .