The ground floor is key

BY TRAVIS GRIMLER

Area builders give tips on creating a home people want to live in with the most bang for your buck.

Home ownership always starts with one big question, new construction or old?

For those who choose to build new, there are a lot of considerations for usability, durability and sellability.

Matt Balmer, owner of Lands End Development, said his clients have prioritized efficient use of a home’s footprint by stacking square footage using basements and multiple floors instead of spreading a home out on the property footprint.

“You can think about stacking your square footage,” Balmer said. “You can have your basement, main level, upper level and with all those things being equal, that’s going to be a less expensive way to build than a sprawling building.”

Clients shouldn’t necessarily go out and build a split level though. Matt Schmidt, design principle of Wes Hanson Builders said having too many stairs can affect resale value. Too many stairs leading to the front door and just inside the front door can affect resale value.

“Try to eliminate stairs and steps there,” Schmidt said. “People don’t want a lot of steps either into the house or within the house that would eliminate that main level living concept.”

Whether they are building with Lands End or Wes Hanson, however, clients all seem to agree, they want the primary living spaces on the main, ground level.

“Make sure your master (bedroom) is on the main level,” Balmer said. “That’s a biggie for us. Creating a master that’s on a second level on a $2 million lake home is going to hurt you when it comes to resale one day.”

“Everyone wants a project with single level living,” Schmidt said. “Including the owner’s suite on the main level, kitchen, dining, pantry, laundry and anything you would need in your day to day life. For your friends, family or whoever else you can kind of expand to the other floors.”

Schmidt said it is also a good idea to focus your budget and square footage into main gathering areas.

“Put a majority of your budget and your square foot cost into those main gathering areas and then step down from there,” Schmidt said. “Create a type of hierarchy.”

If a home will be occupied by the same family for some time, a budget for these types of expenses can often be stretched by strategically delaying less vital features and finishing touches.

“I would, honestly, back off some of your fit and finish for your budget concerns,” Schmidt said. “Especially in areas of things that you can add or change later. Like

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• our house, we didn’t install any beams, but I laid out the lines and things like that so we could do decorative beams later when the budget allowed for it again, or even countertops.”

There can also be a trade-off between complexity, which can cost more upfront and maybe require more maintenance in the future, whereas simplicity might not be immediately eye-catching, but is also less expensive and easier to maintain. Take having multiple roof lines as an example.

“Complexity definitely adds to aesthetic,” Balmer said. “At times it’s not great for shoveling snow in the colder seasons or when it’s freezing or thawing overnight. Those areas can be more difficult to insulate as well.”

All new homes should also consider features that can save expenses or prevent maintenance needs over time. Balmer suggested spending extra on better insulation values and high efficiency windows.

“You can spend more on insulation and you will benefit from it for the lifespan of that home,” Balmer said. “Insulation gives a good bang for your buck. You can also get high quality windows and use high quality materials.”

Once those are in place, a high end HVAC system is vital to ensuring comfort of any home.

“There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap HVAC system or cheap appliances,” Balmer said. “Bargain hunting is great when you’re looking at surfaces and things like that, but when you’re looking at things that operate, I would always look at quality and brands that have good reviews.”

In the past, kitchens have been a major selling point for homes. That continues to be true today.

“If you have a showpiece kitchen that is still the heart of the home,” Schmidt said. “That’s still the main gathering area.”

The materials for kitchens are also similar to past years with hard floors and stone countertops. Carpets may still get used on upper levels to dampen sound, but hard wood and luxury vinyl are still among the most popular materials.

As far as other materials, they can vary based on the home or property. Many lake homes are second homes or cabins. Their use determines their design and materials.

“Our lake homes are second homes so most of what we do is wood siding packages,” Balmer said. “That could be timber, lap, shake. Three quarters of what we do around the lakes is heavily wooded.”

There are more durable siding materials that require less maintenance as well, including those made from composite and concrete materials.

Balmer said making homes smart may seem like a good idea, clients should also be careful not to go too far, as new technology can quickly become obsolete, and companies eventually end support for their smart appliances and programs.

“I would be cautious about building an uber smart home,” Balmer said. “Or a technologically complex home. We’ve been doing that just long enough to know that it has a shelf life. What’s perfect today will change tomorrow.”

Still, those items can be very convenient and useful if used within moderation.

Above all else, the most important consideration is careful planning.

“My biggest priority would be a well thought out floor plan and designing a home that functions well,” Balmer said. “They shouldn’t have spaces that are useless or oversized, but not undersized either. To me, the design as a whole is the most crucial aspect of everything we do.”

“I stress to people the importance of really thinking about usability and functionality over different life stages,” Schmidt said. “People should allow for flexibility and expansion in the future.”

Planning can help clients to enjoy their new homes year round instead of paying lots of money for features that are inaccessible for large parts of the year.

“A screened in porch might be on that list versus a deck since it is more conducive for seasonal changes,” Balmer said. “I might put a patio versus a deck in that category because patios are ground level and mostly maintenance free.”

Planning should go further than designing new construction for your current situation and should include future needs such as those associated with a growing family. For that reason, Schmidt said homes with four bedrooms are generally more popular.

There are many things to consider, and fortunately most reputable builders have professionals with many years of experience who can help ensure new construction performs to the best of its ability.