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Buying a Custom Home Vs. Market Buying: Part 2

Buying a custom home is a mysterious process to many, but the benefits are undeniable. If you want to know how custom home buying is in comparison to market buying, start with Part 1. There, we cover the overall process, location flexibility, and satisfaction rates. From here, we’ll discuss some of the more official details.

Price and Payment

If you’ve heard that custom homes are more expensive, you’ve heard wrong. In fact, custom homes can actually be cheaper than their market alternatives. This is especially true when you consider the cost to satisfaction ratio. When you buy a market house, you pay more for a less satisfying experience than you do when buying a custom home. Plus, these inflated market prices often ignore the age of a house and how much maintenance it needs to be on par with something new.

Custom homes come with some additional costs, such as design fees, but overall are very comparable to market housing. No matter which you buy, you will have to expect a price tag on the property it’s built on, the materials of the house, the labor required to build it, and home owner’s insurance after the fact. 

The payment process for getting a custom home isn’t all that different from a market home. While many people are under the false impression that you have to pay for a custom home outright, that’s not actually true. Custom homes are just as qualified for home loans. No matter how you buy your house, if you aren’t paying outright, you’ll end up with a monthly mortgage to pay back your home loan with a bank.

Buying a Custom Home

Finally, let’s talk about how you can buy a custom home. Many people are unfamiliar with the process. 

  • The first step is getting an idea of what you want. If it helps, take a look at our portfolio for ideas. We have some of our best work displayed there.
  • Next, call us at Heidan Construction. We do design build contracting in Toronto, which means we can design your house and construct it. See why design build is the best choice for you.
  • Next, you need to make sure you have a property picked out. It’s best to have this picked out before we begin the design process, as we can then account for any specific zoning laws for that property.
  • After you’ve set up a consultation with us, we can get together and discuss your needs. Putting together a house design for you is the first real step in making your new home a reality.
  • Finally, when the design has been officialized, we can start work on construction.

For more information and detail on the custom home buying process, call us today. We would love to get you personalized information that suits your specific needs. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Buying a Custom Home Vs. Market Buying: Part 1

A question we’re commonly asked, in the home construction business, is: is getting a custom home more difficult than buying outright? Many people are under the impression that buying a custom home is somehow a harder process than simply scouring the market for something you like. Let’s break down the processes here and talk about what’s the same and what’s different.

From Decision to Move-In

The first thing to consider is the difference between both processes from start to finish. That may sound like the whole thing, but it’s far from it. From the beginning of your house-buying journey to the day you move in, buying a custom home and one on the market are very different processes.

When buying a home on the market, you may have to wait a few weeks for the old homeowners to vacate. However, this time period is usually short and will be listed up front. There’s the matter of getting a mortgage and all of the packing and moving you would expect.

On the other hand, when buying a custom home, the process will take longer, usually. Because you have to give your team time to help officialize the home design and then bring it to life, the process can take many months. Construction isn’t something we recommend rushing, so it’s wise to enter the custom home-buying process with some patience.

Location Flexibility

One of the biggest differences when buying a custom home over a house on the market is the flexibility in location. When searching for an existing house, it can be really difficult to find a layout you like in a location you also like. Proximity to work, school district, and quality of neighborhood are all important variables. You may find the perfect house in a really bad location, or the perfect location with only shoddy houses for sale.

However, when buying a custom home, it’s much easier to get both the house and the location you want. It’s much easier to find an empty lot or property to build on in a neighborhood you like than it is to find an existing house in that same area that meets all of your needs and expectations.

Long-Term Satisfaction

Next up, let’s talk long-term satisfaction. This one may seem broad as well, but we’re going to narrow it down to the house design. Cookie-cutter, suburban homes are often a one size fits all situation. However, in reality, houses being one size fits all couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone has different needs when it comes to their personal living space. When we try to fit ourselves into the box offered by the suburbs, we end up unhappy and longing for something more… us.

Because of that, we find that customers who buy custom homes have a much higher rate of long-term satisfaction. That’s because buying a custom home allows you to personalize the entire design. You’re able to outfit your house with everything you see as vital. If you need more closet space, wider hallways, a more open concept main floor, an office space, or even a personal library, you can have it. When’s the last time you saw a house on the market with everything you needed? What stopped you from putting in an offer?

Read More

Want to know more? We’re not done yet! Check out Part 2 here and we’ll discuss the nitty gritty details of buying a custom home.

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How Is a Second Floor Addition Added to Your House?

Is your single-story home beginning to feel a bit cramped? With growing families or expanding hobbies, a home that once seemed big enough can easily fill up. However, moving is a laborious process that can mean sacrificing a wonderful neighborhood, a great school district, and proximity to friends and relatives. Instead of giving all of that up for a new house, you may want to consider expanding your current one. Today, Heidan Construction wants to talk about the process of having a second floor addition added to your house. 

Designing the Addition

The first thing we have to do when adding a second floor to your home is design it and how it will connect to the existing structure. This will involve mapping out where supports may need to be added as well as how the new stairway will connect. 

Many people forget that the addition of a stairway will take up space on the first floor. However, this is something that can’t be avoided. The space used can be minimized by choosing a spiral staircase, but this is up to the homeowner and their preferences. For most, using up a bit more space for a more standard stairway is preferred. 

Preparing for Construction

When the building process begins, you may have to move out of your house temporarily. A full second-story addition will guarantee this necessity, as the entire house becomes a construction zone. However, for partial additions that are only added to one side of the house, you may be able to retain access to the other part of the house. This will depend on how big the addition is, how the construction area and non-construction area are connected, and so on.

Removing Obstructions

After we’ve begun construction, the first thing we have to do is remove obstructions. That will mean demolition of the roof, in part or in its entirety, depending on the size of the addition. We will also remove parts of the ceiling, as is needed for the new stairway entrance.

Adding to the Structure

When everything that was once in our way has been taken out of the picture, it’s time to start adding to the structure. The first step is creating new wall and roof frameworks so that we can put up raincover. This will protect the interior as we work. Because the roof can’t go up right away, this is important in ensuring the house doesn’t get water damage.

Once the new framework is in place, we can start on the walls, wiring, plumbing and more. Following that, we’ll insulate, add interior walls and, finally, the roof.

Finishing Touches

Everyone knows a new roof is expensive and extensive. This part will take quite a bit of time on its own. However, when the new roof has been added, we’ll be nearing completion of the project. From there, all that’s left is the finishing touches. This is when we add siding, paint, flooring, baseboards, and fixtures.

All in all, this process is quite extensive, taking quite a bit of time and money. However, for an investment in your future, it’s worth it. Improving and expanding a house you love always leads to more satisfaction than the arduous process of finding somewhere that comes close to comparing.

Give us a call if you want to discuss home additions. We can walk you through the process in more detail and answer any of your questions.

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Business Office Remodeling with Design Build Contractors

There’s nothing quite like stepping into your very first office building. Any new business owner can tell you how rewarding it is. However, after many years of use, that first little office may become a bit aged and cramped. There’s always the option of moving your company to a new office space, somewhere else. However, employees have chosen to work at your current location for a reason. Customers know where to find you. If you move locations, you risk losing employees who can’t make the commute, and customers who no longer know where to find you. That’s where business office remodeling comes in.

Improve What’s There

Business office remodeling doesn’t necessarily mean bulldozing the existing building. There’s no reason to get rid of the perfectly functional, existing structure. We can simply improve what’s there. Remodeling can mean a lot of things. While remodeling is usually more extensive than simple renovations, it can still include renovations.

When improving the existing space, we can:

  • Put in new doors
  • Install new railings along stairs and lofts
  • Replace administrative countertops
  • Upgrade bathroom fixtures
  • Redo faulty plumbing
  • Redo faulty wiring
  • Add a new coat of paint
  • Replace flooring

These things are just the beginning of what we can do to the existing structure. No matter how you decide to remodel, we’ll make sure your existing building is as high quality as anything new that’s added to it.

Expand Your Office

In most cases of business office remodeling, there comes an expansion. After all, having a team out to do so much work on your building is a great time to get that expansion you desperately need. Business office expansions can come in many forms. 

  1. We can expand the back, providing more space without changing the front-end appearance of the office. 
  2. Another possibility is expanding one or both sides, to provide a bigger, wider building. This can be great at grabbing the attention of passers by.
  3. A second-floor addition is also possible to achieve, creating more space without the need for more property.

Improving Your Business

With an expansion and remodel comes a lot of fantastic opportunities. The first is your new ability to expand your staff. With more space, you’ll have more room for employees. Plus, everyone loves working in a newly remodeled building. Morale is at an alltime high when a remodel happens, making it the perfect time to hire.

In addition to new staffing capabilities, you also have a new pitch to draw in customers. Advertise about your new expanded business and draw interest from potential clients. After all, an expansion and remodel is a great sign that a business is flourishing and is, therefore, reliable.

Design Build Contractors

Heidan Construction is the leading choice for business office remodeling for a very important reason. Because we provide design build services, we can both design the remodel and make it a reality. Don’t force yourself to juggle multiple teams. By giving us full control over making your remodel a reality, we can ensure the end results are of the highest quality possible.

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How Renovating Your Clinic Improves Health and Safety

Owning a medical office or clinic is a lot of responsibility. Not only does it go hand in hand with intense jobs which require a lot of study and practice, but you become a lot of people’s lifeline. When your clinic is the first place your patients go to for medical help, the building where they receive care is a huge facet of their health and safety. Because of that, our team at Heidan Construction wants to impress upon you how renovating your clinic improves that health and safety. There are a lot of valuable ways you and your patients can benefit from a renovation investment. Let’s look at just a few of them.

Replace Dangerous Materials

So, one of the most important reasons you should be renovating your clinic is if it’s been around a while. If you bought the building from an older practice, took over an existing practice, or have been pouring blood, sweat, and tears into it for many decades, it might carry some less than stellar secrets in its walls. Namely, old buildings can contain things like asbestos. In a perfect world, every old building would be remodeled as soon as a building material is found to be dangerous. However, we don’t live in a perfect world.

When renovating your clinic, it’s important to test for things like asbestos in the older parts of the building. Removing the dangerous materials used to build a structure in the early or mid 20th century is a tricky task. Having a renovation team that can help arrange for the safe removal of health hazards is paramount.

Banish Bacteria

Have you ever thought about how bacteria can be harbored by even the smallest crack or crevice? If you work in the healthcare field, you most certainly have. Now that you’re thinking of it, how many cracks, crevices, fractures, and so on have made themselves at home in your clinic? The answer is: probably more than desired. Even crackling paint can be a place for bacteria to hide.

Bacteria can lead to serious infections and illnesses. Therefore, a medical office necessarily needs to do its best to remove its footholds. Upgrading equipment, wall paint, flooring, counters, and anything else that contains bacteria-harboring gaps of any size is something every medical clinic should strive for. Renovating your clinic to be safer and healthier for patients can start as simple as repainting. Or, if you’re a go big or go home kind of person, it might be time to consider that full scale remodel that your clinic has been in desperate need of for years.

Rely on a Trusted Team

No matter how extensively you want your clinic renovated, you’ll want a team of experience professionals to get the job done right. Heidan Construction is the #1 choice for clinic renovations in Toronto. Don’t wait until an aging building leads to disaster. Provide your patients with an environment dedicated to their health and safety. Pick up the phone and give us a call. We look forward to working with you.

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What Is Design Build and Why Is It Important?

If you’re not familiar with design build, you will be soon! Design build is an incredibly important branch of the construction and architecture industries. Heidan Construction specializes in design build. Because it’s one of our strongest features as a company, we want to tell you all about it. So, what is design build? Why is design build important? Let’s take a look.

The Marriage of Two Trades

In short, design build is the combination of two incredibly important trades: architectural design and building construction. If you hadn’t already guessed what it was, you probably feel it’s pretty obvious now! After all, it’s right there in the name.

The way these two trades are combined is in the beginning to end process of creating a building. What makes this type of work unique from the traditional building process is that the same team does all parts of the process. Instead of trading off with another set of professionals, Heidan Construction creates a design for your home or office and then sees it through to the end.

Architectural Excellence

What makes this system so much different than the traditional structure of a building production team? Well, primarily, it’s in its efficiency and results. With a traditional team, it’s more likely that the design and construction teams are completely separate. Most likely, they’re not even part of the same company. While this traditional approach does mean each team is more “specialized,” it also means they’re disconnected.

Actually, if you take a closer look at that elusive “specialization,” you begin to see why it’s not so superior after all. A design team that only does design will be limited by their conceptual knowledge. A construction team that only does construction will be limited by their practical knowledge. When one of these teams hits a bump in the road of their designing or building process, they will use the knowledge hallmark to their specialty to solve it. That approach is not the most efficient, and can end with less than perfect results.

With design build, on the other hand, you have a team of people who specialize in both the conceptual and practical aspects of building. This fluency in both major steps of the building process means outside-the-box solutions and a finished building that goes above and beyond traditional standards. So, what is design build? Design build is how we achieve architectural excellence.

How Heidan Construction Does Design Build

When you entrust Heidan Construction with your design build project, there are some things you can look forward to.

  1. Our team has the knowledge and proficiency in both fields necessary to determine masterful solutions. That means, if something in the design begins to look inadequate during construction, they have the tools and knowledge necessary to adjust that on the spot. There’s no wait period while our team convenes with a design team on the side. They are the design team.
  2. The design and construction processes bleed into each other. There is no need to coordinate two teams to work together. Consult with us to create your design and then bring it to life, all from the same office and with the same familiar faces.
  3. The results of our design build team is unparalleled by traditional two-team construction systems. Check out our portfolio to see what could be your future if you give us a call today.