Articles

In my travels working with builders all over the country, I have the opportunity to see a lot of home designs. I see good, bad, fair, and occasionally great plans and elevations. I am able to walk a lot of models each year and see in the flesh what is working and what is not. I have come to realiz...
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This is a transformer-type plan that offers “plug and play” options without too much of a fuss for the builder. A very popular option as of late is the multi-generational offering.  Having the ability to take a space and convert it to appeal to a family with an aging parent is priceles...
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  This 2,800-square-foot plan utilizes Lean design to combat narrow-lot woes. One of the most important aspects of Lean design is value. It makes no difference if the house cost $100,000 or $3 million; the key to Lean design is providing ultimate value to the customer. Lean design requires collabor...
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What do you do if a previous best-selling plan hits the skids? Dump it, pitch it, give it the old heave-ho? Possibly, but many builders are using another strategy. All throughout the country builders are taking a fresh look at their existing plans and re-imagining their existing Turnberrys and Devon...
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The housing market has changed so drastically in the last few years that it can be difficult for builders to stay current with their plan portfolio. Most every builder I work with has old plans they are offering that either need to be reworked or let go. Consumers want drama, open spaces, effici...
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Like Reese Witherspoon in a romantic comedy, this house flat out exudes charm. It’s a simple ranch that hits all the key marketing hot spots for today’s buyer. The open plan and long site lines also help it to live a whole lot larger than what it is. Let’s take a closer look: Read More &nbs...
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The overriding principle of Lean Design is marketability. The winning combo is to make the home simple and efficient to build while having an elevation that will blow your face off. Make the design current with all the hottest trends, but hold the complexity of multiple foundation jogs, improper b...
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As I travel the country working with builders I am always on the lookout for emerging trends. There is a hot one cooking right now—decorative ceilings. This trend is borne from another—the open floor plan. Consumers love the open floor plan concept. One room flows into another. The kitch...
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Sept. 20, 1977, was the day that I breathlessly awaited the conclusion of the shark-jumping episode of "Happy Days." All week long I had fretted about Fonzie’s mid-air cliff hanger. While Fonzie (clad in leather jacket and water skis) successfully made the jump and lived to be cool another day, t...
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After my January 2013 article in Professional Builder, “3 Ways to Huge Profits Through Lean Design,” was published, I was thrilled to get a shout-out from a faithful reader regarding a costly insulation mistake. It was too good not to share. Here is what he wrote:   Mr. Hallett,   I w...
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