Finance

If you’ve been following our blog and newsletters for a while, you’re probably fairly familiar with the concept of the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). So, let’s say you’re interested in the potential they could bring to your property. What happens next? To help simplify your fact-finding process we’ve put together a few key things to have in place to prepare for the addition of an ADU.

There’s been a lot of discourse recently on the sizes of homes, and what makes the best sense for homebuyers and new home builders. We too have some thoughts to share about the benefits of designing smaller homes, and why they are not only practical choices but stylish ones too. While we can understand that downsizing might sound like a radical shift, in reality, it’s on-trend. In the last ten years, the average new home size has gone from 2,600 square feet to 2,400 square feet. While not a huge delta, it signals a clear trend in the marketplace - one that’s been driven both by costs and preferences. And we support this trend. To us, building small means more freedom, less waste, and a whole lot of efficiency. So, let’s dive into why we think building small is the way forward—for you and for the planet.‍

For many homeowners, the decision whether to build a high-performance home is a financial one. If you have to make the decision between installing solar panels or getting a few more of the amenities on your wish list, it can be a difficult choice to make. However, if you look at your home as the long-term investment that it is, building green just makes sense.

You have your team together, and now it’s time to go to bat. So it’s important to know the rules of the game. This boils down to one document: the appraisal. In evaluating a green home, the appraisal process aims to acknowledge the long-term value of your home. When the value is appropriately recognized by the appraiser, lenders will grant a higher sum to finance a green home’s construction, acknowledging that the long-term safety net of predictable (or no) monthly costs is far superior to that of the average home. Assigning value, though, is complicated by the fact that not all high-performance homes are equal and that few of them exist for setting the standards in this data-driven numbers game.

Today we complete our 3-part series on building costs – what to expect, and what to include, as you weigh what you want to build and what your budget should be – and whether those numbers from other vendors are truly apples-to-apples. If you’ve been following along with our last few blog posts (or newsletters), you’ve glimpsed some clues to what’s hidden in the costs behind door number 1 (site) and door number 2 (house) already. To close out the series, we will explore what hides behind door number 3: the costs of those seemingly elusive “extras”…

Today we launch a 3-part series on building costs* – what to expect, and what to include, as you weigh what you want to build and what your budget should be – and whether those numbers from other vendors are truly apples-to-apples. Without a doubt, one of the hardest questions to answer in the architecture and construction world is: “How much will it cost?” Invariably, and with good reason, the answer is: “It depends!”

Today we continue our 3-part series on building costs – what to expect, and what to include, as you weigh what you want to build and what your budget should be – and whether those numbers from other vendors are truly apples-to-apples. While we explored the mysteries of site costs in our last newsletter (and on our blog, read it here), this time we're diving into the good stuff: the house itself.

You may have cash in hand, or you may be going to your local lender, but in either case, it's wise to know some options for how one can come to own his or her own BrightBuilt Home In-Law Flat and Guesthouse. We’ve been talking to local banks, and have honed in on 3 of the most straightforward ways to add this tidy little living space to your property.