The decision of whether to buy a home or to build a home is one faced by many individuals.  Being involved in the real estate component of our businesses, we come across many people looking to buy a home, most with the justification that it will be much more convenient to buy the house and...Read More

The Gable Roof – is triangular in shape; also known as pitched or peaked roof and are very popular.   Pros: Gable roofs will easily shed water and snow, provide more space for an attic or vaulted ceilings and allow more ventilation.  Their simple design make it easy to build them and cheaper than more complex...Read More

The front entry steps of your home are the first things visitors see, and this will undoubtedly be used by visitors and neighbours to form an impression of the inside of your home.  There are a few simple ways you can change the look of your steps and make your home more appealing and welcoming...Read More

Renovations and additions can improve the comfort and functionality of your home as well as increase its value.  Renovation may be very simple in the sense that the only activity it involves is replacing existing materials like windows, doors, cupboards etc.  Larger renovation projects may need a great deal of consideration and planning especially if...Read More

Development of urban areas often leads to degradation of natural green space and wildlife habitat and open space is being lost at an alarming rate. The addition of a green roof to an unused area on a building can help preserve the green space and is beneficial to the surrounding environment. There are also social, economic...Read More

We’ve been hearing the terms “green building” and “going green” in the realm of architecture for a while now.  Building material and equipment suppliers and construction service providers in the U.S. often boast the environmental friendliness, efficiency and economy of their products and services.  But what is green architecture really, and how does it affect...Read More

Many years ago house plans were done as a set of Blueprints, pages with white lines and lettering on a dark blue background. Today, house plans are printed on large format digital printers but are still referred to as Blueprints. They are often provided in five or eight sets. The Government Planning Authority will often...Read More

The cracked walls and foundations, sagging roof lines and uneven or tilting floors can be symptoms of major structural problems. Two common causes for structural problem are Differential Settlement (when the building foundation settles unequally) and Poor Renovations (when changes are made to the structure of a building without proper support). These can put great...Read More

Do you know what an Environmental Impact Assessment is? This is a formal process used to predict the consequences of a plan, program, policy or project (which we will refer to as projects in this article) prior to making final decisions and execution. What is the purpose of performing an Environmental Impact Assessment? The objective...Read More

The traditional approach of home owners when building a home is to develop an idea or plan of what they want their home to look like, then hire a contractor to execute the plan.   Building a home calls for a lot more than just that.  A significant amount of time, financial and material resources...Read More

A quantity surveyor or cost estimator can keep your project on budget and avoid unpleasant surprises. An architect draws a plan and makes initial calculations of the cost of construction (the cost plan) in reflection to the client’s budget.  However, if there is no one to keep an eye on finances, construction projects have the...Read More

The foundation is a crucial component for ensuring stability of a structure and is often viewed as being equally important as the human hands and feet to the body. In the built environment, man-made structures such as houses, apartments, schools, stores, bridges, highways, parks etc., are supported and anchored by their foundation. The foundation of...Read More

Anyone looking to buy a home knows that it is all about compromise. You may find a good home, but the kitchen is smaller than you want. Or the price is within your budget, but the layout is nowhere close to what you are looking for. If you have searched tirelessly and simply cannot find...Read More

Every construction job is different, and from our previous article we discussed the different Variables That Can Affect the Construction Timeline. However, there are some steps in the process that are standard when it comes to building a home. A construction timeline tailored to the house you are building should be provided before the project begins....Read More

The building materials used when building affects the extent of damage sustained by infrastructure during and after natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and floods.   Concrete Reinforced concrete is one of the most practical and preferred building material in the world. Why? Because it has the ability to regulate the strength required at specific points...Read More

Before hiring a contractor / builder to construct your home first ask these important questions we share with you this week. Question #1: How long have you been working in this industry? You need to know how the builder / contractor learned the trade and how much experience has been acquired.  While more experience does...Read More