Building Your Dream Home – Part 6

The Framing stage involves hiring a Framing Contractor who will frame the home with his crew of men. This is when you get to see the actual shell of the design of the home being built before your eyes. The Framing Contractor and his crew must follow the Architectural Plans and the Structural Engineer’s  blueprints very carefully during Framing construction. Because this home is a LEED Silver home (better than Energy Star) note the white sheathing on the exterior of the frame walls of the home. This is called Insul Sheathing. It is a foil like material that is wrapped around the entire home to help better insulate against the elements. To be sustainable, a building must not only be efficient and durable but also economically viable.  In cold climates the use of exterior rigid insulation sheathing boards has been a method of increasing thermal performance of the enclosure, as well as a means of reducing the condensation potential within exterior wall assemblies.

Here are pictures of another home showing the material or lumber to be used for the framing process.

In addition to constructing the floors, sub-floors, joists and studs the Roof Trusses are also installed by the Framing Contractor. In the video below, you can see the Roof Trusses on the Fiorklift being prepared to be moved onto the property.

Expect to pay approximately $30,000 to $40,000 or more for a good Framing Contractor. For Framing material (lumber), you should budget around $30,000 to $35,000 or higher.

My next discussion, Building Your Dream Home — Part 7, will be on Windows/Doors and Roofing.

Folks, do you need to make a move into a bigger home? Has your family out grown their living space? Does your home need major renovations? Thinking of Selling? Begin your home search by visiting my website at www.stephenrudberg.kwrealty.com where you can search for hundreds homes in most central Toronto neighborhoods. It will give you an idea of what’s out there. Then, when you see something you really like and want to view, just contact me by phone, text or instant message and I will respond to you as soon as I can.

Condo supply continues to exceed demand for the time being, but low rise, detached homes are still in short supply, especially ones in prime, central Toronto neighborhoods with good schools and abundant amenities nearby. If you are curious about the latest stats in Toronto, just ask and I am happy to send you a copy for October 2012.

Another alternative to consider is staying where you are and building that Dream Home you have been thinking or dreaming about for some time. If you like your neighborhood, like your location and street, like the school district then why move? Consider the option of demolishing your present home and rebuilding a brand new one! Not only will you be able to remain where you are, but you will increase the value and equity in your home over time, your biggest investment, plus raise the value on the street of other homes once you decide to sell in the future. This is what we did.  It begins with a phone call or e-mail. Contact Barbara Rudberg of Modelinteriors today for a consultation on Building your Dream Home.

Building Your Dream Home – Part 5

In my last post, I discussed the process involved in creating your Foundation for the new home. After the concrete has dried,the Forms are removed and, as you can see in the video below,this is the finished product.

Next, Back Fill must be filled in and around the the permiter of the home. But before that is done , to prevent water seepage and cracks penetrating into the foundation, a special water proof membrane is wraped around the entire lower foundation of the home.  Once that has been done, the Back Filling can take place.

You can see in the video that this was done in the Winter. You could also probably hear me freezing as I shot the video! It is a misconception, by the way,to think that construction for custom homes is not perfomed during the winter. There are some Builders, like my wife and I, who are not afraid to build during that time period. There are advantages, one being that the Trades are not as busy, are easier to acquire and their prices are much less than in the Spring, Summer or Fall seasons.

Once the back Fill has been completed, the next stage in the home building process is making sure your drains are connected from the street to the home. A Concrete and Drain expert is needed. They are associated with drainage systems used to eradicate storm water from residential and city streets.Your Architect, Engineers and Survey Company work together to create a blue print plan. Once that has been done and approved by the City, the Concerte and Drain Contractor must dig trenchs inside and outside the home laying pipes which evenutally connect to the Storm Drain in the street. The objective of drainage systems is to provide an outlet for excess waterfall to prevent flooding. As rain water rolls off rooftops, streets, and surface areas it is pulled toward street gutters and pushed into a catch basin. Installing water pipes is a tiring process that consists of clearing and grading the construction site and excavating trenches. This operation must also be coordinated with the City of Toronto Water Department Crews.

Expect to budget anywhere from a low of $12,000 to $17,000. In addition to the the drain work, the contractor also poured the concrete in the basement and in the garage.

In PART 6, Building Your Dream Home, I will discuss the Framing Stage.

The market has changed! Its a great opportuntity for a Buyer out there who is in the market for a Condo. There is plenty of selection. For single family detached homes, that is different story. Each nighborhood is different. Some areas have more supply than others and at different price points, but there is oppporutnity here as well. Interest rates are still histroically low. If you are thinking of Buying a home, an investment property or Selling,whether moving up or downsizing, give me call at 416-882-2175. Let me help you make your move a memorable one. Start your search by visiting my website www.stephenrudberg.kwrealty.com .

Are you about to start a major renovation? Are you planning on building your dream home and don’t know what to do next? Need a talented, experienced Interior Designer and Decorator with 20 years experience? Then you need to phone Barbara Rudberg of Model Interiors at 416-420-6966 or visit her webiste at www.modelinteriors.ca

Building Your Dream, Home – Part 4

So, once the demolition and excavation have been completed, the next step in the process is preparing for the pouring of the Foundation. Expect to spend anywhere from $14,000-$15,000 approximately for a Contractor to do this. You can see in the photo that the Foundation footprint of the home is laid out with steel rebar rods. The rods are there to reinforce the concrete and prevent cracking from occurring.

Cement is then poured into the Footings where they are then dried.

After the Footings have dried, the Forms for the Footings (see photo below) are moved into place where a cement truck and another truck designed specially for this job, will pour concrete into where the moulds are. Once dried, the Foundation will have been created.

In my next Blog, I will discuss the Framing Stage.

Are you or anyone you know thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate in the near future? Want to know what’s out there? Search for hundreds of homes and condos For Sale in Toronto and GTA. Today’s market might be the right time for you to think about it. Even if you’re not ready to make a move right now you probably know someone who is. I look forward to helping you or someone you care about explore these opportunities.

Planning a major renovation? Thinking of wanting to Build your dream home but don’t know where to start? Call Barbara Rudberg of Modelinteriors at 416-420-6966 or visit