As we reach the midway point of the year in construction our Naperville based home building and remodeling company is starting to pick up on the trends in design and labor related issues. Today’s article go over what trends we have identified.
Cut the Trim
Trim is the term that we at SG Home Builders use for carpentry design on the interior of the home. Think baseboards, crown molding, wainscoting, coffered ceilings, etc. With the projects that we are running currently we’ve had multiple clients elect to decrease the amount of trim that they have in their home. Instead they’re looking for cleaner lines and utilizing trendy tiles, and pieces of art to offset their living area. This is a pretty significant change over the previous years where heavy trim designs were the norm. Trim is not dead yet, but it is something that we feel will be used less and less more in the coming future.
Ceiling Details
Although we don’t think this is a new trend we have noticed a pick up in requests for vaulted ceiling’s, tray ceilings and decorative ceiling accent details that the previous years. What we like about this trend is it brings an aspect of drama to the room without having to increase the budget dramatically too. The idea being that the framing changes needed to increase ceiling height don’t kill the budget. Outside of extra drywall material and labor costs, the total usually ends up being fairly consistent with the overall cost to have a flat ceiling.
Gray is Still the King
In the past few years we have heard over and over that the “gray” trend will be fading away. That has not taken effect yet. We do see more uses of lighter and lighter tones getting closer to the white, canvas style, walls. However, most people are still looking to go with 4 or 5 different shades of gray. We have rehabbed a few master bathrooms in some of the more aged Naperville communities that are in need of upgrades. In those master bathrooms we have clients that are leaning towards towards the tans and browns. However, when it comes to full house renovation and custom home building projects the color tone of gray remains the champion.
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Labor is a Constant Struggle
One of the things that all custom homebuilders and remodeling contractors throughout Naperville, and all of the Chicago area, are having issue with is keeping boots on site. We have our share of subcontractors who are rock starts, but they come with a premium. There are often times when we have a budget we have to hit. With contractors in high those labor budgets are getting harder and harder to hit. This is across-the-board from tile labor, framing labor, demo labor, electric, plumbing, you name it, all of the labor costs continue to rise in 2019.
Material Cost Stabilized
With all the talks of tariffs effecting costs we assumed materials would be through the roof. Yes, the price of soft wood material has gone up, but finish materials such as kitchen cabinets, countertops, appliances, and tiles have stayed very stable over so far. That’s not to say the clients don’t have to try harder today when it comes to meeting their budget. However, budgets are possible to hit with a little effort, in comparison to labor cost.
More Remodeling, Less Building
We also feel that the trend continues for clients electing to stay at the current home and remodel in the form of kitchens, bathrooms, or home additions. There is still quite a bit of home building going on. With increased labor costs, and land acquisition at a premium custom home building appears to be reserved for clients who can afford to pay out of pocket costs for premium lots. The other clients that are building homes are willing to move away from premium lots near transportation and walking distance to stores and shops.
When it comes to your decision whether to build a new home or to renovate we would love to team up with you and help you understand the process. You can email Ryan@SGHomeBuilders.com or call 847-602-7641 to discuss your options.