The New Custom Home

The New Custom Home

the most energy efficient house package on the planet

insulated foundation . structurally engineered framing . high efficiency hydro-air heating

hepa filtered air conditioning . carbon filtered water . on demand instant hot water

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Design and live in a new home that has the strength to protect your family from harsh exterior weather conditions while surrounding them in a comfortable, safe, non-toxic interior environment that provides all of the allergen-free air and pure water you need while consuming less than half of the fuel that heats and cools a standard home of the same size.

We are the designers and builders of "The New Custom Home". A proven, energy saving hybrid building system consisting of state of the art, high efficiency components used in the right combination to create a home that consumes about 50% less energy than standard stick built, modular or panelized houses of the same size. Our homes will outperform anything being built on the market today. Our highly efficient buildings are so environmentally friendly and family safe that they meet the requirements of "green building" and qualify for federal energy tax incentives. We can literally provide you with tomorrows home, today.

We offer professional project management services for those clients who wish to design and build a unique and personally customized residence. We also offer our clients AIA architectural services through a select number of professional architects, although we will work with your architect or designer and would be open to providing a preliminary estimate of your existing construction drawings.

We will provide an expert review of your building program, project feasibility and budget requirements. Upon request, we will also evaluate your building lot choices regarding their site use and improvements, and assist in the selection of building systems and materials. Upon sufficient project identification, we will provide you with a preliminary cost estimate to be reviewed and adjusted accordingly. A control estimate will develop from this procedure, whereby a final project cost can be determined. We offer custom tailored, experienced project management services, working for you and representing your interests only.

Our objective for each project is to inform our client in reference to the residential products and services that will be offered to them, increasing their knowledge of the custom homebuilding process, and assisting them in making solid decisions that they will be able to live happily with for many years. We believe that an educated client will enjoy making the many decisions involved in creating their own personal and individual environment. Our aim is to produce a very unique building experience for each client, after all, no two people are the same. Everyone has different opinions, everyone has different tastes and everyone should have a different home.

Contact us to qualify your proposed project for an overall evaluation and preliminary cost analysis or e-quote from your choice of home plans. At your request, we will assist you in your endeavor to build your dream home and educate you in the art of managing the construction processes involved. Its like having your own personal home builder guiding you through the process, or if you would prefer, we'll do it all for you.

In other words, this means that to start, all you need to do is select a building lot and design a home plan. We will help you do both. It’s that easy, no hassles, no problems, no issues. You may request your project evaluation by providing some category information, at your convenience, by clicking on the link to our contact page.

Residential Building Costs

Below is our response to a few frequently asked questions

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How much will my house cost?

Building and construction costs vary from region to region and Southern New England is among one of the most expensive areas in the country in terms of land costs and building materials and labor costs. Project costs will also vary greatly from bid to bid due to the fact that every construction company has different values and ideas as to what they should charge for their product and services. Even if you submit detailed construction drawings, it is very hard to differentiate one estimate from the other because it is not apparent to you why there is such a large difference between the high and low bids. Variables such as availability, industry experience (or lack of it), quality of building materials, level of subcontractor capabilities, economies of scale, overhead costs and just plain robbery come into play and affect the total number.

So what do you base your decision on? Basically, this depends on the type of home you will be building. We already know that land costs, permits and engineering are fixed costs. Site costs such as land clearing, blasting, septic systems, wells, excavation, drainage and driveways are very substantial and variable costs. For example, depending on the difficulty and condition of a two acre approved building lot, site costs can range from $25,000 to over $100,000. The balance of the project costs are materials and labor to build the house and allowance costs to finish it. On the average, in northern Fairfield County, building and allowances costs range from $200 per square foot for good quality standard construction to over $400 per square foot for custom quality luxury construction.

What should be included in the total costs?

An accurate project estimate should include; design, permits, engineering, surveys, site work, foundation, masonry, framing, exterior trim and siding, windows and exterior doors, porches and decks, roofing, gutters, insulation, electrical, mechanical (heating/cooling), plumbing, sheetrock, interior trim and doors, interior stairs and balustrades, manufactured and site built cabinetry, finish flooring, appliances, interior and exterior painting, and miscellaneous options.

What are allowances?

Allowances are items which you as the owner choose in terms of materials. In other words, the costs of these materials and their related installation costs are determined by the choices you make and preferences you have. For example, an appliance allowance may be as low as $10,000 to as high as $50,000 depending on the brands chosen by you. Usually when purchasing a house that is built on speculation and ready for sale, the allowances will be very low in order to entice you with a lower overall sales price. If you decide to purchase more expensive items (upgrades), it is reflected in a higher sales price. When building a truly custom home, these decisions can be made up front and included in your control estimate. This allows you to see what the project will really cost and allow you to adjust accordingly beforehand. The more allowance choices you have in your estimate, the more control you have in your project.

Allowance items can include; landscaping, terraces, walkways, exterior hardware, storm/screen doors, shutters, interior hardware, stone/ceramic tiles, stone slabs, countertops, fireplace hearthstones/surrounds, wood flooring, carpet, interior and exterior painting, bath accessories, shower doors, mirrors, kitchen and laundry appliances, range hood, manufactured cabinetry, site built cabinetry and furniture, wall paneling and wainscoting, coffered or beamed ceilings, plumbing fixtures, electrical fixtures, alarm/security systems, phone/computer systems and audio visual systems. By having all these choices, it allows you to personally customize your home and create a unique and comfortable environment. Obviously, there are a lot of choices and decisions to make along the way. Maybe too many. Only a few experienced custom builders will be more than happy to assist you with the selection, ordering, delivery and installation of your allowances. Most builders won't even consider it, they don't care. We do. It's our job. We are project managers, advisors and consultants. We work for you and your interests only.

Can I use standardized pricing to compare my bids?

Standardized construction cost estimates are just that, standardized. They are national averages adjusted by region and reflect the median costs for standard construction in defined areas. This is all well and good if you are building a standard home. Why build a standard home when there are hundreds to pick from already on the market? They are called "speculative" homes. Some spec builders even call themselves custom builders, but they are still speculating and building a standard home. Custom for them maybe, but not for you. In order for them to price and list their homes in a competitive real estate market, they are forced to minimize their costs. What does that mean for you?

It means minimum standards for the product as a whole and all of the allowance choices mentioned above including the bare minimum standards for all the important items that you can't see like heating and cooling systems, water system, insulation, plumbing, electrical and so on. Things you won't notice because they are not visible and you don't know any better. Do you really know the difference between a correctly sized, properly filtered and highly efficient hydro-air heating and cooling system and one that isn't by looking at it for sixty seconds? Do you know that there are on-demand instant hot water boilers available on the market that exceed the output of cast iron furnaces, operate more efficiently, can be direct vented and do not produce pollutants? Maybe, maybe not. We consider it to be part of our job to educate you as a consumer, so that you are able to make informed, solid decisions regarding the products that we are able to incorporate into your new home. Remember, we work for you and your interests.

If you intend to build a truly custom home, standardized pricing must be adjusted to include more than bare minimum pricing on the items and allowances mentioned above. You must also add for costs not included in the building price such as land costs, engineering, well, septic system and site costs. These can only be generally determined upon a thorough evaluation of your proposed building lot. Many property owners offering building lots for sale don't care about passing on worst case scenarios to you which result in cost overruns and negatively affect your overall budget numbers. Most builders won't shop for a lot with you, because they can't mark it up. Therefore, they believe there is no point to it. We do. We believe that it is very important to the outcome of the project if you choose a workable, well priced building lot that is suitable for the home that you wish to build. Not all building lots will accommodate your home style and type. It's very simple. Take the time to choose well. We will assist you in the search, location and evaluation of your lot choices.

In our own experienced business practices, we prefer that our clients are adequately educated on the many different aspects of the homebuilding process by suggesting that they read as many appropriate publications as possible. Educated clients make sound financial decisions.

KNOWLEDGE IS A VERY POWERFUL AND COST SAVING TOOL.

Building Advice

Here’s some building advice that’s as good today as it was a hundred years ago.

“A simple and rapid plan for estimating the cost of any building is by comparison. If carefully done, it will give figures that may be relied on. We will suppose that a party desires to erect a building. Let him select such a house already built in that vicinity as shall represent, in style of architecture and character of finish, about what he desires to construct, and of which the cost of building is known; then compute the area or number of square feet covered by the building; divide the number of dollars of cost by the number of square feet thus found, and the price per square foot is ascertained.

Thus a house 40 feet by 40 feet covers an area of 1,600 square feet; it costs $8,000; and dividing $8,000 by 1,600, shows $5 per square foot. Now what will be the cost of a similar house covering 1,400 square feet? 1,400 x $5 = $7,000.

This plan will do very well to approximate roughly to cost. A better and closer one is to ascertain the cost per cubic foot. Thus, a house 40 feet by 40 feet, and an average height of 30 feet. 40 x 40 x 30 = 48,000 cubic feet, cost $7,200, or fifteen cents per cubic feet. Then a house containing 57,000 cubic feet, at fifteen cents, would cost $8,550. Where all conditions of comparison are equal, such as equal facilities for buying, equal advantages in capital, credit, good management, etc., one can very closely, by this last method, ascertain about the cost of such a building as he proposes to erect.”

George E. Woodward, Cottages and Farm Houses, 1867

“The cost of the proposed work is like the algebraic x, an unknown quantity, unless one of two methods is adopted - and they are open to adverse criticism. To sell a house for thirty thousand dollars one must ask thirty-five for it; to build a house for a prescribed sum one must name to the architect twenty per cent less. It is quite impossible to determine whether it is the ambition of the architect, or the extravagance of his client, or the unstable scale of prices for either labor or materials, which makes this a truism; but certain it is that no one ever yet built within his first-named sum. If time was plenty and years did not count, it could be possible to use the other method of keeping within a certain amount. The architect would then finish his drawings and specifications, from excavations to brass keys, and draw and sign all contracts. Then, by adding the amounts, he would know the entire necessary expenditure. This sounds simple, but experiment has proved it to be almost impracticable, as well as unsatisfactory to the owner, for it makes changes impossible, and few know from drawings what the completed structure will be.

If the purse is small, let the necessary economy be confined to the elimination of ornament, but never let it tempt the builder to slight the construction of the house. Where there is a choice between showiness and worth, put effect aside, and aim first of all to have the house well-constructed of durable, but not extravagant, materials.”

The House & Home, 1897

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consider having your own personal home builder

Paramount Residential Construction Management

providing you the most energy efficient house package on the planet

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About Our Company

Our parent company, Paramount Residential Construction Management, has been involved in the building of custom luxury homes along with the restoration and renovation of substantial properties in western Connecticut for the past thirty years. Our unique products are exclusively marketed in Fairfield County, Connecticut through William Pitt Sothebys International Realty in Newtown. We offer the services of select AIA Architects, premier architectural design firms specializing in custom, reproduction and contemporary estates.

Each residential package offered by us may include, upon request, complete AIA architectural services, from concept renderings through final construction blueprints. This allows our clientele the freedom to express their own ideas and wishes in the conceptual phase and the satisfaction of living in an environment that was personally created for them with the assistance of an outstanding team of professionals. We provide a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere in which to create the home of your dreams.

We believe that our new custom homes should be designed and constructed with forethought, planning and craftsmanship evident through the inherent charm and character we build into each residence. We carefully incorporate high efficiency twenty first century amenities into every one of our homes, such as the latest technologies in insulated foundations, structurally engineered framing, high efficiency zoned hydro-air heating, hepa micro-filtered air conditioning, carbon filtered water systems, state of the art audio/visual, security and computer systems and professionally equipped kitchens.

Our company is a blend not commonly found in the building trades. We strive to be authentically detailed and quality driven, but remain production oriented. Too often you will find one or the other, but not the right mix. Our hand-picked subcontractors are very experienced professionals who are able to combine old world craftsmanship with high tech production tools, giving our company the ability to produce uncompromising quality in a custom designed architectural product within reasonable time frames and financial constraints.

Our personnel are seasoned professionals who are highly experienced in their respective trades and properly motivated to produce an exceptional product in a timely manner. Client satisfaction is priority above all. It is our objective to provide a friendly atmosphere in which our clients feel comfortable. We will provide your project with hands on construction supervision overseeing the day to day site activities of the subcontractors and suppliers. Our technical services management will assist you with extensive allowance choices and in scheduling their delivery, installation and finishing. Tech services also provide punch list management and labor to expedite the final stages of the project.

If you have not already purchased a building lot, please contact William Pitt Sothebys International Realty in Newtown, for a review of our currently available estate, equine or subdivision properties located in Newtown, or to search for approved building lots in any area of western Connecticut that you desire. You may reach our very experienced buyers agent, Lisa DeVellis, by clicking on the following email address, ldevellis@wpsir.com

If you are interested in having a home built on your own approved building lot, please contact us for a quote. We will provide you with an initial project evaluation and a preliminary cost estimate from your building plans. You are more than welcome to create your own individually tailored allowance list and budget level requirements. Email your preferred date or schedule an appointment for us to visit your proposed building site at your convenience.

We really look forward to providing each and every one of our clients with a beautiful, architecturally significant home. Thank you for your interest in our company.