Benefits of Building from the Ground Up

new construction in floridaWhen you are shopping for a new home, you generally have three options: 1.) You can buy somebody’s existing home, 2.) You can buy a new home already constructed by a builder, or 3.) You can build from the ground up.

While they all have their benefits, only building from the ground up ensures you get exactly the home you want.

New Construction Broward — Buying an Existing Home

When you buy a home that has already been built, whether it is one somebody has been living in or one that has just been constructed, it’s generally on a “take it or leave it” basis for the buyer.

While you can make renovations or upgrades before you move in to customize the house to your specifications, all the major decisions about that home already have been made, such as how many bedrooms or bathrooms it has, which way the home faces, how it sits on the lot, and so on.

New Construction Broward — Starting from Ground Zero

Starting from scratch doesn’t just give you more options. It actually opens up every option so you can personalize your home according to your own preferences, no anybody else’s.

Building your home from the ground up means that you get to decide everything about your new home. Whether you are building on an empty lot or tearing down an existing home fan starting all over again, you get to create the exact home you want for you and your family.

New Construction Broward — TGS Construction

TGS Construction specializes in working with homeowners to create their new homes from the ground up.

We will build you new home according to your exact design specifications so that it is perfectly customized to what you want.

When you want to create your home entirely from the ground up, TGS Construction can help you every step of the way.

Home Offices Increasing in Popularity

workspace mockup backgroundWhen most homeowners think of improvements to their houses, their first thought is renovating a kitchen or updating a bathroom. But an increasing number of people are adding home offices.

There are a number of reason for the recent boom in home offices. The first is that more and more people are working from home either all or part of the time.

Many businesses are discovering the financial benefits of allowing some of their workforce to work from home rather than making the trip into a centralized office. When more employees work remotely, employers don’t have to provide as much expensive office space, as well as all the amenities that support it.

New Construction Broward — The Changing Face of the American Workforce

Lots of people are discovering the benefits of working from home, rather than having to commute to work every day. The biggest benefit is more time to do the things you enjoy.

When you don’t have to spend hours per day stuck in traffic or on public transportation, those newly discovered free hours can be used to be more productive, or to simply spend more time with your family or enjoying yourself.

New Construction Broward — Adding a Home Office

For many people, creating a home office is the ideal solution. It can be as simple as converting an unused bedroom into a workspace. Or you can build on to your home to accommodate your new home office.

Whatever you choose, TGS Construction can help. We can provide the additional electrical and digital ports you need to support your home office. Or we can build on to your home, depending on your needs.

Home offices are booming right now as an increasing number of people choose to spend more time working in the home rather than commuting. This trend is likely to continue in the coming decade and beyond.

Ways to Tell When You Need a New Roof

Stormy sunset on construction siteRoofs are one of those things that are always there and are very important, but most of us don’t pay attention to them until something goes wrong.

Yet identifying roofing problems before they become more serious can save you a fortune in roof repairs. Replacing shingles or making minor repairs is a lot less expensive than having to put an entirely new roof on your home or business.

New Construction Broward – Take a Look at Your Roof

So how can you tell if your roof needs a little tender loving care? There are obvious signs, of course, such as leaks or gaping holes. Generally, if you can see the sky from indoors and you don’t have a skylight, it’s probably time to call the professionals.

But you also can tell by setting up a ladder and climbing up to take a look at your roof at close range. Specifically, you should be looking for shingle edges that are curled or shingle tabs that are cupped.

Other things to look for include cracked shingles, bald spots where granules are missing, or dark streaks caused by airborne algae that can erode roofing shingles from the inside out.

New Construction Broward – The Age of Your Roof

Another way to tell if you may need a new roof is its age. If your existing roof is more than 20 years old, it probably is going to start failing soon, if it hasn’t started already.

Shingles aren’t designed to last forever. While today’s shingles are produced for durability, that wasn’t always the case. Like it or not, the shingles on your roof probably have an expiration date.

If you aren’t sure or don’t remember when your roof was put on your home, take a look at your home files. There could still be a receipt from the builder who put your roof on.

Homeowners who bought the house with the existing roof on it can ask the previous owner when it was installed.

Early Starts Help Contractors Do Better Work

Stormy sunset on construction siteIf you’ve ever had work done in your home — such as having a new bathroom put in or having a kitchen remodeled — you probably noticed that the contractors arrive to work very early. They may even have shown up at your home before you’re awake in some cases.

There are a couple of important reasons why contractors tend to report to work so early. Once you understand these reasons, you won’t be surprised when they show up to your house before most of your family is even out of bed.

Rise and Shine

The first reason has to do with the weather. Many contractors have to deal with very hot weather conditions. This is especially true in South Florida, where by noon the combination of high temperature, humidity, and bright sun can be unbearable.

Starting work such as roofing, framing or other outdoor tasks when the sun is still low and the temperatures are at their coolest for the day makes sense for most contractors. Even those working indoors often have to deal with conditions with no air conditioning, especially if they are working on new construction.

Commute Times

Another reason contractors show up so early is traffic. Unlike most workers, people in the construction trade rarely work at the same location more than a few days in a row. So many contractors may live far from their job site for the day.

The last thing you want is for contractors to arrive late due to heavy rush hour traffic. So construction workers tend to get up very early to beat the traffic so they can be assured of arriving at job sites on time — even if that time is 7 a.m.

That’s the same reason contractors will often be out of your house by mid-afternoon. They don’t want to have to sit in heavy traffic at the end of their work day.

3 Steps to Hiring a Contractor in Broward

TGS-home-03You have a dream of what your new home, a renovated space, a new commercial property, or some other project should look like. Now you want to turn your vision into reality. It’s time to hire a contractor.

Hiring a contractor is the first and arguably the most important step in any construction project. That’s because the decision you make about which contactor to hire can affect not only how the final project will turn out, but also whether it will be within your budget, whether it will be completed on time, and whether your not your sanity and stomach lining will survive the project.

New Construction Broward — 3 Simple Steps

Hiring a contractor is an important decision, but it’s not an impossible one. There are essentially three steps to finding the best contractor for your particular construction project.

The first is to find several contractors who specialize in the type of project you have. You don’t want to hire a contractor who builds skyscrapers to build your new home. Similarly, you may not want a contractor who has never done a kitchen renovation before to tackle your home improvement project.

The second step is to collect bids or estimates from at least two or three different contractors, if not more. Getting multiple estimates will help you to understand whether your cost estimates were accurate. It also can help you find a better price so you don’t get overcharged the way you could if you rely on only a single estimate for your construction job.

New Construction Howard — Getting to Know You

Before hiring any contractor, it’s important that you get a list of previous clients so you can personally check on the company’s reputation. A contractor may have built a hundred houses in your neighborhood, but if every project was over budget, behind schedule, or the clients weren’t satisfied, odds are you won’t be, either.

TGS Construction specializes in construction projects of every size, cost, and type. When you need an estimate for your next construction project, make sure to include TGS Construction on your list of prospective contractors. We’ll treat you right!