If you are considering building a new home, you may be just beginning the process of narrowing down a long list of home builders. The company you choose to build your home will be one of the most important decisions you will make, and there are several things to consider when it comes to choosing the right builder. Contact Your Local Home Builder’s Association. The Canadian Home Builders’ Association will have a list of builders who construct homes in your area and can offer advice for the type of project you are interested in doing. Ask friends and relatives for recommendations of home ..read more

You have probably heard the term “cottage” and envisioned a tiny home in the woods from the fairy tales you read as a child. Cottages have been around for a long time and the use of the word has come to describe a category of house that is small and ideal for vacationing. If you have been considering building a custom cottage, there are a few reasons why it is a great idea. Custom cottages allow the homeowner the freedom to decorate and choose furnishings that complement their own unique sense of style. If your cottage will be used as a vacation home, you will collect accessories through the ..read more

If building a custom home is something you have always dreamed of, there are important things to consider before choosing a company from a list of custom home builders. Visit Model Homes and Go to Home Shows. You may have some ideas of what your dream home looks like, but there is no better way to discover your likes and dislikes than to see it in real life. Walk through the homes of some of the custom home builders you are considering to see the quality of their work and to get design ideas. Ask other homeowners about their experience and whether they’d recommend the builder or not. Is the ..read more

Many homeowners don’t want to live in a home that looks exactly like everyone else’s. If custom homes are something you have been researching, you may have certain features in mind and have a pretty good idea of the design elements that are important to you, but you also want to stay current. The following are some design elements in custom homes that are trending this year. Open Concept Floor Plan. Gone are the days when homes were built with smaller rooms and many doors and hallways. Nowadays, most homeowners want a design that makes the most of the square footage with large rooms that fun ..read more

Custom home construction is booming here in Ontario right now. But court closures due to the pandemic and material shortages have prompted some builders to bypass the permitting process and construct new homes without going through proper channels. In Mississauga, illegal custom home construction and renovations by certain builders has prompted the city to demand increased enforcement and penalties for not following the Ontario Building Code. Some builders are refusing official inspections, and even when penalties are enforced, builders are relying on delays within the court system and move f ..read more

When it comes to choosing between custom houses, one of the most important decisions that must be made is whether you want a one storey house or a two storey house. There is no right or wrong answer in this decision. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. It is entirely dependent on your needs, wants and budget. Custom houses can be designed and built at a wide variety of price points and sizes. When most people think of custom houses, they think of large and luxurious homes, but smaller homes can be custom built as well. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of c ..read more

If you are considering custom home construction to finally realize the home you have always wanted, you may want to know a little bit more about what to expect during the construction process. While custom homes don’t have to break your budget, determining the cost of custom home construction is a little more complicated than purchasing an already-built house that includes the land, the necessary permits and the required grading or excavation, as well as the cost for the actual construction, preferred upgrades and final landscaping. Here at Woodcastle Homes Management Inc., we follow a five-ph ..read more

Are you looking for experienced, professional cottage builders to build your perfect vacation getaway cottage? Trying to choose cottage builders can feel a little overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are considering building a cottage, it is okay to talk to several cottage builders first. Call and ask some questions and get a sense of how the company presents itself, the process they follow and see what first impression you get from these interactions. Cottages are usually more expensive per square foot than a home in a more urban setting would be, and your cottage builders should ..read more

Custom homes can be built to your specifications – from the floor plan to the finishes, it can all be personalized. However, resale value should always be a consideration when designing custom homes. Even if you are sure that your new home will be your “forever home,” the unexpected can happen and you could decide you need to sell it to pursue a new career opportunity or for another reason. Before designing your custom home, look at the neighbourhood or location where you are planning on building it. Consider the average size of other homes in the area, common features they have and the pricin ..read more

There are many factors that affect the cost of building a house, and here at Woodcastle Home Management Inc., we try to be as transparent as possible about estimated costs right from the beginning at our initial consultation. Early estimates are rough numbers, though and can change a lot during the planning process, depending on the options you choose and some factors that are out of your control. Here are the main factors that will affect the cost of building a house: Size of the house and floor plan: Framing and the interior finishes (like insulation and drywall) are some of the most expen ..read more