New technologies put the smart home within reach of any homebuyer. Connected home technology in the early 2000s was a costly proposition. In most cases, high-priced “structured wiring” linked a central server to the devices it managed and also to proprietary, hardwired keypads and control screens.
Steve and I were born and raised in Las Vegas. It was a small town then and, in many ways, it is a small town today. Then and now - reputation is everything and reputations are built on experiences. Merlin Custom Home Builders’s company culture is based on giving our homeowners a positive and fulfilling experience during the creation of their homes.
Building a new home is a dynamic and exciting process. As professional homebuilders, Merlin Custom Home Builders’s goal is to make the process smooth and transparent for our clients. Once the job is underway, things happen quickly, so we work with clients to make decisions well ahead of time to help ensure they get their new home on schedule and within budget.
Failure to make timely decisions is the number one culprit behind schedule and cost overruns. Homeowners play a key role in preventing these problems. Some homeowners find it a challenge to make their final selection of products and materials. It’s easy to see why—with practically limitless choices in countertops, fixtures, tiles, windows, and other products, it can be difficult to settle on one model, style, or color.
How professional builders avoid some of the most common and costly construction mistakes. Most homeowners judge a home by the obvious: a floor plan that’s a joy to live in, a streetscape that wows passers-by, great natural lighting, and lots of storage. The list goes on. But some less obvious details have as great an impact on the homeowners’ satisfaction over time. While homeowners have little control over these details, a professional builder with a sustainable business will make sure they get done right.
Many of our buyers are less interested in “green” construction than they are in homes that offer health, comfort, and low ownership costs. The Merlin Custom Home Builders Team has been building homes with the “green” concept in mind for 25 years. From the early days when we recommended additional insulation, better performing windows and tighter homes, Merlin Custom Home Builders’s homes were and are built for generations of families. Both Steve and Bart are Certified Green Builders by the NAHB. Robert Brown (our estimator) has completed the 40 hour HERS training course. Merlin Custom Home Builders installed Southern Nevada’s first two large custom energy saving “gas fired chillers”, set up numerous solar systems throughout the valley and built two homes completely off the grid. Merlin Custom Home Builders appreciates that “green” is different for each of our custom homes and works with our homeowners, presenting options, associated costs and, when possible, payback timelines.
Or buy my own carpet... Builders get these questions a lot. Here’s why a Yes answer is seldom in the homeowners’ best interest. It’s not unusual for new-home clients to ask their builder to use a trade contractor with whom the clients (but not the builder) have an established relationship, or to let them buy their own plumbing fixtures or other items. Most builders won’t agree to this. Sticking to familiar subcontractors is a policy that’s in the best interest of the builder and the homeowners. The reasons have to do with the business relationships between builders, suppliers, and subcontractors.
A lot of people don’t understand the sheer complexity of the builder’s job and the systems required to build a house from scratch. Many analogies have been used to describe the professional builder: the conductor of an orchestra, the captain of a ship, even a general executing a military campaign. The point is that the builder is the one who must coordinate the innumerable players and products needed to transform a set of two-dimensional drawings into a finished home. The builder has to make sure that everything happens just when it’s supposed to, and that the end result is exactly what the clients envisioned.
Builders hear this question a lot. The answer, as with most such questions, is “It depends.” But on what? People who haven’t built before often have an unrealistic concept of how long it can take to plan, budget, and build a home. Many variables can affect the timetable. Three that stand out are design, permitting, and site work.
reception@merlincontracting.com
6408 S. Arville Street
Las Vegas, NV 89118
Office Hours:
Monday- Thursday 7:30am – 4:30pm
Friday 7:30am – 1:30pm
Unlimited, Full-B category General Contractor’s License #43785 from the Nevada State Contractor’s Board
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