In recent news, Pulte, M/I Homes and other national builders have decided to start building HERS rated homes. So, what does this mean for smaller homebuilders across the country? It puts more pressure on smaller home builders to offer a better product in order to stay competitive.
These national home builders can already build and sell homes cheaper, pushing smaller homebuilders out of the market. Being the underdog, how can smaller homebuilders stay competitive within their market? There are many options available to builders across the state. For instance, builders can offer homes certified for HERS, Earthcraft, LEED and Energystar. All of these certifications (that aren’t currently offered by larger homebuilders) add value to a home, making them more beneficial to homeowners and thus small home builders as well.
As the demand for better homes becomes prevalent, smaller homebuilders are going to have to change the way they look at building homes.
Some techniques that allow smaller homebuilders to save money and produce a better quality home include:
- using advanced framing techniques;
- creating a tighter building envelope;
- and putting an emphasis on the planning and design of the home.
These techniques may be more time consuming, but in order to survive any change, people must plan ahead.
