The On-site Building Stages of an RTM Home

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Learning how the whole RTM process works from start to finish can feel somewhat overwhelming at times if you are new to it. We have put together an educational ebook based on our top blogs and newsletters to help you get the knowledge you need to make informed choices about your own RTM project.

B&B Homes manages each build project in a simple to use program called co-construct. By logging into our co-construct site, you can monitor the progress of each stage of your build and make recorded decisions and conversations all in one place! Details on estimates, change orders and on-going progress photos from our designer happen inside co construct as well.

Then, there are a few final steps to wrap up the RTM building process shortly before your new custom home is delivered. They include:

Preparing the Foundation

Coordinating the final preparations for the foundation needs to happen no less than 21 days before the house is moved. The concrete needs to be poured for an ICF foundation three weeks before the home is moved so that it has enough time for it to cure. It is at this time that the garage foundation gets poured, alongside any additional parts of the home that may require this step. B&B Homes offers foundation and basement services for a full suite offering, however you are welcome to source this component locally as well and have foundation inspections carried out if you so need. Coordinating this step with your RTM builder is critical before the big move day.
basement process rtm

Pouring the Basement

Once the house is set on the foundation, then the basement floor gets poured. We do not pour the floors before the house arrives because the movers put their equipment in the basement and lift the house from underneath, which could result in cracking the concrete floor if it is done too soon. There are some instances where this can already be in place. Sometimes the layout of the site, trees, or buildings make for tight spots in the yard (and the movers need that extra space) or they will need to load the house onto the foundation from the garage side. Once that is all complete the basement floor can be poured and the basement steps installed.

basement RTM 3

If You Plan on Having a Garage or a Deck, Pour the Concrete Now Too

It’s a good idea if you’re building your deck right away or a garage in the near future, to pour concrete piles for either scenarios at the same time as pouring the floor to avoid extra charges. The garage and deck can be built as soon as their foundations are ready to be built on. Which in some cases can be as soon as the day after pouring the concrete.

basement

Plan and Set the Schedule in Advance

When homeowners schedule the onsite work on their own, they may struggle to know when to book the trades in. They are not familiar with who has to come before who, and what work needs to be completed at what stages. If booked incorrectly, the project can easily be set back by weeks if the local trades are busy during this time. The team at B&B Homes is used to scheduling these types of projects and are known for keeping things running smoothly and leading home owners on this journey. That is the benefit of working with an RTM builder that can do foundations, basements and garages making the whole project from start to finish seamless and guided.

B&B Homes prides itself on building homes to last families a lifetime by offering quality quality craftsmanship you can trust.

Building a Functional Layout with Vaulted Ceilings for a Mantario Family.

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The Massey’s had recently moved from a mid-sized Saskatchewan city back into a 1939 farmhouse in the yard of their family farm. They were planning to renovate the existing home on the property, but after only a few weeks of living in it, they decided to build brand new. They just had a newborn son and their daughter was only three, so they wanted to make plans with the long term in mind. They would have had to move to renovate and the costs in their heads were adding up very quickly. Even with a very costly renovation, the house still wouldn’t have met their needs as a young family so it made the decision easy to start planning a custom RTM home that would.

Choosing the Right Builder for Their RTM Project

Delia spent about a month checking out different builders, styles, financing, moving costs, etc. Since she was at home with her kids on maternity leave, she had quite a bit of time to commit to the process. The Massey’s were looking for quality and start to finish contracting. They were surprised how many RTM builders there were in the Saskatoon area alone and that could deliver to their remote farm. A company that did a project start to finish was very helpful especially when it came to attaining financing for the entire project.

“Having this super functional, gorgeous place to call home and my kids having their own spaces is what I like the most living in our new home”. – Delia Massey

What advice would you give to someone planning an RTM project now that yours is over?

“I have a few major pieces of advice. First, get your financing in order long before you plan to start building. That was a very long three months in our case and held things up on our end. Especially when we were so anxious to start!

Trust me when I say that I researched pricing. I must have got 6-8 basement quotes and not a single one covered everything B&B did OR was less than their price. We also thought we could do our garage cheaper locally. Though we have a fantastic local contractor, it’s definitely cost us more. B&B is very competitive and if I could go back and sign that contract for everything at the beginning, I would. Costs fluctuate on material and that would have saved us a lot of money.

It’s a big commitment so always plan to spend more as there are a lot of things that with keep coming up for years (parging, deck, basement finishing, etc.) But no matter where and how you live, you have to pay to live and paying to live in the house of our dreams is worth it!” – Delia Massey

What Did You Like About Working with B&B Homes?

“Having an in house designer helped a lot. All the selections are very overwhelming and Katia was very helpful in helping to make decisions.
Also, this is a family owned and operated company. The first person we met face to face was Travis as he accommodated us visiting on a weekend. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, I can appreciate the level of commitment that usually comes from family owned businesses. He cares about the company and the quality of homes it produces and that was evident right from the beginning.
Having said that, all the staff we have encountered have been fantastic. Darwin, Kim, Adam, Suzanne, the aussies. All highly professional and down to earth people.”

-Delia Massey

Want to Get Started Planning Your Own RTM Project?

Working with our on-site designer can help you bring a vision to life that you didn’t know was possible for a new RTM home. Contact B&B Homes today to coordinate a complimentary consultation with our designer here.

Keep Cozy in the Winters: Explore these Popular RTM Fireplace Options

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There is no doubt about it that Saskatchewan has some of the harshest winters out there. But there is a silver lining, and that is keeping cozy by the fire in the bitter cold months. Fireplaces for RTMs are a nice perk of enduring yet another cold patch. There is no shortage of different options to customize the aesthetic and function for your fireplace.

Three popular options for B&B Homes clients are traditional wood burning, gas and electric fireplaces.

RTM fireplace

Wood burning fireplaces are a traditional option that have been heating homes naturally for decades. These tried and true fireplace requires a little more upkeep than more modern gas and electric options and is not as efficient at producing heat. But if the scent and ambiance of the burning logs is what you are after, the additional work can considered a labour of love when maintaining your wood supply and cleaning your chimney seasonally.

RTM gas fireplace

Gas fireplaces are a stylish, modern option that provide flexible heat and aesthetic options by efficiently burning natural gas or propane instead of wood. There are a number of options for gas logs that create the ambiance of your flame. Gas fireplaces are also enclosed, providing safety from embers without requiring any chimney maintenance. Gas fireplaces also provide an alternate heat source for the home.

RTM electric fireplace

Electric fireplaces allow you to have the visual of a fire without having to produce any actual heat allowing for use all year round. Most electric models B&B sources do give you the option for both flame and heat or just the flame. An environmentally conscious option, electric fireplaces do not use any gas or produce any emissions.

Do you want to warm up by your own brand new fireplace next winter? Are you ready to start planning your own custom RTM dream home with B&B’s Dream It, Build It, Move It process? Contact Darwin directly at darwin@bbhomes.ca to get started.

Delivering The Redburn to a Family in the Duck Lake Area.

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The Hunter’s began researching the possibility of a brand new home when they moved out to their farm in the Duck Lake area. It took about five years of researching and consideration before making the decision to build with B&B. They wanted to make sure that they found the plan they liked, and a builder they felt comfortable and confident with to build their forever home.

An RTM seemed to be the most practical way to get the home of their dreams. With their location, getting a builder and trades to come out and build it from top to bottom onsite would have been extremely difficult and would have cost a fortune with mileage charges. They decided on an RTM because it would be complete and they would be able to move right in within a reasonable timeline.

What Do You Like Best About Your New Home?

“It is such a hard question to answer….because honestly the answer would be everything. We have loved it all from the moment we moved in, to this very day. And I know we will still love our home 25 years from now! I guess though if we had to pick one thing, it would be the space that we have. We have enough room to not be on top of each other anymore!”  -Natalie Hunter

Finding the Right Design and Working With the Right Builder

The Hunters were living in a mobile home on their farm, and with their boys getting older, and a large extended family, they really wanted to have more room to accommodate hosting family and friends over.

The Hunters wanted to have a big entry area conducive to their farm life. The lockers, laundry and half bath have been the best value functional areas to have in their new farmhouse. They also wanted to have a large kitchen so that everyone can come and sit down to have harvest meals in. As well as lots of room for cooking and storage for all of their kitchen accessories.

Why They Picked B&B Homes for the Project

“We really wanted to deal with a builder that cared. That didn’t just see us as a number. That went above and beyond building a product that would last us forever. A home is such a massive investment and you want to make sure that the builder understood that from a personal point of view, not just a monetary point of view. We wanted a builder that would hear us….because not everyone’s tastes are the same and we knew what we liked and didn’t like. We wanted someone to stand behind the product that they were building. Be upfront with everything so that there were no surprises.” -Natalie Hunter

What’s One Piece of Advice Would You Share With Anyone Planning a Custom RTM Home?

“Research your builders! Make sure you’re not settling and that you find exactly what you are looking for.

What Did You Like About Working with B&B Homes?

Where do you start…..from the very beginning we knew right away that we would choose B&B. Darwin was the only one in all of the companies that we went to that took the time out of his busy schedule to take us and show us their homes. He showed us homes right from starting out construction to the finished product. He explained the differences in construction and what we should be looking for in a home. Not once did he ever make us feel pressured that we had to choose them. He just gave us all the information that no one else took the time to care to show us. By the end of the tour we knew that we wanted to deal with B&B.

We loved the fact that they only took on so many homes in a year and that they put all of their effort into making those homes the best that they could. They truly cared about the product that they put out there. When we met Katia she made such an overwhelming project seem so effortless. She made sure that we were happy with everything and went above and beyond to make sure we had exactly what we wanted! She is a true gem to work with. We can’t believe how beautiful our home is….we are a little biased but we think its the best designed home ever!

It was so nice as a homeowner to hear that it was whatever we wanted our house to be! They had constant communication with us about everything and encouraged us to come out anytime to see the progress of our new home. It was like watching the best Christmas present ever being built from start to finish! It was very much like a family environment where we felt welcome by everyone!
We will always continue to recommend B&B. As far as we are concerned they are the best in the industry by far. Anyone who has a B&B home will be as lucky and grateful as we are that they had the very best home builder building their forever dream home. Thank you so much to the entire B&B family for making our RTM building process the most amazing time! We couldn’t have asked for more….because you gave it all to us!” -Natalie Hunter

Working with our on-site designer can help you bring a vision to life that you didn’t know was possible for a new RTM home. Contact B&B Homes today to coordinate a complimentary consultation with our designer here.

Building an RTM With Ranch Style Finishes for a Family Outside of Maple Creek.

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The Beierbach’s decided to engage with B&B after seeing a floor plan call out their name that was shared on Facebook.

With some modifications to The Redburn to make it truly their own, the rest is now history and they are living in their custom RTM today.

When it came to looking for an RTM builder, they were looking for flexibility to suite their ranch style, good quality construction and of course affordability. They also needed to look into RTM options due to their remoteness in the Maple Creek area and for the convenience of outsourced project management around their busy lifestyles.

Having the Space for Entertaining and Hosting Guests

With an open concept and more living space than their previous small farmhouse, they are now more comfortable hosting guests and entertaining at their home and seem to do a lot more of it these days.

“We love our new home and look forward to enjoying for many more years! B&B met or beat every deadline which was so nice as we were super anxious to get into the house once we got the design phase done.” -Donna Beierbach

Bringing Together Ideas Through Research

Donna spent around three months researching different features and finishes online that would capture their style and preferences. B&B was impressed with all of their unique ideas that were able to be executed.

Their home, like all custom RTMs, was quoted based on the custom specs that were put together specifically from Donna and Williams’ researching and planning. During this time they also talked to friends, neighbours, relatives — anyone they knew that had either built or moved in a new home.

What One Piece of Advice Would You Share With Anyone Planning a Custom RTM Home?

“The expenses of site prep/ dirt work basement, plumbing/heating, electrical etc for hooking the house up really adds up. Get quotes for all of the above and allow for a bit extra!” -Donna Beierbach

What Did You Like About Working with B&B Homes?

“The staff!! So helpful! We were way out of our element with this project ….we deal with livestock, not paint swatches and tile samples so we leaned heavily on designer Katia for advice and input. She did such a good job of capturing the feel we were looking for in our home! Darwin was always eager to answer any questions we had and Travis was great about warranty issues and customer service in general!”

-Donna Beierbach

Want to Get Started Planning Your Own RTM Project?

Working with our on-site designer can help you bring a vision to life that you didn’t know was possible for a new RTM home. Contact B&B Homes today to coordinate a complimentary consultation with our designer here.

RTM Maintenance: Protecting Your Home From Humidity and Moisture

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Fall and winter are the seasons to be cautious with humidity levels in a new home. Moisture and humidity problems are classified as regular maintenance issues and are not covered by B&B’s warranty. It is very important that you are aware of the dangers so that you can take preventative measures against any future damages and avoid incurring any costly repairs.

The early warning signs of high humidity are:
•Exterior door handles & deadbolts no longer work properly
•High amount of moisture on windows
•Exterior door handle & deadbolts have visible moisture or frost on them
•Exterior doors are freezing shut
•Water pooling on window sills
•Exterior door handles & deadbolts begin to rust on the inside

If things get really bad, the worse case scenarios of high humidity (which we have seen) includes:
•Cabinet doors swell to the point that they won’t close
•Paint is peeling on cabinets, railing, etc.
•Laminate flooring buckles
•Mold will grow on doors, windows and other areas of the home

Fact: A new home typically expels 500-600 gallons in the first year and a half.
Fact: A new home typically expels 500-600 gallons in the first year and a half.

Before any of these warning signs occur, there are some measures you can take. They are:

  • Testing the humidity with a reliable tester (contact us and we will send you one to keep free of charge)
    Increase ventilation by keeping air circulating with a small fan or by opening windows
  • Make sure an air exchanger is set and running properly (make sure your installer explained all the settings and how to operate it)
  • Run a de-humidifier. If levels remain high you may need one on both the main floor and in the basement
    If your basement floor is not cemented, it needs to be sealed with poly
  • During the summer months, running your air conditioner will help reduce moisture

*Make sure that the silicone around the tubs, showers and between the kitchen counter top and walls is still fully intact. If it isn’t, you need to replace it. If moisture gets around the tile or counter tops you will develop swelling and moisture issues over time.

table 1Re: Table 1. Wind chill temperature – this is the method used to relate wind and temperature. Usually traditional temperature readings do not include a wind chill factor. For example, with an indoor temperature of 20C and an outside air temperature of -12C this table recommends a relative humidity of 30%. However, with an outside air temperature of -12C and a 20km per hour wind, the outdoor wind chill temperature is -26C and so the level of relative humidity should be reduced to 20%. Moisture and humidity damage is classified as regular maintenance and is not covered by your warranty.

To manage the humidity levels in your home, monitor the levels mentioned in the chart above and use your HRV system or a dehumidifier to regulate moisture and protect your investment.

Monitoring moisture and humidity levels help you protect the value and health of your home.

Feel free to contact us if you need more information or have any questions about humidity in your RTM Home.

 

 

 

Keeping Your Project on Budget Designing a Custom Home

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Little known fact: The start of your custom home project is not when you break ground for the first time. It’s all figured out on paper first.

Be prepared to review, revise, and repeat to get everything within your budget and style. Make sure to allow enough time for planning and building to achieve your desired delivery date.

Being candid with the stakeholders for your project will help you stick within your budget while planning the home of your dreams.

It is easy to get carried away when planning a custom home, however we want you to keep these key areas in mind so you develop a realistic project plan.

RTM design budget

Below are the key recommendations to help the pre-planning stage to run smoothly so you get the home you dream up while still being able to afford it.

Do Not Fear Disclosing Your Budget

One big, and necessary, step is discussing what you hope your overall project will cost. At B&B, we have compiled an entire list of the expenses associated with building a home – reaching past the costs related to the RTM alone, including site prep, hookups and foundations.

Discussing your budget with our on-site designer and estimator gives them the ability to design and quote your home project using materials and function that will fit within your overall budget while allowing enough room for other expenditures and features.

Know Your Must Haves and What you Can Live Without When Planning

To ensure that you do not encounter any surprises along the way that can suddenly hinder you from achieving your dream—or will require last minute split decisions—our estimator at B&B Homes is equipped to provide you with detailed quotes based on your budget parameters. From your RTM home costs to your on-site garage, foundation, hookups and deck, as well as any other required on-site elements that may come up.

Be Prepared to Review, Revise, and Repeat

There are a couple steps involved in this process. First, designing your custom home. This involves everything from the style and materials chosen, to the layout and function of the home that fits your family’s lifestyle. All of these parts are taken into consideration and reviewed to make sure they are fitting your overall vision.

The next step is estimating the cost of the design. In this phase you will be given quotes that include everything discussed during the design process.

Once the first vision of your home is quoted, and you have a concrete idea of all the costs involved, it may be necessary to go back and revise some of the options chosen, or remove some features.

Do Not Fear This Step. Request Changes or Revisions to Get the Project to a Stage You Are Comfortable With.

This is a natural progression point in all major projects. More often than not, there is another material available, or another timeline to consider – like saving the decks or garage for a project the following year – that will make achieving your exact vision a reality (without depleting the quality of your home).

So What Now?

The biggest feeling may be to give up. We get it, we’ve all been there. At B&B, we want to be there for you helping you through this stage. We understand this last step is full of very personal decisions, and requires thoughtful deliberation of answering the questions like “What do you most want to get out of your home?” and “What are the top 5 priorities?”. Once you feel you have those questions and thoughts answered, approach the drawing board again with our team of professionals.

Be Involved, Ask Any Questions You Have Along the Way

Ask all your questions, state your ideas, and display any concerns or fears you may have. B&B Homes wants to build you a home that we ourselves would live in. That requires perseverance, flexibility, and honesty from both sides. Believe us when we say all the hard work at this stage, makes the reward at the end even better.

B&B Homes has earned the reputation for providing excellent quality RTM homes and prides itself on delivering superior customer service throughout the process.

If you are ready to start planning you own RTM project, reach out to us here for more information and to get started.

Need financing for your RTM project? Meet Cara

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We are excited to announce that we have partnered with Affinity Credit Union to help bring your dream home project to life.

Getting financing for an RTM project follows a slightly different process than traditional mortgage financing offered at some banks and mortgage lenders.

Meet Cara Kohne, a mortgage specialist at Affinity Credit Union below, and learn some of the typical requirements that will come up in the RTM financing process.

Typical Mortgage Requirements for an RTM Project Include:

  • The lender will need to release funds before the home is delivered on-site.
  • You often must own the land you plan to build on or need to coordinate the mortgage around this purchase. Changing land titles can delay a project so start asap if you know this will be required.
  • The home must be anchored to a foundation prior to your final bank inspection.
  • You will need a contract or purchase of sale with terms spelled out by the builder including obligations for each party
  • Homeowners will need to ensure they have home insurance in place once the home is set on the foundation.
  • RTM homeowners will require a building permit to ensure your project complies with local and national code.
  • The lender will usually need quotes for the entire project, not just the RTM, in order to approve a mortgage

To find out exactly what you will need to qualify for a mortgage, contact Cara Kohne to discuss your project.

Ready to get started planning your dream home?

Design Features: Butlers Pantry for Extra Storage

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One of the best parts of building an RTM home in a farm or rural setting is that you are able to build custom bungalows that provide a lot of opportunity to design a functional floor plan for your lifestyle.

A feature that has gained popularity in recent years is the comeback of the butler’s pantry.

Whether you want to stock up at Costco after a city run or have lots of produce from the garden pickled to be stored, a butler’s pantry affords the extra space to “stock up”.

Custom cabinetry is designed to fit every dimension from custom floor plans.

Free up your counter space from small appliance with easy access to them when you need to use them.

Add a sliding barn door for a rustic feel with convenient access.

Ready to get started planning your own custom RTM build? Contact Darwin via phone at 306-856-0073 or email at darwin@bbhomes.ca

Making a Dream Come True After 10 Years of Planning & Research

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Kassi and Caleb spent nearly a decade researching in preparation to embark on the journey of planning their dream home. After all, this kind of project is usually once in a lifetime, so they wanted to make sure they did it right.

They eventually decided to partner with a builder that would hold the same high standards with attention to detail, flexibility with finishes, and could deliver on the overall quality for their forever home.

Learn more about their custom RTM home building experience and see inside below.

What do you like the most about your new home?

We were able to design a custom home that was made specifically for our family. B&B was so patient with every revision along the way and we were very grateful for that.

How long did you research your home for?

For almost a decade we explored different vendors to see what was out there. We looked at different floor plans and different styles of finishes during this time. We wanted to wait until we were prepared to make this investment and we were ready.  As you grow and adapt, you see how expanding your family evolves, we changed what we needed. We researched throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta before deciding who we would build with.

What were you looking for in a builder?

A big criteria for us was finishes. Once you nitpick the companies and could see how they finished projects and how different quality standards stood out. Being in Saskatchewan, we wanted to support a family business ran by wholesome people. We ended up really enjoyed working with Travis (B&B’s CEO) and appreciated how humble he was working with the crew throughout the project.

What was important to you in the layout of the home?

It was important to have an open concept. We wanted functionality and flow throughout the house. Having Katia work hand-in-hand with us, she made sure there was no wasted space. Every idea we had, she showed it to us to see if it would work. She shared her professional advice but was never pushy, she was very supportive throughout the whole process. Always open and patient with all of the decisions we were making. B&B Homes never said no to any of the features we requested. The sky was truly the limit with B&B Homes.

Why did you build an RTM when you did?

We decided to wait until we could do it financially We knew we wanted to customize our dream home so we wanted to be secure and comfortable.

We know some people who got a harsh reality check due to a lack of research and understanding what other companies are charging you for. Liked the transparent pricing. You need to understand the numbers and what you are getting. Over time we were able to see the differences in other builders in our research.

“We are type A people so we wanted to work with a builder that shared our high standards. The people at B&B are all so nice and patient. Every party involved held the same quality standards as we do. We were happy we could relax knowing that the whole project would be meticulously looked after. It was aggressively perfect.”
-Kassi

 

“We feel like we really got to know everyone and be part of the B&B Homes family. We were so excited to be the first RTM home that Travis moved.  We were so excited for our designer Katia when we learned she was having a baby. We had great relationships with everyone.”
 
-Kassi

If you had one piece of advice for someone getting into an RTM what would it be?

Be honest about your budget so you balance what you can spend and have against what you want. Research is really important. Don’t go with another company because you think they are cheaper. If you go with a cheaper company you are going for a lesser quality once in a lifetime investment. Really important to do your research and financially be prepared for different things.

Be open with your builder about what your budget is so they have an idea of what kind of finishes you are going to have and can help guide your finishes selections.  B&B puts their heart and name behind their homes because they want it to be your forever accomplishment as well.

What did you like about working with B&B?

I don’t know why anyone would build with anyone else besides B&B Homes. They can do anything and would do whatever we wanted. Some people may get hyped up with other reputations for other reasons. B&B can accommodate any time frame and budget. They were super accommodating and very open about it.

Other RTM providers said the time frame was open. Other timelines were hoaxes. B&B was organized and detail oriented right into their project schedules. We know people that lived in their RV because their home wasn’t done for 6 months later than what they were told. That would never happen with B&B Homes.

For more information on the process or to get started planning your own custom floor plan, reach out to B&B at any time here to discuss your project details.