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.

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.

Selecting Finishes and Appliances for an RTM Home

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The idea of building a custom home may seem overwhelming, but really, it is just a series of steps and decisions to be made along the way of a well-thought-out plan, with some support and coaching along the way.

At B&B Homes, we do everything we can to make sure the process is fun, stress free and exciting! Selecting finishes and appliances for your RTM with the help of a designer removes the stress and hassle out of the process of planning a custom home.

Below is what happens next after you decide to work with B&B Homes and you move into the selection process with our onsite designer .

Figure Out if There Are Any Upgrades or Features That Are “Must Have”

For the selection process, B&B Homes has many wonderful options available to our clients, but we do not limit them to the selections in our show room. With the help of our designer Katia, B&B Homes arranges meetings with our suppliers and works to find the exact item that fits your vision, and will get pricing to assist in the decision making process. Whether it is a floating ceiling in your master bedroom or any other unique feature, we love creative ideas and trying out new things at B&B, and do the research to make them happen.

When B&B Homes quotes a project, everything is based on our standard specifications found here. We work to stay on time and on budget unless you tell us otherwise. We want to be proud of each home we build and maintain our high standards for each project.

Selecting finishes and appliances for an RTM home.

B&B Home’s standard finishes are already great quality due to our dedication to producing high quality RTM homes to last a lifetime. There are still many options, colors and features to choose from in our base offerings.

Working With an Onsite Designer to Guide Your Tastes and Preferences

Once you have decided to start your RTM journey and the paperwork is complete, B&B schedules your first selections meeting. Discussions around flooring, paint, cabinetry, countertops, all the way to door styles and plumbing fixtures, are covered off in this half day meeting.

All of these selections are made at once to ensure that everything will work and flow together while meeting your family’s unique styles and preferences.

selecting finishes and appliances for an RTM Home.
Shopping for Appliances for an RTM

Shopping for appliances is not fun! That is why our clients often get us to make their appliances selections and present options that will fit the budget and dimensions of their new homes. B&B Homes has a preferred vendor that provides us with discounted rates, making the whole process even easier for our clients.

Having a Fully Finished Home Delivered on RTM Moving Day

We often find, that people are surprised to find out that we complete the ENTIRE RTM home before moving it. This includes cabinets, mirrors, fireplace and surround. One of the best parts of an RTM build is how little you have to do yourself, before coming home one day to a fully finished home.

For more information on the RTM process or to have someone call you to discuss your family’s future home needs, please email info@bbhomes.ca and someone will reach out to you shortly.

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

Creating a Consistent Theme With Custom Features

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Building a custom RTM means you have infinite possibilities when it comes to planning features that will make a home truly unique and tailored specifically for your family.

With endless possibilities, it’s helpful to work with an onsite designer throughout your new home planning to help unlock your personal style while making sure that the home’s overall “look and feel” come together cohesively.

See how these custom features came together to harmonize a consistent theme throughout the home from a recent B&B project.

Vaulted ceilings decorated with beams created a grand feeling when on the upper level of the home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beams were used as a dramatic feature to enhance doorways throughout the home. Shiplap was used to add texture to accent walls in the home.

The kitchen had a tiled backsplash, with a featured statement piece above the stove.

Hutch cabinetry in the laundry room provided ultimate storage and function.

What ambiance and colour tones would you like in your dream home? Let’s get started making your vision a reality by heading into a consultation with our design team.

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

The Value of Working with a Professional Designer for an RTM

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Anyone can draw up a floor plan, but when it comes to creating a design for your forever home and selecting the features and finishes, you are going to want expert advice that you can trust throughout the planning and building process. Smart design prevents unnecessary renovations down the road.

Like when you book a hotel room, you will have expectations about what kind of experience you want to have for what you are willing to pay.

B&B Homes takes pride in offering unlimited creative options to design a home with the counsel of our onsite designers Katia and Kendra, who will guide your decision making and planning all the way through to your home’s delivery. From letting you know what you can “pull off” in your floor plan within your square footage, to going shopping for lighting fixtures and flooring with you, they are along for the whole ride throughout an RTM project.

We must admit, our design team and process methodologies are part of B&B Home’s secret sauce for delivering a premium RTM building experience. Keeping a strong relationship onsite between the designer and the building crew has lead to a lot of beautiful custom RTM homes over the years.

“We are very pleased with the final product of our customized home with the help of our designer Katia. The entire B&B staff was very professional and easy to work with throughout the entire process.”
-Mike & Shannon Palmier

Hear more about the B&B Home’s RTM building process from past B&B Home’s clients here.

Exciting Announcement for Future RTM Projects.

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We are always looking for new ways to bring value to our clients planning their dream home project with us.

After building and moving over 100 RTM projects, we have developed best practices and methodologies to keep our standards high for the quality and service delivery of our homes.

As we like to say one company from start to finish.

With that said, it is our great pleasure to announce that we now move our own RTM homes!

Not only will this help our clients save on this expense, it also gives us the flexibility to move homes on our ideal project completion schedules.

We can now move our homes with the same care that we have for every custom RTM home we build.

If you have any questions about planning a custom RTM project or if you are ready to get started, contact us to begin.