Making the Most of Your Space: Planning for Storage Through Design

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Get the most out of your space through smart design for storage and function. Custom cabinets and shelving units not only help you stay organized, but they will also help you get the most out of your storage capacities that are available within the square footage of your brand new RTM home.

B&B Homes works with a number of suppliers that can help you plan and customize this important consideration for your home that makes smart sense over the long run. All cabinetry is made to order for each B&B Home with custom measurements based on your floorplan.

Storage through design

Mudroom lockers are a trend and a popular feature in most of B&B Home’s projects. Lockers help everyone stay organized each season while having a little personal space to store your stuff. The laundry area is often in the mudroom as well and conceals products for a tidy and clean look.

mudroom RTM storage

Take into account all of the different areas of a home that you can organize with shelving, cabinets, and storage combined with what you already know about your lifestyle and make special accommodations for it when planning with our on-site designer Katia. She will help you navigate this part of your design plan while keeping your budget considerations in mind.

wine fridge RTM

custom cabinets RTM

planning for storage

For more information on planning a custom RTM project or to book a site visit, contact Darwin directly at darwin@bbhomes.ca or via phone at 306-856-0073. Want to view current projects? Book a site visit here.

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

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There is no doubt about it that the prairies have 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 in the comfort of your own home.

There is no shortage of different options to customize a fireplace with lots of options available for aesthetic and function. 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. This tried and true style of 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 maintenance can be considered a labour of love when maintaining your wood supply and cleaning your chimney seasonally. Want to try something entirely different? Why not consider using Fireglass pebbles.

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. If you opt for ethanol, it is imperative that you take ethanol fireplace safety seriously. They are very safe when used correctly.

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 to create a relaxing ambiance at your leisure. You could even get a tv stand with electric fire place built right into it. This gives an extra level of aesthetic appeal. 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.

Foundation options for an RTM home.

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An important decision to make when planning a new home is deciding what type of foundation to place the RTM onto. Whether you want a crawl space to keep the costs down or want to invest in a basement down the road, this decision will impact your budget and project planning. B&B collaborates with third party contractors and also provides foundations services as well. Below are a few considerations for this choice:

*Planning Tip: the foundation needs to be completed three weeks before the RTM move date.

Crawl Space of Full Basement?

An RTM home can be placed on a crawl space or on a full basement. Depending on your budget and needs, a crawl space may be an appropriate choice for you. Consider the soil and lot size. There are a lot of options out there when it comes to planning a basement. You can decide if you want an additional guest room, laundry facilities or another bathroom downstairs. If you are a DIY family, you can plan the development in the future yourself. With enough square footage on the main floor of the home, you may decide that the basement is an unnecessary function for your family’s needs.

Planning Tip: Generally speaking, it is more economical to finish a basement than it is to expand the main floor for materials costs.

Planning a Basement for an RTM Home

Planning a basement for an RTM home requires lifestyle, function and budget considerations. What is the space going to be used for? Home office, kids play room, bar, storage or home theater? The possibilities in this process allow you to customize your home based on your individual requirements. Depending on your land, you may want to invest in a walk-out basement. Knowing the size of home you want to have and your lifestyle preferences will help you navigate this stage of the planning process. Looking into companies such as Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd that can help you build your basement could be a good help.

ICF, Wood or Concrete

The choice is yours. Insulated concrete form (ICF) foundations are common due to their energy saving effencies. B&B Homes recommends ICF as a primary option for this reason and also because we can take this style of basement to dry wall ready. It does cost slightly more than a traditional wood-frame, but the long term return on investment outperforms both concrete and wood in value. ICF material provides good insulation and does not rot or decay and has strong resistance to water.

Contact us today for more information on foundations or to discuss getting a project started.

Planning a Kitchen Design for an RTM.

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Selecting cabinets is one of the biggest decisions to make when planning a custom RTM. The kitchen also happens to be one of the most expensive rooms to finish in a new home. Before deciding on species of wood and countertop materials, consider your lifestyle and what functions you will need to determine the appropriate durability, gadgets and storage necessary for your family into the future.

RTM Homes Saskatchewan

Trendy or Traditional?

Are you the type to renovate your home when you are ready to make a change? Picking classic finishes may be more advantageous for timeless longevity and prevent your cabinets from looking dated. Depending what your personal style is, you will want your cabinets to match accordingly. What is the look and feel of the space you want to prepare daily meals and entertain in?

Cabinet Science: The Structure and Components

There are three basic structural components to a cabinet: the box, the shelves and the drawers. Each can be constructed in a number of ways.  At B&B Homes, we build all of our cabinets custom to the dimensions of the floor plan  and design them to fit the individual needs of all our customers.

Finish and Function

Cabinets are one of the most visible aspects of your kitchen design. At B&B we will make any home with the materials you wish. If you are looking for our advice, we recommend working with maple doors. These specs we use as a minimum standard in our RTM kitchens. This durable species adds warmth and elegance to both traditional and contemporary settings without blowing the budget or sacrificing quality.

Bringing It All Together with Appliances and Countertops

Creating a vision with a designer helps you plan your cabinetry colors,  countertops, backsplash tile, plumbing fixtures and appliances, to pull off the look and function you are aiming for. Often B&B clients make the investment in new appliances and granite or quartz countertops since their custom RTM will be their forever home. The kitchen is the space you will need to plan for the most diligently in an RTM project.

The Hudson RTM

RTM Homes Saskatchewan

how to select cabinets for an RTM

For more information or to start planning and designing your dream kitchen, contact B&B Homes to get started.

 

Considerations When Designing a Kitchen Island

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The kitchen island is one of the fun parts to plan when designing your own custom RTM home. When visioning your layout, you need to be conscious that there is enough traffic space so you can be comfortable doing multiple tasks at a time in the kitchen, making the space functional. Alternatively you may decide you want free space for things like seating; you might need to leave a good amount of room for chairs. We would recommend for you to buy barstools for this as it will take up the least amount of space. Let’s review some more ideas you can make your own when designing a kitchen island when planning a custom RTM home project.

Double sink in the island area while allowing for enough space from the range to move around the space for the busy multi-taskers.

You may prefer prairie views when doing this dishes and opt for family meals on an easy to clean and maintain quartz countertop.

No wasted space if you plan for storage in advance.

Create an ambiance based on your personal style and preferences to prepare daily meals. A rustic look can be achieved with custom cabinetry and lighting fixtures to compliment.

Plan your own custom RTM dream home with B&B’s Dream It, Build It, Move It process. Contact Suzanne directly at suzanne@bbhomes.ca to get started.

Framing the B&B Homes Way

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When planning to build a custom RTM home, building methodology matters. We have built almost 90 homes and have discovered the B&B Homes formula for success when framing an RTM home to last a lifetime. Below are some of the steps that we take to frame the “B&B Homes way”. Feel free to reach out and ask any questions you have about the process.

All B&B floors are constructed using a double 1 ¾” LVL (laminated veneer lumber) on the both the front and the back of the floor system. They are glued and nailed together forming a strong 3 ½” perimeter for the floor system. LVL’s are a high-strength engineered wood product. One of the main advantages is that it can be manufactured, to almost any length, avoiding joints which lead to weak spots. LVL’s are comparable in strength to solid timber, concrete, and steel. This helps minimize floor movement during loading and unloading of the home, as well as during the move. In adding this wood product to our methodology, we have found our floor systems to be sturdier and more durable.

framing RTM

In any spot where we will be installing bath hardware (eg. hand towel holder, toilet paper holder, & bath towel rod), we install backing in the wall during the framing stage. This requires planning ahead on our part, but is well worth it! Who likes to have a loose hand towel holder, or worse yet, have one that continually falls off the wall?

We use high quality acrylic bath and shower fixtures. They all come as one piece units and get installed during the framing stage. They also come with a protective film to eliminate any damage to the finish during the build. The major benefits of using these one piece units, is that you will never have a problem with moisture getting behind the tub or shower, that could create mould in your wall.

For more information on B&B Home’s RTM process, visit here.

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.

 

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.

Download your copy of the RTM Project Roadmap on our website here.

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. B&B Homes offers foundation and basement services for a full suite offering, however you are welcome to source this component locally as well. 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. With the house on the foundation, the garage foundation gets poured. There are some instances where this can already be in place. If the garage moves with the house for example, it obviously needs to be done the same time as the house foundation. 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.