Village Real Estate

Archive for the ‘New Construction’ Category

Commercial Energy Performance Certificates are now mandatory for the sale or lease and On Construction (New Build) commercial property (On Construction EPC). Business owners are now required to obtain an Energy Certificate before the property is marketed for sale or for lettings. This will include new property developments for business premises, for example manufacturing/industrial units and offices for sale or let.

The EU directive is now applicable to all property in the UK including England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and, if a building which is surveyed contains air conditioning equipment, this will also require inspection as part of the survey process.

Commercial EPC (Commercial Energy Performance Certificate) will require the services of a Commercial Energy Assessor for Business property. The Energy Assessor must be qualified and accredited as an NDEA (Non-Domestic Energy Assessor). The inspection is more complex than a domestic assessment, as more data is required to be collected on site for input into specialist software known as iSBEM. The building is required to be “zoned” into separate areas dependent on activity (or use) and input separately in to the SBEM software. The more complex the building, then the likelyhood that there will be more zones,and, thus as a consequence the price structure is much higher than producing a Domestic EPC.

As per Domestic property the report contains recommendations provided with an EPC. The recommendations are advisory only, the property owner is not obliged to carry out the advice provided on the report.

Official accreditation bodies include e.g. ABBE, NHER, Quidos, Stroma, ECMK. Various registers and directory sites are available on the web to help you find a local energy surveyor/consultant. Large Air conditioning systems will require the services of an Air Conditioning Energy Assessor.

The main exemption from having a Commercial EPC is that if the property is 50 sq m or less then the building is exempt. However, there are other exemptions.

Commercial EPC’s utilise SBEM calculation tools to determine the EPC rating and recommendations report for commercial buildings, if you are the asset owner or agent acting on behalf of a client you must obtain both the EPC and Recommendations Report.

Getting a bid for any home construction takes some legwork for your average homeowner. Basically it’s like any construction contract work, you will give the contractor a call and you give them your criteria on what is being built.

You dole out the same spiel each and every time on what you need done and how much they are going to charge you for it for every contractor — an exhaustive task. Now cost rates and quotes can come a lot easier for the curious online shopper.

Finding a pool building contractor is no different; all can be submitted and managed online.

Pool Contract Quotes Online: An Easy Task of Pick and Choose

Online pool construction contracting is a safe means of doing business when using an accredited online site. They will employ staff that seeks out swimming pool contractors with the requirements on the project you want built and have a track record that shows reliability.

Simply go to their main site page and fill out a bid request form to see what kind of offers come in. After that, swimming pool contractors call up the interested party with rates and details for the job.

The options and details of the pool you want are relayed to the builder so you don’t need to go back and forth with them over the phone; their offer will be right there for you.

If the application was submitted during a weekday, pool builders typically reply as quickly as 24 to 48 hours.

Getting bids in an online market effectively creates a competitive environment. The service brings forth all swimming pool contractors from your area in their network. Each contractor has full knowledge that the client will have other quotes to compare with. They only contract builders who are insured and licensed so you know that getting a cheap quote does not mean cheap quality.

Precautions Getting a Construction Loan

Building a pool can be quite a spendy proposition. Not many homeowners can fund that project in one shot. So getting a loan is another matter to tackle. Before you even look for a swimming pool contractor you will want to first get a pre-qualified loan, just to see how much your bank or credit union will fork out to help you with.

Also, make sure you check with construction loan experts, and see if your bank has an experienced loan officer to help. Construction loans can be complicated so do your research well, and possibly seek out a bank broker in your area as someone who has done this homework before.

From there you can flesh out a contract with your banker who can then itemize the costs your swimming pool contractor estimates for you.

Here in Center City Philadelphia, residents have longed to live in a Pre-War styled condominiums. There won’t be any additional pre-1940 condos built but recently Philadelphians have been faced with a seemingly attractive alternative.

Floor to ceiling glass window walls, java hued kitchen cabinetry, and walk-in closets the size of a station wagon now present themselves to the buying public in many urban areas across the United States. Elevators that run at the speed of light, along with on-site parking, and windows that actually open are now all options that many urban dwellers may now enjoy. The options seem limitless, and the amenities varied when shopping for a condominium in a new construction project. “The attractiveness of living in a new condominium building is strong. You know that no one else has yet used your new dishwasher, the bathtub in the master bath, or left their dirt behind”, says Jim Thornton of www.CenterCityCondos.com, a prominent condo sales agency with Prudential Fox and Roach Realtors in Philadelphia. Everyone likes the idea of a new car, a new shirt…or a new condo. And with Philadelphia’s unique tax abatement program for new construction condos, it makes for a powerful one-two punch” say Zachery Skidmore, a visiting future transferee from the Chicago area looking for his first condo.

In many instances, that attractiveness does come with potential volatility. Many condominium buildings are operated as businesses. In a newly formed venture initial start up/growing pains are sure to ensue. Properly hiring and training staff to use the computerized entrance system, the remote garage door, or maintenance of the pool areas all take time to perfect. Properly responding in emergency situations is also a concern for many buying into new condominium projects. Accountability for unauthorized access into your unit, general security of the building, a new management company can all wreak havoc on the use and enjoyment of your new home.

Should you be one of the unlucky “very early buyers” in many of the new condominium buildings lately, you may be stuck in a building where sales quickly became stagnant. If indeed only 15% of your current building has sold, and you need to sell your unit within the first few years, you may be out of luck, as other units are being sold with either steep discounts, or builder incentives. You may find yourself having to compete with the developer, who has loads of incentives to offer to potential buyers coming to the building. From lowered interest rates, to preferred parking spots, or additional storage spaces, it should come as no surprise that competing with your developer, is like betting against the house. You seldom win.

And the possibility does exist that you could suffer from some short term initial depreciation if you decide to pack your bags and move. You may not be able to offer the attraction that often accompanies the idea of being brand new. If your walls have been painted purple and your furniture is from Ikea, your unit’s showing ability may not be able to compare to that of a model unit. Again, when buying from a developer, no potential buyer needs to ask if the bathroom grime transfers with title. Or if that awful futon that your better half insisted on keeping is going to be lingering in the den after you move away.

Often the choices of condominium styles vary with location, exclusivity, and amenities. There is no “One size fits all”, and old buying habits die hard. Philadelphians will continue to enjoy the options being offered in the current real estate market, and the competition may encourage some older pre-war buildings to shake the dust off their loafers, and invest in the appearance and perception of those Grande Dames of the Philadelphia condo set.