GW Custom Homes - Gregory W. Smith

Quartz Valley Drive, The Boulders Project

2009-07-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

GW Custom Homes Remodeling Division started another project in The Boulders. This project has us gutting three bathrooms, remodeling an upstairs office, adding a new attached garage and a host of other misc. items including new cabinets, carpets and electrical.

This house was already an amazing property, located on the green of the second hole on the golf course. The home was built in the mid-1980's and is in remarkably good condition. The updates and additions we are performing for the owners will really make this home an incredibly property.

Below are current photos of the original condition and progress to date:

Bedroom Ceiling - Stripped & Restained a Natural Color

Garage Pad, Compacted & Ready to Dig Footings for New Garage

Garage Retaining Wall, Masonry & Boulders

Garage - Before

Bathroom Before

Master Bedroom Hallway - Before

Powder Vanity - Before

Office Bath - Vanity Before

Office Bath - Shower Before

Office - Before - Adding new wall, patio door & windows, cabinets & carpet

Carefree Drive Project - Framing Complete

2009-07-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

With the heat in full effect the last couple of weeks, GW Custom Homes Remodeling Division just wrapped up the rough framing on the Carefree Drive project. The new great room, bar, kitchen and patios look fantastic! The rough mechanicals start this week and we're planing on drywall starting in the next two weeks. Looking forward to getting the backyard graded for the new pool and patio!

Here are some update photos taken this week.

Front Patio Framing - A new, larger front door and a pair of doors where the windows are will be added to the front patio. The columns will be wrapped with canterra stone columns.

Back Patio

Patio Ceiling

Temporary support beam to allow us to raise the stem wall and support the new patio

Greatroom from Kitchen

Pocket Door Opening @ Greatroom & Sunken Bar

Powder Room Door Opening

Carefree Drive Addition

2009-07-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

GW Custom Homes Remodeling Division started three new projects in Carefree within the last couple of months. Our pipeline for remodeling and addition projects remains strong and somehow we continue to gain new client business from the great referrals from past clients, local Realtors and the wonderful architects and designers that we work with.

The project on Carefree Drive consists of an addition to include a great room, wet bar and kitchen as well as adding a new powder room and enlarging the laundry room. We will also be building a pool & spa and adding hardsacpe and landscaping.

The owners hired us after their previous builder was not able to execute, so we had some clean-up items to deal with. Overall the plans needed some work before we could get started. The original plans didn't flow very well, so we engaged Architect, Tyler Green to assist with reworking the great room and patios. We have also engaged Ellen Harper of Harper Studios to help us with finish selections and design details. Ellen reworked the kitchen layout to include a large island that will enhance the space beyond the original expectations.

Please find below some before photos as well as progress to date. Look for additional progress photos in the near future.

Original Entry -

Kitchen - Per Original Contractor

Back Patio - Per Original Contractor

Addition & Back Patio - Initial Framing

Front Patio - Demo & Concrete Complete

Circle G Ranch - Tempe Residential Addition

2009-07-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Back in November of last year GW Custom Homes Remodeling Division embarked on a new addition & remodeling project for a repeat client in Circle G Ranch in Tempe. We had scheduled to complete the project in March, but the client needed us to move slower than we would have preferred to. Fortunately, this phase of the project is coming to completion and we will be starting a master bath addition as well as completing a full kitchen remodel in the coming months. Here are some before and "near-completion" photos. Enjoy!

Before

After

Before

After

Entry

Moving Roy, the 5600 Lbs Saguaro

2009-06-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's not every day you see a 5600 pound saguaro cactus named Roy flying thru the air! In preparation for an addition project in Carefree, old Roy got moved today. Here are some photos and a couple of videos of the event!

The crane was already in place upon my arrival to the job site.

Prepping Roy for his 90' trip

Digging Roy's new home

Final preparations before liftoff

Digging out the root-ball

Up, Up and Away!

Planted - View From the South

Planted - View from the North

Planted - View from the new bar window

Videos:

Digging Out Roy:

Breaking Free:

Flying Roy:

TV Remodel

2009-02-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

We just finished up a small project at my cabin at Torreon in Show Low Arizona. The existing built-in entertainment space in the great room was not adequate to accommodate a flat screen TV. We subsequently removed most of the old built-in and re-framed & drywalled to accommodate a new cabinet and flat screen TV. This project took a crew of three just over three days to complete.

BEFORE

DEMO

Drywall

Finished Product

Hiring a Builder - Due Diligence How To

2009-02-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

I had a call from a Realtor in Carefree whom I have known for many years. He asked me if I was familiar with a "builder" (I use that term loosely) who a client of his had hired to complete a major interior remodel on a house they had recently purchased. The homeowner had paid a substantial deposit to the builder and he had started the demolition, but then hadn't returned to complete the work. It had been many weeks and the homeowner was getting nervous.

I didn't know who the individual was, but I was now curious. Within five minutes I was able to determine that the individual was not a licensed contractor in Arizona, had filed for bankruptcy in recent years, had been a defendant in a defamation suit which he lost and hadn't pulled any building permits from the Town of Carefree for the work that he was supposed to be doing.

I write this post today because it would have been very simple to disqualify this individual for the project with some simple due diligence. All of which can be done from your web browser. But it is only simple if you know what to look for. If you are not familiar with Arizona Contracting laws, you should start with some basics....

1. If you hire a contractor to do work on your home and if the total amount you pay the contractor exceeds $ 750 (for both labor and material), the contractor must be licensed with the State of Arizona. If you hire someone who is not licensed, the contractor is breaking the law. The home owner also doesn't have any recourse with the registrar of contractors if the individual is not licensed.

2. Check the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website to determine their license status. http://www.azroc.gov/ You should check the following items:

A. Is the license valid? There is a date stamp on the website that will provide time and day.

B. Is the person you are dealing with listed on the license? There have been many examples of unlicensed contractors using someone else's license information. Verify that the license information is accurate.

C. If the license is valid and you know you are dealing with the correct company, does that company have any active or resolved complaints against their license? If there is any complaint history you need to have a complete understanding on why the complaints exist. You need to go to the trouble of talking with the filer of the complaint to determine why they filed the complaint and what the outcome was. It is my opinion that any complaint against a contractors license is unnecessary. The contractor should be able to effectively communicate with their clients and avoid complaints at all costs.

Now that you have determined that the contractors license is valid, you need to check with the court house to determine if there are any pending or resolved law suits against the contractor. this can be done in Maricopa County by visiting http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/ here you can research public record on businesses and individuals.

These two simple steps will give you a piece of mind to start real due diligence on the contractor which should include talking with as many past clients as you can find, visiting past projects and talking with vendors and subcontractors. Hiring a builder you can trust is the single most important decision you can make to insure success for your project. Take the time to research who you are hiring.

Custom Remodeling Design Services

2009-01-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

I am constantly asked, how much will it cost to remodel my..... INSERT PROJECT HERE........ A lot of our projects consist of a bathroom or a kitchen remodel and I wish it were simpler to accurately price projects. But the fact is, that no single project we do is ever the same. Unless we know the exact scope of work to be completed, as well as all of the changes that our customers make during the process of the project, it is next to impossible to price something without under or over estimating something.

To help our clients better determine the scope of their project, we are now offering custom design services. Utilizing the latest in computer aided drafting tools, we can build the space in a virtual world, allowing the homeowner to see what the finished product will look like. Down to the outside views, the light fixtures and even exact paint colors we can get a complete understanding of the scope of the project, thus allowing us to accurately price the project.

Here are some camera captures of a design we built in the computer for a client in Carefree.

If you are in the market for a new kitchen, bath or addition project, please call or email our offices and schedule an appointment to discuss us helping you with your design! 480-488-5042 gsmith@gwcustomhomes.com

Goodbye 2008! 2009 Outlook

2009-01-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Another year passed us by and what a year it was. With the melt down of the credit market the residential building and remodeling world has changed. Many projects that homeowners had anticipated starting last year were either canceled or put on hold until the sky's clear. It is my belief that the next three quarters will continue to be very challenging times in the construction industry. Until the credit markets free-up and the excess supply of housing stock works through our market, we will not see any kind of sustainable recovery.

New construction permits are at an all time low in Maricopa County, which will help with the over all supply. Unfortunately most of the recent sales are REO properties and the stock of REO properties continues to grow. The banks need to get realistic about pricing. Homeowners who do need to sell their homes now, need to price for today's market, not 2006. If you don't need to sell now you shouldn't have your house on the market. Many of the homes for sale could not be built for what they are selling for which is a great value to potential buyers. That being said, I would caution any buyer of a custom home that was built in the last two - three years. Many were very poorly executed by inexperienced "builders" who may not be around any longer.

Looking forward, I see the next quarter being on the slow side. We are working on a few small remodeling projects ranging from building custom doors and cabinets for houses in Carefree and Scottsdale to a new project in Desert Mountain consisting of a major remodel on the kitchen and two bathrooms. We have been in talks on projects that we expect to start this spring including a new luxury kitchen remodel in Carefree, a new custom home in Carefree on Black Mountain and a twenty thousand square foot office building in Scottsdale.

We are actively looking for other remodeling companies to acquire in this market, allowing us to build a larger and stronger organization and utilize our economies of scale, ultimately giving our clients the most value for their dollar. By the end of 2010, I am predicting that we will be in a stable market (with much higher inflation) and our Remodeling Division will be one of the largest (in terms of revenue) in the Valley.

Keep a positive attitude and this too shall pass!

Circle G Ranch Project Update

2008-12-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Until today, we were ahead of schedule on the addition project in Circle G Ranch in Tempe. With the rain scheduled for the next three days, we will have to postpone further work until next week. We will install windows & skylights next week and the roof will get dried in. Framing on the existing house to tie into the new structure will commence once the house is dried in. As you can see from the progress photos, we didn't waste anytime to get the new structure framed.

New Front Elevation, inclusive of four car garage, entry tower, office and two bedrooms

Tie-in of existing roof line with new bedroom

New four car garage

Original entry to be removed

New entry tower

Hands-Free Kitchen Faucets.......COOL!

2008-12-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

Last summer we had a client ask us to retrofit their existing kitchen sinks with foot pedal controls for their kitchen faucets. Something you might see in your doctor's office, or a lab but not very common in a residential kitchen. I was doing some new product research and came across these great new hands-free kitchen faucets that don't operate with foot pedals...

Kohler. The Wellspring Touch less hands-free beverage faucet incorporates Tripoint technology, a sensing system that mimics that of an auto-focus camera, measuring the distance between the user's hands and the faucet for accurate activation and less likelihood of false activation. Homeowners can manually set the temperature for cold drinking-water delivery; the unit also can be connected to an under counter filtration system. The faucet is available in a range of traditional and contemporary styles, and in several finishes. 800-456-4537. http://www.us.kohler.com/.

Delta. Utilizing Touch2O technology, the Pilar pull-down kitchen faucet turns on and off via a tap on the spout or handle. The unit, which also operates manually, includes a handle to adjust flow rate and temperature. An indicator light identifies when the technology is activated and when batteries need to be replaced. The faucet features a 360-degree-swivel high-arc spout, a two-function pull-down spray head, and Diamond Seal technology that eliminates leaks and drips. 800-345-3358. http://www.deltafaucet.com/.

Danze. The Parma Dual kitchen faucet operates manually or via a hands-free sensor. The unit turns on when hands are placed in front and turns off when hands appear a second time; homeowners can program it to turn off automatically after a set period of time. The contemporary-style unit features clean lines and comes in polished chrome or stainless steel. 877-530-3344. http://www.danze.com/.

Brizo. The Pascal Culinary faucet offers two forms of hands-free operation—touch control or an electronic sensor—as well as manual operation by pulling on the high-arc spout. Temperature and flow can be adjusted via a single-handle valve. The technology shuts off the faucet within two seconds of the hand or object being removed from under the spout. A push-button diverter behind the spout switches the flow from spray to stream. The unit is battery-operated, but it may be hardwired. It comes in polished chrome and stainless steel. 877-345-2749. http://www.brizo.com/.

New Green Products

2008-11-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

I came across these products in my research for an upcoming project for a client. We are all looking for ways to be greener and these items all fit that bill.

Ecodrain - The EcoDrain shower heat exchanger warms cold water in the home's supply line with grey water from the shower. Installed directly under the shower, the devise uses a turbulator to stir the waste water in order to maximize heat exchange. Two walls of separation between fresh water and grey water ensure the two sources will not mix. According to the manufacture, their studies show the product can save 46 percent of the energy used in a typical shower.

Rainwater Hog - The Rainwater Hog makes harvesting water easier with a versatile, modular system of compact units that can be used individually or together in previously unheard of spaces. The 47-gallon units can be installed verticall or horizontally and are narrow enough to fit along small walkways, against walls, or under a deck. Their modularity allows for gradual unit expansion and use in multiple locations.

Perfect Flush - Brondell a manufacturer of environmental friendly toilet related products is launching it's new product, Perfect Flush. The aftermarket unit equips existing toilets with dual-flush technology. The two-button control fits nearly all existing toilets and can be installed in less than 30 minutes (according to the manufacturer- our plumber has yet to install one) The device can be adjusted to change the amount of water used in a half flush and also can alter the amount of water a toilet uses in a full flush. Its batteries last about two years. Perfect Flush will be available in January of 2009.

Kitchen Design

2008-11-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

I have been working with three different clients in Carefree to get designs completed for their kitchen remodeling projects. GW Custom Homes Remodeling Division is helping clients design new kitchens with our latest architectural rendering software. This tool has given us the ability to help our clients design their kitchen in a virtual world. Making changes on the fly, simulating acutal views within the house and utilizing manufactures libraries of the latest appliances and finish selections are just a couple of the unique items we can accomplish with this powerful tool.

Sub-Zero and Wolf have recently published a new set of web based videos that display great design and showcase their products. The Trade Videos, as they are called are a great resource for someone looking for great design ideas.

Circle G Ranch - Project Update

2008-11-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

I am a week behind in posting this update. Had to send my camera into the shop to get cleaned. Thank you Tempe Camera! Great work on cleaning my Nikon D-70. Didn't want to post with out update photos.....

The project in Circle G Ranch was delayed for a week when the neighbor informed us that the addition was not being built within the limits of the lot set-backs. Even thought this project required a variance from the City of Tempe (#ZUP08077), and the city approved the project, we were delayed a week so that a complete boundary survey of the property could be completed. As expected, the placement of the new structure was right were the plans called for and the neighbor ended up loosing six or so inches of what they thought was their property line.

Footers and stems were poured last week and the slabs will be poured this week. Framing will start on the entry, bedroom and garage additions the week of Thanksgiving. We will be able to make up our week lost to the neighbor's complaint by expediting the framing.

Circle G Ranch Custom Home Addition & Remodel - Tempe, AZ

2008-10-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

GW Custom Homes Remodeling Division has started work on a new project in Circle G Ranches in Tempe. This project consists of adding two secondary bedrooms and a new garage to the existing home, built in 1979. The new plans were designed by Tessa Jones at The Phactory in Tempe. The project started this week and the first phase is scheduled to be complete in late January. I will post updates of the project so please check back on our progress.

Master Bath Remodel / Carefree, AZ

2008-10-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

GW Custom Homes is putting the finishing touches on a master bath remodel for the new owners of a home in Carefree. The house on Stagecoach Pass is nearly 30 years old. Prior to the current owners purchasing the house, the previous owners had added an attached guest house. Other than this new addition, the house was in original condition and was showing it's age.

In early August, the homeowner contacted GW Custom Homes via our website indicating that they were moving from New York to the house in Carefree this October. He indicated that they were interested in having the master bath remodeled and wanted it completed prior to their moving in.

The team at GW Custom Homes Remodeling Division went to work and quickly prepared a budget for this project. The owner agreed to travel from New York to Carefree to make all of the necessary selections for the project and finalize the scope of work. By the end of August, the owners had finalized the project scope, completed the selections and signed a contract for GW Custom Homes to complete the work. It was understood that their moving truck would be arriving the last week of October and the house needed to be ready to move into.

The project was completed the third week of October, inclusive of add-ons that the owner had requested and a complete electrical service change which was necessary to bring the house up to code.

Below are photos of the original condition as well as update photos from the second week of October. Final photos will follow next week.

Original Master Tub

Original Master Vanity

Original Master Bath

Original Water Closet (Converted to New Shower)

New Master Bath Underground Plumbing

New Master Vanity

New Master Tub

New Master Shower

Pool Ramada / Kitchen - Cave Creek, AZ

2008-08-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

GW Custom Homes recently completed a small project for a client in North Cave Creek (actually just North of Cave Creek in the County - not too far from the new Gold Mountain Estates subdivision on Continental Mountain).

The scope of this project entailed constructing a new patio Ramada ,which included fabrication of a bridge across the pool spillway. Although this may sound pretty straightforward, the project site on the side of the mountain created some unique challenges.

Building permits were issued back in February of this year, work on the project was started in March and was completed in July. Site work, retaining walls and steel fabrication extended this project beyond the length of what one might expect this project to require. All in all, no time was wasted. The project came in on budget.

I would like to thank Ken Bartels , the Architect on the project and the home owner for providing us the opportunity to build the project.

Photos of the project are posted below:

Presite - Existing Pool

Presite - Existing Pool Equipment

Retaining Wall Footing Excavation

Bridge Footer Excavation

Retaining Wall Footer

Bridge Footer

Retaining Walls & Waterproofing

Backfill & Pad

Bridge Steel

Bridge Concrete

Masonry Walls / Columns

Bridge Flagstone

Beams & Truss Installation

Roof Framing

Hood Framing / Electrical Rough

Boulders Install

Finished Bridge

Finished Ramada

Finished Appliances

Why Can't I Find the Time to Add to our Blog?

2008-06-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.... It is my understanding that Dr. Samuel Johnson as quoted in Boswell's Life of Johnson 1775 coined this phrase.

When starting this blog in March of 2008, my intentions led me down the path of trying to add new posts to the blog on a weekly basis. With my observations in the media that the residential construction market was extremely slow, I figured that time to add to my posts would be easy to come by.

Well I can't argue that the residential construction market is not slow in some areas. But unfortunately for our little blog, since March GW Custom Homes has bid more than $12M in new remodeling/renovation & addition projects. From Carefree, Cave Creek, Desert Mountain, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, The Biltmore, Moon Valley and even a project in Circle G Ranch in Tempe, we are working with home owners on projects ranging from bathroom remodels to whole house remodels/additions. Many of these projects involve adding square footage to existing residences, including second story additions.

I am confident that as the summer progresses, our business will remain strong. We have built a very healthy backlog of work in our remodeling division.

In my effort to continue with relevant info for the custom home buyer & our remodeling clients, I have created a list of blog topics I am working on. I have included these topics below and welcome your input. Please email me if you have any thoughts on topics you believe be beneficial. Keep reading and keep looking for new posts!

UPCOMMING BLOG TOPICS

Remodeling vs. Home Building -
Selecting a Builder -
Selecting a Remodeling Contractor -
Cost vs. Value - Remodeling -
Bidding Projects, Avoid the pitfalls -
From My Experience - Notes and items learned from recent projects
Current Projects - Updates and Photos of current projects
Recently Completed Projects -
Design Build - Why?
Hiring an Architect -
Hiring an Interior Designer -
Selecting a Building Lot -

An Introduction to GW Custom Homes

2008-03-29T13:41:00.001-07:00

Growing up, I spent all of my summers working for my father's company (a custom home builder in Carefree). Starting at the ripe old age of 8 years old, hot summer days were spent with my brothers sweeping and cleaning houses under construction. As I got older, I worked thru the ranks of the different trades - site work & excavation, concrete, masonry, framing, roofing and drywall to name a few. By the time I graduated high school I was well versed in the trades and the residential construction business. At that point I realized that the opportunity to go to college was probably a good thing. After all, I didn't want to continue down the path of my Father, building houses. After four years at ASU, seven years in Chicago working for a major business consulting firm and getting married, I decided that building houses is what I was destined to do. In 2002 my wife and I returned to Arizona and I founded GW Custom Homes.

GW Custom Homes builds on average three new homes per year. Our homes can be found from Paradise Valley to Desert Mountain. Hillside homes from five to fifteen thousand square feet are what we do best. We work with the area's top architects, interior designers and landscaping designers to hand craft one of a kind luxury homes.

I am very selective of who we choose to build a new home for. I choose to build only a few homes per year so that our clientele and their homes get the necessary attention to detail. Most of our competitors can build a house, but our attention to continually developing systems and processes to facilitate a wonderful experience for our clients, set us apart from the competition.

Most of our custom home clients are Business Owners, CEOs, Attorneys, Doctors and CPAs. More than half of our clients reside out of state while we build their vacation or second home in the Phoenix area.

The team at GW Custom Homes that makes everything happen was carefully selected. I have employed only the most experienced and reputable staff to assist me. Our superintendents, project managers, accounting and customer service staff all have a minimum of 15 years experience in the high-end custom home business. Our lead superintendent has been building custom homes in North Scottsdale for more than 20 years. Our subcontractors and vendors are the best in the business. We demand a lot from our subs and in return we keep them very busy. They only work in the high end custom home markets and for the most part work with just a few other builders of similar stature.

In the end, our goals are very simple. GW Custom Homes is here for the long haul. We are here to make a profit and continually serve our customers. We strive to build the best quality homes at a fair price. In doing so, we provide our customers a positive and enjoyable experience while planning and building their new home. We stand behind our work and our clients love the homes we build for them.