By Rob Fanjoy
Market: The custom home market in Nebraska may not be one of the more glamorous or well-known in this country, but that doesn't mean it's any less competitive. Builders all across the country are always looking for a way to make their homes stand out amongst a crowd and maintain a healthy profit margin. It can be a real challenge for a builder to move up into a certain price range while maintaining tight control on his own costs.
Strategy: Quite often, perceived value can go a long way in fetching the asking price for a custom home. Potential buyers are often wowed by architectural details and embellishments, as they are often the most visible cues to quality craftsmanship. "We had been selling our homes in the $350,000 price range, but we were looking to get up into the half-million range while still keeping a lid on our costs," says Kurt Campbell, owner of Alpine Homes in Omaha, Neb.
The domed ceiling and columns (above) provide a classic touch to the home.
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Even a small dining area seems grand with the architectural detailing of the dome above it.
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Kurt's company typically builds about 20 custom homes per year, and he has his own framing, siding, stucco, paint and trim divisions within his company. He views this strategy as a way of controlling costs, scheduling and quality. As he was searching for a way to jump into a higher price point, he decided that one strategy would be to save time on trim-work applications, especially around the archways and barrel-vault ceilings of the homes he was building. "I went to the International Builders' Show a couple years ago looking specifically for strategies for our barrel-vault ceilings," says Kurt. "I was looking for easy installation, but also for variety in style and a quality that would fit in a high-end home."
Product of choice: Kurt found what he was looking for in Fypon molded urethane millwork (at that time, the company was called Style Solutions, but has since merged with Fypon. In February 2006, it announced that it was being acquired by Fortune Brands). "They had all the different products and styles we could ask for, plus the capability for custom styles, and their price is right on the cutting edge for a superior product," according to Kurt.
The addition of millwork brings a gracious touch to this bathroom.
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Indirect lighting from the dome makes the millwork look even more elegant.
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Kurt chose Fypon specifically for their curved and bendable moldings, as that saved his crew from either having to fabricate a piece of curved molding or steaming a piece of wooden trim to bend it around a radius. The first project he used it on was his first Omaha "Street of Dreams" home, and he raves about its success. "We received a huge amount of feedback from that home, but especially with regard to the architectural moldings we used inside and out," says Kurt. And not only was Alpine Homes able to jump up to that next price point of $500,000 for that house, but "we just sold a $1.2-million home based specifically off that one job," says Kurt.
Kurt said his trim crew needed just a little bit of "training" to get the hang of working with urethane molding, especially with curvature work, but they quickly caught on and now find it easier to work with than wood. "Installation is not only easier, but the overall performance is better as well," he says. "There is far less shrink and swell than what you get with wood, so the joints stay tighter, and there are far fewer maintenance and warranty problems."
Kurt used a variety of trim pieces, domed ceilings, crown molding and columns from Fypon in that first home, and he and his crew picked up a few tricks that they have since carried with them to other jobs. Kurt says that especially when using Fypon trim in curved applications, it is helpful to heat up the piece with a hair dryer to make it more pliable. He also stresses the importance of the proper adhesive, as some glues can eat through the back of the urethane and others don't set up quickly enough. He recommends following the manufacturer's directions on this. "One neat trick we've discovered is that if you turn down your compressor so your nail gun leaves the nail sticking out about 1/4", you can pull the nails once the glue sets, then use a hair dryer to close up the nail holes," says Kurt.
Since that first try with the Parade of Homes, Alpine Homes has used Fypon extensively on many other projects. Not only do they provide fantastic details without the extra price, but Kurt also says, "Using their products has done nothing but improve our business."
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