You may well have heard of the TV series "This Old House". ADE Design Build wants to provide you with an insider's look at the building of one of our custom projects from inception to completion. We call this our "ADE eHouse".

This section of our website will be designed to demonstrate the versatility of ADE Design Build in the custom home, residential, design build field. The site will give you a first hand look at a custom home as it is being built and the steps it takes to accomplish the various tasks.

Please refer to the "eHouse Photos" section of our site to see many photos that document the process of one of our projects.

10/12/05: eHouse Photos update > "Plaster work and Concrete counters"

We know how difficult and imposing building a home can be. "ADE eHouse" will help you learn how to navigate through the intricacies that are a part of the process. Whether you are a prospective client, building your own home or simply interested we think that "ADE eHouse" can provide valuable information for you.

Building a custom home is a collaborative effort that normally involves a huge number of people - each with a different viewpoint, a unique personality, and her or his own idea of how the finished project should look. Thorough preparation, proper planning, good coordination and clear communication are the keys to any successful construction project.

All of the time, money, and energy that is spent making the decisions needed to build a new home can take a toll on your mental well being. Fortunately, building a custom home can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your lifetime - provided you know what to expect and the steps that comprise building a custom home. One of our main goals with this site is to help you gain the knowledge you need about all aspects of the homebuilding process.

We will be regularly adding pictures and text to our "ADE eHouse Photos" section as the project takes form. Please stay posted.

Clear communication is key to a successful project. We use Project Websites which are mini-websites specific and private to each client and include photos of the building process. We use them as a means to help keep our clients updated on the design/build process regardless of wether our clients can be physically present or not.

This overview can help you get an overall sense of the process of building a home. And refer to our Process and Services pages to learn more about how we serve our clients. This site will be regularly updated with helpful information for you.

Preliminary design plans are determined at this point. Ideas are exchanged and discussed with our clients. This includes:

• Home Style Selection:
  Single floor, multi-story, split-level, other. English Tudor, Contemporary, Southern Colonial, other
• House Plans:
  Is there is an existing plan that meets your design? Will you need an architect to tweak or customize a plan for you?
• Layout Configuration:
  Assemble the rooms you would like and sketch the layout

Some home builders find and secure their lot prior to bidding their construction project. Often they use the lot as their down payment when seeking construction financing. Some home builders will look for a lot after they finalize their design. They have a better idea what lot will work best for their home design.

Either way, there are numerous issues you should consider when selecting your lot and we'll help you learn about them. One important part of this is to appraise the value of your lot. And complete a neighborhood comparison before you buy. Feasability studies would be conducted.

We can either work with you if you have a lot already purchased or if you need some assistance in finding one that will fit your building requirements.

This task can be the most complicated since you need to detail everything about your construction. We'll help with our step-by-step construction specification sheet.

We will take the specifications plan and complete three important tasks:

• Review it with our qualified, licensed professionals within their respective fields.
• We'll take the architectural plan and and determine costs from all the associated prescreened building contractors.
• Design a comprehensive contract for the project that ensures your confidence.
  

Once you approve the building contract, we may now finalize home construction financing from a lender. The lender may approve the request for financing based on your specification plan, contractor bid, and qualifying ratios.

Home construction financing can be more complicated than buying an existing home. Besides the basic financing you need to plan for non-budgeted expenses such as cost overruns, missed deadlines, and construction upgrades.

There are two parts to construction financing:

• Construction line
• Residential mortgage

Now for the some of the most difficult takes:

• Project management
• Change management
• Problem resolution management
• Cost management
• Financial management

ADE Design Build will help to make this process as clear and straightforward as possible.

As your construction comes to a close, you will need to payoff your construction line with a residential mortgage loan.

We'll go over:

• Finding a residential mortgage loan:
• Closing and settlement

We'll have a checklist on the site that details important moving tasks and scheduling.

We'll help you understand:

• Interior: Design, Furniture, electronics, artwork, etc.
• Exterior: Landscaping
  

As you can see there are many components to designing and building a home. We'll help you learn as we go through the all the processes of design/build with the ADE Design Build eHouse. Stay posted!

ADE Design Build
Customer Service Department
Liberty Road
P.O. Box 663
Readfield, ME 04355

1-207-685-7393