Each month, we sit down with one of our Home Consultants and talk to them about all sorts of topics. From their favorite model, our services, the quality of product to what they love overall about Timber Block!
Tamara Gould is a Senior Home Consultant from our Innisfil, Ontario location. Tamara has been a team member at Timber Block for several years and has an abundance of knowledge and experience. Because of her expertise, we wanted to touch on not just one topic, but a few! Here’s Tamara answering some of the questions she gets asked the most*
What makes Timber Block different from a traditional build? “It’s simple! Our award winning, pre-engineered panelized wall system! It is a natural wood product, wood on the exterior of the walls with a 15 year warranty, and wood on the interior of the exterior walls. We inject those two pieces of wood at our plant with a closed cell polyurethane foam that has an R30 insulation rating, and we also do a R36. The speed of construction makes us different as our walls will go up in one day! Instead of paying extra in labour for framing a traditional home, you are putting your money towards a much more efficient, sustainable build and you do not have to wait as long to get in.”
Do you always have to have wood? “The perimeter walls/interior perimeter walls are always wood. You can break it up by adding stone elements on the exterior, accent colours if you wish on the inside. Technically, you can drywall over the interior walls, but no one has ever done that. A whitewash finish is most popular on the inside. The partition walls (dividing walls) can be all drywall or you can choose to have all wood or partial inside. It is custom and something we cover during the design process.”
Can anyone build with our walls? “YES! For almost 20 years, we have been selling Timber Block materials packages across North America. ANY contractor can build with our wall system. Remember, all the hard work producing the pre-engineered panels is done prior to the walls arriving. Therefore they assemble in one day. We also send a site technician from Timber Block the day of the wall raising to make sure the assembly is flawless.”
What is your lead time? “Typically, when you start the process with us to when you move in – it’s a minimum of 12-14 months. Saying that, we can Fast Track a build and or we can take 3 years to build, it all depends on your wants/needs and also what the permit process has in store for us. Permitting is always the unknown and out of our control. However, we like to plan ahead! So when we do your lot research, we gather all the info necessary to know what the township will want for permit submission. This service we offer is HUGE! Right now, the wait for a topography is up to 5 months in some towns. If you are not booking that early on, your build will be delayed for that reason alone and that will be frustrating. Most people do not realize how much time it takes before you even start construction, it is about 6 months. See below.” Lot research-( can be done sooner, but call back and responses are delayed these days) Kick Off design meeting Conceptual design- for custom plans Check in quote to ensure on budget Technical design Final design meeting and detailed walkthrough of plans Final materials price and construction price if applicable Engineering Permit application starts If permit approved, construction can start Production Delivery House gets built
Do you charge extra for custom designs? “No, we do not! To be honest, I love that we don’t, and most people assume we do, so it is a great surprise. We are a high-end luxury building system with incredible efficiency. Clients that purchase with us want a home or cottage that suits their needs, lifestyle, lot and budget. Most of my clients are inspired by our stock plans but something is missing…could be a bedroom, need a pantry, want more space in living area, need a garage, house is too big etc…. This is why we have stock plans, to inspire you and help us design you your dream house! What is different about a custom drawing is time in design (longer) and deposit structure. You pay 40% at production instead of 25% for a stock plan.”
What is your price per square foot? “It is not a question I shy away from at all, but it is complicated to answer and that is the truth. There are so many factors that affect cost; rooflines, overall size, finishes, vaults, design complexity, flat roof vs shingles vs metal roof, bungalow vs 2 story vs 1.5 storey, location, time of year to name a few. I work with my clients on what their specifics needs are and what I have to work with for a budget. The other component to this question is: are you looking for cost per square foot for materials only? Or a full turnkey build?”
*Note: Tamara is a Home Consultant at our Ontario office. Some statements may be targeted specifically for that province, and could differ elsewhere. Please contact your local Home Consultant for any questions you may have. You can contact us HERE.
Stay tuned for our next edition of Coffee with a Consultant coming up soon!
Ready to chat about your project?