Building Better Homes

Among the more than 250 model homes on display across the metro, there was a noticeable difference in the look and feel of them: They reflect the suggestions of more confident buyers who have started requesting certain upgrades and building practices.

Austin Roeser, owner of Roeser Homes and a certified green builder, has adapted to the recent economy by researching what buyers specifically want in a home, checking price points, location, and products and materials, and tweaking current floor plans and business practices to accommodate those now-standard upgrades. “We made changes with the demand of homeowners to improve upon what we [already] had,” he says. “We are making floor plans better, cutting down on square footage a little and making all space useable, for instance, maybe eliminating a dining room and keeping the breakfast room in some plans.”

The Bailey floor plan offers open space, with seamless flow through all major living areas: hearth room, great room and kitchen. The addition of interior arches and bull nosing (rounding off edges) softens the house’s edges. Roeser used wood trusses and wall panels instead of stick framing, which allowed him to lower costs, improve green-building practices and increase productivity while also eliminating the need for load-bearing walls, beams and columns, and allowing ductwork, plumbing and electrical wires to hide within the floor system. Other upgrades he learned that are now a priority to buyers are flooring, carpet and tile, smart technology and other requirements that go hand-in-hand with green building — improved HVAC systems and tighter envelopes for better air filtration. “There’s value in engineering and everything that’s put inside the home,” he adds.

You’ll find American cherry hardwood floors and intricate tile work surrounding fireplaces and as a detailed wave pattern around the entire master bathroom. With the help of interior designer Kimber Owens, owner of Inside Design, Roeser used wallpaper in this home, which he hasn’t done for some time, and added a little extra detail by painting the art niches an accent or alternative color than the walls. Another upgrade is the master atrium (with a painted ceiling  and chandelier), which he first saw when touring a home in Arizona; it gives the illusion of extra height and creates a level of privacy from the master suite to the rest of the house. All in all, he concludes, “the comfort of living in a home is better nowadays than even just five years ago.”

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Kit Starr and Gerry Starr, co-owners of Starr Homes, also have improved upon the way they build homes, catering to quality-minded, energy- and environmentally conscious buyers. Their Mills Farm model also is a gold-certified NAHB green home. Mary English, owner of Small Step Energy Solutions, added “That it was the highest-scoring home under the NAHB Green certification program that she has verified.” After researching market trends and finding that people care about the quality of construction and energy costs, Kit and Gerry stepped up their game. “We set out to build an [overall] better home and realized it went hand-in-hand with green features,” Kit says. “We’re doing things that make sense and are more energy-efficient, making [homes] more livable and less costly to operate.”

In The Evergreen, the Starrs added an engineered web truss floor system, which allowed them to create an open interior design without extra beams, columns, poles, etc., and keep the second-floor ductwork out of the attic, an energy-saving tactic. “The house has a sub-slab depressurization system that vents radon and other sub-surface gases (including water vapor) to the outside of the house, reducing water vapor in the home by as much as 1,000 gallons per year,” Gerry says. They also sealed all ductwork and integrated upgraded blown-in insulation and an improved combination of spray foam and caulk to seal up the house, making the envelope tighter and harder to penetrate, keeping the air inside clean of toxins and allergens. Other green upgrades you’ll find are argon-filled, triple-coated, low-e windows, which reduce solar heat gain, UV rays and noise.

Green features aside, the Starr duo knew they also needed to make sure that the home was comfortable and livable, with open, functional spaces to create a more effective and efficient home. “We designed the house to simply ‘live’ better, including putting key living space off the back of the house…and walk paths outside of the rooms, which make these spaces nicer with better views,” Gerry says. “We’re using the best practices and products on the market to make a house perform better, live better and feel better.” The same is true for selecting furnishings that also can help “make” the space.

The house’s interior designer, Jan Burket, made the unoccupied house feel like home. “It comes from working hand-in-hand with the blueprints from the start,” she explains. “You want to get the biggest bang for your buck, and the simple things make the most difference. Less is more sometimes.” For instance, she made a statement by  painting the backs of bookshelves around the home a different color than the walls, including a blue-green in the outdoor furniture and a lighter shade in the breakfast room chairs.

She added style to the powder bath with a travertine countertop and an above-counter hammered copper vessel bowl. Travertine stacked tile surrounding the master bathtub mimicks the stone fireplace in the bedroom. Lighting throughout the house was designed for each individual space, calling attention to certain structural and aesthetic details. “Every product has to have a price tag, but that doesn’t mean value,” she says. “Real value comes in the way you use it.”

With the change in times, quantity over quality is an expiring trend. By today’s new standards, buyers are more vocal about what they want: well-built, functional spaces and practical upgrades that combine to create a home that’s enjoyable to live in. “There’s no reason to build a house like they did in the past,” Kit says. “The benefits far outweigh the cost, and they start on day one and last a lifetime.” 

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2010 American Dream Awards Grand Award Winners

Maintenance Provided
Price Brothers Residential Inc., 11636 S. Greenwood St., Avignon, Olathe, Kan., $350,000+

Multi-Family
James Engle Custom Homes, 24544 W. 110th St., Prairie Brook Villas, Olathe, Kan., $250,000+

The National Home Building Company, 9537 Lime Stone Road, The National Golf Club of K.C., Kansas City, Mo., $300,000+

Single Family
Sallee Homes Inc., 707 NW Green Drive, Valley Hills, Grain Valley, Mo., $175,000

MarKirk Construction Inc., 1306 Faulkner Drive, Faulkner Meadows, Pleasant Hill, Mo., $175,000+

Summit Custom Homes LLC, 214 Elissa Drive, Ramblewood, Raymore, Mo., $225,000+

Homes by Chris LLC, 8100 NE 102nd St., Benson Place Fieldstone, Kansas City Mo., $260,000+

McBee Custom Homes LLC, 3218 S. Brook Ridge Court, Meadowbrook Estates, Independence, Mo., $275,000+

Sallee Homes Inc., 2500 NE Amanda Lane, Adam's Pointe Village, Grain Valley, Mo., $320,000+

James Engle Custom Homes, 21131 W. 108th St., Prairie Point, Olathe, Kan., $350,000+

Don Julian Builders Inc., 4909 NW 71st St., Overland Ridge, Kansas City, Mo., $370,000+

Don Julian Builders Inc., 9808 Redbird St., Canyon Creek by The Lake, Lenexa, Kan., $385,000+

C & M Builders Inc., 1200 Metfield Lane, Creekmoor, Westbrook, Raymore, Mo., $400,000+

Roeser Homes LLC, 11458 S. Carbondale, Cedar Creek, Woods at Southglen, Olathe, Kan., $445,000+

Affinity Homes, 8050 N. Caldwell, Highlands of Weatherby, Parkville, Mo., $485,000+

Starr Homes LLC, 11200 W. 164th St., Mills Farm, Overland Park, Kan., $695,000+

First Runners-Up Award Winners

Maintenance Provided
Price Brothers Residential Inc., 11612 S. Greenwood St., Avignon, Olathe, Kan., $350,000+

Multi-Family
James Engle Custom Homes, 24548 W. 110th St., Prairie Brook Villas, Olathe, Kan., $250,000+

Single Family
Life Design Homes LLC, 503 NE 193rd St., Lake Meadows, Smithville, Mo., $175,000

Gary Kerns Homebuilders LLC, 13005 NW Oakview Drive, Hills of Oakmont, Platte City, Mo.,  $175,000+

Summit Custom Homes LLC, 212 Elissa Drive, Ramblewood, Raymore, Mo., $225,000+

SAB Homes Inc., 2923 SW 16th St., Siena at Longview, Lee's Summit, Mo., $260,000+

Homes by Chris LLC, 8104 NE 102nd St., Benson Place Fieldstone, Kansas City, Mo., $260,000+

Gary Kerns Homebuilders LLC, 17120 NW 133rd Terrace, Copper Ridge, Platte City, Mo., $275,000+

James Engle Custom Homes, 21153 W. 108th St., Prairie Point, Olathe, Kan., $320,000+

New Mark Homes LLC, 9416 NE 92nd St., Copperleaf, Kansas City, Mo., $350,000+

James Engle Custom Homes, 21111 W. 108th St., Prairie Point, Olathe, Kan., $370,000+

Homes by Chris LLC, 9418 NE 89th St., Copperleaf, Kansas City, Mo., $385,000+

Summit Custom Homes LLC, 1202 Metfield Lane, Creekmoor, Westbrook, Raymore, Mo., $400,000+

Homes by Chris LLC, 9609 NE 89th St., Copperleaf, Kansas City, Mo., $445,000+

C & M Builders Inc., 1126 Metfield Drive, Creekmoor, Westbrook, Raymore, Mo., $485,000+

B.L. Rieke & Associates Inc., 9202 Cottonwood Canyon Drive, Cottonwood Canyon, Lenexa, Kan., $695,000+

*Communities are in italic.