Local Home Builder Recommendations
 

Hello Winni forum members,

I have recently managed to navigate through this tricky real estate market and purchase property in the Moultonborough area. I have searched the forum threads on home builder recommendations. Has anyone had any experience with Lacewood builders in Moultonborough or any recent experience with either modular or stick build contractors in the general area?

Bella Woods
 

I have had a good experience with Bella Woods Builders out of Meredith and can recommend them highly. The owner, Dan Dube is a good guy and has only quality minded subs working for him.

https://www.bellawoodsbuilders.com/

Good luck!

Dan

Eric Gallagher of Gallagher Construction out of Gilford NH! He is AWESOME!

603-387-7879

https://www.facebook.com/FramerGC

Woodsy

Bensonwoods
 

Out of Walpole NH is second to none. A good number of homeowners in the Lakes Region will agree! Its worth to give them a call. They use local products in their build. Go local!

https://bensonwood.com/

Lacewood and Bella Woods are Bill Gilson contracts at Middleton Meredith.
He may be able to tell you if they busy or could take on another project.

603-279-7911

This thread and the one on reducing electrical consumption in a home are related, in that they address what to do to reduce energy costs for a home. Addressing this for an existing house does involve understanding building science issues. It certainly is possible to improve any existing house, but that should start with a good energy audit. The solutions are there, but the costs depend on the extent of making changes.

In this thread, the matter of building a new house presents a golden opportunity to do things right; making the house better later will cost more than doing it right the first time. Given the current and expected increases in heating and electric power costs, it makes more sense than ever to make any new home in our climate in the "superinsulated" class, meaning much better than just "to code." One problem encountered is finding builders who know how to do it, and many simply aren't interested in doing more than the way they always have. The building science involved is well-established, and codes are slowly moving in that direction, but there is a lot of resistance in the trades. The push to do better has to come from those having a new home built, and that requires getting well-educated in the subject, to be able to insist on certain things.

The other approach to getting a "much better than to code" house is to go with an established company that factory-builds prefab or at least panelized houses to "superinsulated" specs and oversees installation on the building site. A search on "factory built superinsulated homes in New England" turns up a lot of providers.

Usually it is the buyer that dictates less...
Larger homes with higher end finishes are the customary request.

Thanks for everyone’s suggestions. In my early assessment I am finding that the modular type businesses are more pricey due to them having to buy materials in bulk which have locked them in at higher prices. I spoke to a contractor that does both modular and stick built and mentioned that the modular companies are sometimes committed to specific manufacturers and having trouble getting product. The stick built seem to be better set up for putting things out to bid and flexible with diff product manufacturers. Still early in my search but will keep folks updated.

NH law
 

Stick-built homes are to have a one-year warranty. Many home builders don't tell their customers and have gotten away with it! So keep that in mind.

Some prefab contractors give 5-year and or 10-year warranty!

We also build modular... so we aren't having any greater prices or issues with product than the local stick built builders.

The problem is quality levels.