Archive for the ‘Construction Video’ Category

I visited Avinity and Belvedere today and took a quick video to show the progress of the Piedmont Realty and Construction town home offering in both communities.  These two communities both offer the opportunity to live in an Earth Friendly Piedmont town home.

In the last video, we discussed the structure and how it was insulated. In this video, we talk about what I like to think of as the “engine” of the home.  Piedmont has partnered with Trane for their HVAC equipment. Very important.

The conversation regarding energy efficiency and how to improve the Piedmont Realty and Construction  “Earth Friendly” home is on going. Since Piedmont launched in 2009, their offering has improved along the way. (That’s one of the things I like most about working with Piedmont. They are constantly looking to innovate and improve their standard specifications.) Drew Holzwarth and I have made a series of videos to try and explain some of the core components they use to create an energy efficient home.

Here’s Part 1.

There’s a new community just under way in Albemarle County just outside of the city limits of Charlottesville. Its called Avinity and it will feature 100 townhomes located on Avon Street adjacent to Cale Elementary. Site work has started. I visited the site this morning to get a feel for the progress of the site work and the surroundings. Check it out.

Check out the site plan here.

I’ll be in charge of sales for Piedmont Realty and Construction. Currently I am working out of  The Piedmont Model Home at Poplar Square. (Located just off Ivy Road behind the Kluge Children’s Rehabilition Center) These townhomes are very similar to what will be built at Avinity. Feel free to contact me or stop by to learn more about Avinity at your convenience, Tuesday-Sunday from 12-5.

Subscribe to my blog above for future updates on the progress of Avinity.

Energy efficiency continues to be a topic that more and more home buyers are discussing.  The way new homes are being built and insulated in order to achieve energy efficiency is an important topic.  In my opinion, when considering a purchase,  energy efficiency may be the #1 reason to consider building a new home. This is a major trend in housing that is generating momentum on a variety of levels.  We talk about “sealing the envelope” and a better insulated home with higher R-values.  Those are relatively simple concepts. Just as important is the HVAC component of this converstation. Its the engine of the car, if you will allow the analogy.

What I’m sharing comes from working with Piedmont Realty and Construction, because that’s where a lot of my knowledge on this topic originates. I have had a lot of conversations with Drew Holzwarth and his contractors on this topic.  The #1 point I would make for prospective purchasers is that you want to make sure you get a home that has the right size system for the space. If you don’t, the rest won’t matter.  Piedmont accomplishes this by having their HVAC contractor perform a “j-calc” for every home they build.  Its very common for builders to take the “one size fits all” approach to HVAC.  That is, each time they build “Model A” they have the HVAC contractor install the same system, regardless of modifications to the plan.  Whenever you change a plan size or shape or even move/add/delete windows you have impacted heating and cooling considersations. Windows impact natural heat transfer. All this needs to be considered in the sizing of the system.  I’m not sure why more builders don’t do this other than its extra work and costs money.

There’s a lot to learn on this topic. I found this handy resource on system sizing, SEER, airflow, ductwork and how it all relates to efficiency. Check it out here.

If you are considering a new purchase, ask the right questions. Make sure you are working with a builder that has a philosophy and team that is committed to building a better home.  Piedmont Realty and Construction does and that’s why I live in one of their homes.

After all of the construction is finished, the process culminates with a walk through with the builder to see the home in its finished form, identify any items that need to be completed, and learn about the home and how it operates.  Its hard to describe the feeling one gets when you get to see how all of the decision making and selections come together for the final result. A home. A home that has never been lived in by anyone else and fits your tastes and the way you live. I’m lucky to get to watch people experience this as often as I do. Piedmont Realty and Construction and the homeowner created something very special. Enjoy.

The home is done and the walk through is complete. The new homeowners will move in later this week. Instead of walking through this home and trying to capture it all on video, I’ve decided to post a virtual tour with some quality photography. That happens this week. So if you have been watching this home get built week by week, the finished product will be available to see later this week. In the meantime, I put together a series of clips through out construction, concluding with a walk around the exterior of the property.  From ground breaking, Piedmont Realty and Construction build this home in 12 weeks.

I’m often asked how long the new home construction process will take, and when I tell people 120 days from contract, many are surprised.  Seeing the progress made on this home in just 1o weeks,  you can start to understand there’s a process and level of supervision that yields a shorter process without sacrificing quality. (Not too mention its basically a custom home as well.) In this video you’ll see light fixtures, granite, appliances, hardwood flooring, exterior steps, and a few other items. This home is significantly complete.  Check back for a closer look at the kitchen with Amy Hart from Reico.