Picture It

This may be the best (and quickest) way to show what we've been up to lately...

If any of these look like things you're interested in, let us know. Give me a call at 803-260-7546 or send me an email.

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Where we build

We often get asked where all we build. The short answer is the "Greater Columbia" area.

Our current projects are in Blythewood, Northeast Columbia, Lexington, and Lake Murray (Lexington side). In the past we've also worked in other areas of Columbia, Lake Murray (Chapin side), and even Saluda.

When we are building in neighborhoods, we try to be mindful of the current residents. One way this is done is with silt fencing. Silt fences are used to prevent erosion and runoff from a property. They help our lot and any adjoining lots. Silt fences also help create a visual barrier for our trade contractors and suppliers to keep them on our lot.

When allowed, we post Master Plan Homes Inc. signage on the property along with the building permit so our suppliers, trade contractors, and inspectors can easily identify the lot.



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Lighting Allowances

What is a good lighting allowance?


The answer varies... The size of the house obviously makes a difference. Probably what makes the most difference is the finish and personal taste. Finishes include brass, chrome, oil-rubbed bronze, satin, black, white, etc.

Depending on the size of the home, fixture finish, and your personal tastes, typical lighting allowances can range between $1000 and $6000 or more.

The best way to see if the lighting allowance you've budgeted for is suitable, is to go somewhere like The Lite House. Take your house plans or a list of the rooms in your house and pick out your light fixtures to see what the total cost comes to. This could be done before you even break ground on the house. By doing it early in the process, you'll increase your comfort level with your lighting allowance or be prepared to adjust it.

Ceiling fans are one area of the lighting allowance that can add up quickly. Besides the different styles, there are different size motors, varying blade lengths, and a variety of light kits to choose from.


Outdoor lighting can create curb appeal and improve security.

Also, don't forget to account for bulbs, smoke detectors, door bell buttons & chimes, and recessed can bulbs & trims. There is even a selection of choices in these areas as well.

One way to save money on your lighting is to visit one of the "tent sales" at The Lite House. I called them this week to find out the dates of the next tent sale. It will be May 15-17 at the Bush River Road location.

If we can help you design and build a house to put all these lights in, let us know!

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Getting Busy

This is my first post for the month of April. The main reason for that is things are starting to get busy again. Over the last two weeks we've had some good new activity:

• Signed two contracts for investor speculation homes
• Started the design/drawing process for a home we'll build on Lake Murray this year
• Bid on a client's home addition and garage
• Bid on another client's garage and room over
• Met an associate at their lot to discuss building their custom home

In addition to these new activities, the custom home we're building in Lexington right now is going very smoothly. In just 8 weeks we've completed the footings, crawlspace foundation, exterior veneer, framing, roofing, doors & windows, electric rough-in, plumbing rough-in, HVAC rough-in, and the drywall. All that and we had 4+ rain days that slowed us down! At this pace, the house will be done in a total of 4 months. We told the client it would take 5 to 6 months. That feels good!

You hear people talking about lower interest rates being an incentive for people to build or add-on... You also hear that many construction material prices are down... And with a supposedly "slow" housing market, you hear there are trade contractors competing with their prices... We aren't just hearing these things, we are seeing it as a reality with the recent flurry of activity in our business at Master Plan Homes Inc.

If you're on the fence about building a new home, give us a call or email and we'll talk about the possibilities.

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In The Field

As Jon says, "we like to divide and conquer". But there are times when we will work side-by-side for the benefit of putting two sets of eyes on a project. For us, this usually happens at project proposal meetings, site location meetings, construction rough-in walk thrus, final walk thrus, etc. We feel this is a benefit of working with two licensed residential builders.

Last week we had the opportunity of investigating a lot for someone. This is often a great time to ask questions in preparation for breaking ground. Selecting a lot and envisioning your house on that lot can be a difficult task, but it's one that we like to participate in.

We are Jonathan (Jon) Foster and Salim (Slim) Khalil. We build in Lexington & Richland Counties. We are Master Plan Homes Inc.

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How long does it take to build?

A question that we often get asked: "How long will it take to build my house?" The answer depends on several factors:

• Size of the home (both heated and non-heated areas)
• Type of site work required (clearing, grading, digging basement, etc.)
• Amount of detailed features in the home
• Weather
• Availability of materials

The majority of the homes we have been building take less than 5 months to as many as 10 months. This slideshow makes it look incredibly quick!

At Master Plan Homes Inc, Jon and I are licensed residential builders that want to build our homes in a timely manner without sacrificing the integrity of the job.

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Building Your Home Green

Today is St. Patrick's Day, a day that is synonymous with green. We wear green today to avoid being pinched for some reason... St. Patrick himself used a green three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish of his time.

What does that have to do with building a green home? Nothing. But I had to mention it considering today is St. Patrick's Day.

I did go to the "Build Your New Home Green" seminar this past Friday at the Home & Garden Show. This seminar was presented by Michael Strong of Brothers Strong, Inc. and GreenHaus Builders, Inc. from Houston, Texas. He is a Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR), Graduate Master Builder (GMB), and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS).

The two gentlemen seated behind him in this picture are Mark Bostic of Square One Design Service and Joseph Gilmore of Gilmore Consulting Services.

During this seminar, Mr. Strong facilitated a conversation about how green home construction is defined. At the meeting were homeowners interested in building green, homeowners interested in remodeling green, and a couple of builders including myself. Topics included site placement, reducing landfill waste during construction, radiant barrier sheathing, insulation, more efficient hvac systems, dual flush toilets, non-potable rainwater systems, tankless water heaters, buying material within a 500 mile radius to reduce greenhouse gases, low-VOC paint, solar energy, etc.

Mr. Strong pointed out that the system in place in Houston is very similiar to the Build Green Greater Columbia system. The program is based on the NAHB Green Home Guidelines which uses a checklist with points assigned to different areas. Some homes can be "greener" than others so there is a Bronze, Silver, and Gold designation based on the total number of points. Strong also pointed out that homeowners in Houston realize building green could cost them more upfront, but they will also save on utility bills for the life of the home - not to mention they will be making a more positive impact on their environment.

Green homes are becoming more talked about - and they are being built right here in South Carolina. Just yesterday, Megan Sexton of The State paper wrote an article titled "A Green Dream" about a new green home in the Lowcountry. This home is the first green home built by HGTV and it achieved a Gold certification. Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, even created a Dilbert strip just for the Green Home!

You can learn all about this Green Home on HGTV's Green Home web site. A one hour special on the home will also be aired on HGTV at these times:

• March 23, 2008 9:00 PM ET/PT
• March 24, 2008 1:00 AM ET/PT
• April 04, 2008 10:00 AM ET/PT
• April 06, 2008 5:00 PM ET/PT
• April 22, 2008 10:00 AM ET/PT
• May 04, 2008 5:00 PM ET/PT

We'll keep learning more about green home construction and we'll be ready to build a green home for you when you're ready.

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