<![CDATA[Moffitt Built - Blog]]>Fri, 28 Nov 2025 16:14:10 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Budgeting: 101]]>Wed, 08 Feb 2017 20:15:57 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/budgeting-101Budgeting may not be an easy task for all of us. When it comes to designing and building your own home though, it can be the difference between a successful project completion and a halted or stalled project. We occasionally meet homeowners who don’t want to reveal their true budget numbers. This lack of disclosure is not in their best interest and almost always sets the stage for disappointment.

The adversarial approach is the least effective one when planning a custom home. You’re not engaging in a one-time transaction; instead, you are partnering with a professional who will transform your design vision into reality. Success demands that you choose a builder in whom you have enough trust to discuss how much you are prepared to invest. You can give a range rather than a hard number, but it needs to be realistic allowing for proper timeline management, expectations met (or hopefully, succeeded), and landmarks reached.

A reality-based budget is a crucial tool in the construction planning process. Most people have preconceived notions of what a home should cost but these assumptions seldom support the designs and products they’re envisioning, and the result tends to be frustration. Putting your budget cards on the table is the only way we can paint an accurate picture of what is possible.

Read more from our e-newsletter here. 

]]><![CDATA[A Healthy Home is a Happy Home]]>Tue, 03 Jan 2017 18:08:04 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/a-healthy-home-is-a-happy-homeHealthy life, healthy home. These are priorities these days for most of us. Living a healthy lifestyle keeps us on track, keeps us productive, and gives us a longer lease on life. Likewise, building and maintaining a healthy home is just as important. In current times, it's important to be eco-friendly and watch our carbon footprint whenever we can, this includes taking into consideration the many features of a new home that could help reduce your footprint and make your home run cleaner and more efficiently. If you're curious about how healthy your new home will be once construction is complete, you're not alone. 

A March 2016 paper by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University detailed a nationwide study that asked 2,200 people whether they had concerns about their indoor environment. Nearly half expressed some worry, and the issue cited most often was indoor air quality, or IAQ. Those results are what we would have expected. Energy codes are mandating nearly draft-free homes at the same time that manufacturers are introducing more synthetic materials and chemical-based finishes. When you add high-profile media coverage to the mix—like dozens of news stories in 2009 about drywall imported from China emitting hydrogen sulfide gas, and a 2015 CBS 60 Minutes segment about formaldehyde emissions from imported laminate flooring—people naturally want assurances.

The good news is that professional builders like Moffitt Built take their responsibility for good IAQ very seriously. We spend time educating ourselves on the issue, we carefully choose materials, and we make sure the home’s mechanical system is engineered to deliver the needed fresh air. Read more about the subject and see what Moffitt Built is doing to manage the issue in our latest newsletter. 

]]><![CDATA[The Streets of Life]]>Thu, 10 Nov 2016 18:53:12 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/the-streets-of-lifeWhat makes a beautiful street? What qualifies as a picturesque thoroughfare in your neighborhood or your city? Photos of streets lined with trees perfectly-spaced apart or streets bursting with the colors of Fall on those same trees and photos of streets with quaint shopfronts and vintage details add a charming and quaint flair to what would normally just be "Main Street." In America, we see so many of these streets that are just begging for a photo-op. Many are historic, many are calculated, and many are simply enhanced by the sheer beauty of nature. Either way, beautiful streets add to the neighborhood, the city, and to the homes that line them. Here are some of America's most beautiful streets. How many have you been to? What is your favorite? What streets right here in Kansas City would you nominate?
]]><![CDATA[A New Addition]]>Thu, 03 Nov 2016 18:51:43 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/a-new-additionThe Heatherglen subdivision in Shawnee, KS has announced its latest model is complete! Heatherglen is a maintenance-provided community tucked away in the beautiful rolling hills of Shawnee. Each lot features incredible views and most back up to plenty of treed and green space. The latest model features 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms on a private lot with solid wood floors throughout, a walk-in pantry, and a wall of glass in back with two decks that back to acres of trees & green space. Built with the modern homeowner in mind, this home has it all. Moffitt Built's tradition of building quality functional homes continues in this latest home. We're so proud of this project and can't wait to see the new happy homeowners enjoy it for years to come.
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]]><![CDATA[Don't Stress Out]]>Fri, 14 Oct 2016 01:44:11 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/dont-stress-outWe live in a sensory world. We are consistently being stimulated by various mediums, people, occurrences, and things, often causing an overproduction of stress. So, to come home to a stress-free environment is refreshing, relaxing, and much-needed. Interestingly enough, one of the many rooms in our homes that should be stress-free, often isn't due to decor and design choices, or what some may refer to as feng-shui. If you're looking for a way to declutter your bedroom and make it completely stress-free, you can follow these simple guidelines and easy-to-follow graphics and say so long to stress!
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]]><![CDATA[New Home Maintenance]]>Thu, 06 Oct 2016 22:54:05 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/new-home-maintenanceWe've said it before, but staying on top of home maintenance regularly can save you a whole lot of trouble, time, and money in the long run! Maintaining both projects and systems in your home on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis can prevent problems, errors, and neglect. Building a new home can also help keep regular maintenance time and costs down. If low maintenance is a priority, then having a new home built is a great choice. In a 2014 study by the National Association of Homebuilders, 73 percent of new homeowners reported average monthly maintenance expenses just one-fourth (25 percent) of those reported by owners of older homes. But while it’s relatively affordable to keep a new home in good working condition, proper and regular maintenance is critical! Read more in the Moffitt Built monthly newsletter. 
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]]><![CDATA[Cow-A-Bungalow]]>Thu, 29 Sep 2016 21:56:56 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/cow-a-bungalowWe have always held a soft spot for the classic American Bungalow - a detached one or one-and-a-half-story house with broad eaves, an open porch, and design details in the Arts and Crafts style. Though many other Bungalow styles have emerged over the years, the term most often describes homes with a wide porch as the main design feature. Craftsman Bungalows, West Coast Bungalows, and Swiss Chalet Bungalows all have a few things in common: the wide porch, a connection to the Arts and Crafts movement, and an efficient floorplan. As Builders, what piques our interest most, is the origin of the style. This article does a fantastic job detailing the emergence of the Bungalow, how it evolved, and what it means for today's architects and homeowners. Below, photos of a few of our favorites from legendary architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Greene & Greene. 
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Greene & Greene's: The Gamble House
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Frank Lloyd Wright's: The Robie House
]]><![CDATA[Home Sweet Home]]>Fri, 16 Sep 2016 02:38:33 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/home-sweet-homePicture
​The latest Moffitt Built undertaking has been completed! We're proud to show you the finished product located on a golf course lot in Drumm Farms in Independence, MO. With this property, the homeowner's goal was to capture the ambience of a golf course setting. With this in mind, the first thing we did was incorporate an 8' x 16' Anderson window wall across the back of the home and then opened this to a fully covered and enclosed 500 square-foot porch/deck.
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This window wall was placed where a fireplace had previously existed, so the debate was whether or not to install a fireplace elsewhere or to remove it entirely. In the end, we incorporated a unique media center on the adjacent wall instead. This home is one of only a handful of custom homes we have built without a fireplace but this allowed the golf course view as one enters the house looking straight to the rear, while the entertainment center is viewed directly from the cook's kitchen.

We heightened the family room ceilings to allow more light and were able to incorporate a beautiful custom checkerboard trimmed ceiling pattern. To accomplish this, we built up four pieces of molding using one by six and cove mold material. 
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The owner had purchased an Italian painted tile tapestry, which we placed on the opposite wall as one descends the stairway to the light airy 10' walkout basement. Our old-school tile-setters created a beautiful frame using a pearl marbled tile rope, that would serve to highlight the homeowner's Roman countryside tile tapestry.
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To take advantage of the Southern exposure and the views, we incorporated extended overhangs to allow solar heat gain in the Winter and shaded interior spaces in the Summer.

The customer requested an aging-in-place design, so all door openings are ADA compliant, with appropriate radii and all access points from the garage throughout the house, including the shower, have zero entries.
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The cook's kitchen, and let us tell you, this customer is indeed a seasoned chef, was custom designed and built by two brothers who are Old World cabinet makers! Flush mount soft close drawers, dovetail wood work, and hidden hardware included - all the bells & whistles are here!
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The homeowner suite has private access to the 500 square-foot deck/porch overlooking the golf course. This was very important as the owner is an avid golfer and fan, and this access allows him morning deck views directly from his private owner suite.

To allow an easy living lifestyle, we incorporated the laundry into the walk-in master closet. This enabled us to create a very large pantry off the kitchen, where the laundry room would typically be.

Since our owner is an empty-nester who enjoys entertaining and family visits, we created a wonderful guest suite and additional lower level guest suites overlooking the golf course.

Lastly, for our wine connoisseur homeowner, we were able to create a glass-fronted wine cellar easily viewed from the lower level entertainment area.

It was such a pleasure working with the homeowner on this project and we can only hope that many years of enjoyment will come from this home sweet home. ​
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]]><![CDATA[Mind the Little Details]]>Wed, 24 Aug 2016 21:28:39 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/mind-the-little-detailsWhen building a new home, larger rooms and show-stopping features usually get more attention than smaller spaces and rooms that are generally behind closed doors. However, it's important to give as much attention to these types of spaces as they are generally where most of the everyday living occurs. Sure, a killer chandelier and wallpaper in the dining room and jaw-dropping entry are exciting and give your home personality, but spending time in these areas is usually reserved for special occasions. So, it's rooms like the bathroom where a little extra care should be taken when planning your home or remodel. These bathroom additions and features are sure to give you not only style and functionality but a great ROI as well. Details like heated floors, humidity-controlling fans, and motion-activated faucets may end up giving back a lot more than you think.
]]><![CDATA[The Home Style Guide]]>Tue, 09 Aug 2016 22:07:05 GMThttp://www.moffittbuilt.com/blog/the-home-style-guideEver find yourself searching for the proper adjective to describe a home? Do you often mix up terms like 'Colonial' and 'Cape Cod' and wonder what exactly the difference is? There are numerous terms to describe the types of homes we commonly see today. Many you've heard of like 'Craftsman,' 'Tudor,' and 'Victorian,' to name a few, but there are some styles that you may not have realized have a name all to themselves like 'Italianate,' and 'Stick-Eastlake.' Or perhaps you didn't realize that 'Victorian' has several sub-types all to its own! Knowing the various styles of homes and the features unique to each one will help you whether you're searching the market or planning on building your own to define what it is that you're looking for and how to describe it to your builder or real estate agent. 

This neat guide not only outlines each style but is put together in a timeline fashion so you can see the evolution of style from the 15th century with the 'Tudor' to the 'Contemporary' style in the 20th century. 
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