This month we are spotlighting the D-1050 plan. This plan was designed for a personal friend of mine about a year and a half ago.

My client works from home and needed space to meet with clients and separate himself from the family. He also needed more garage space so after working on a few different designs we came up with this one.

It offers a den (with optional wet bar) for group meetings. It has a private restroom and office space with ample storage.

We used the same materials on the exterior as they had on their existing home, so that it would blend seamlessly and look like it belonged. There is nothing more unsightly than an outbuilding that LOOKS like an addition. My client was very happy with the outcome, and so was I.

The D-1050 plan is available on our website and can be modified to fit any lot, and any exterior.

I know we have talked about permits before; but I had another good example come up this week. I have a client who already built his covered deck on the front of his house. It looks great BUT he did it without a permit…..Someone in the neighborhood called the city on him and now he has to get the permit (and pay a penalty) as well as pass all of the inspections related to the permit. That means he has to dismantle part of the deck so that the inspector can see everything.

Moral to the story….if you are doing any structural work to your home, save yourself the head ache and just call your local municipality to find out what the requirements might be….. Or in this clients case….bribe all your neighbors before you begin (I’m joking). You might not even have to do anything but its always a good idea to find out before you start.

I just got back from a successful business trip to St.George, Utah. Even though the economy has been down the past few years, lots of great things are starting to happen. The new airport is scheduled to open sometime next year….(I went to the sight personally to check on the progress). Home sales are still low…HOWEVER they are up from last year.

Salt City Homes has done work in Southern Utah in the past….both remodel work as well as new home plans. We are very excited about the prospects of opening a second office in St.George, Utah.

We have been working out the details for some time now and are partnering with a number of firms (both design, and engineering) to get the ball rolling. We will be servicing Southern Utah, Southern Nevada as well as parts of Arizona. We hope to target Las Vegas, Mesquite, St.George, Cedar City, and the surrounding areas.

Keep an eye out for our new Southwestern style homes coming soon to the website!!

For those of you who may not know, I am a published author. I currently have three books on the market (available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and over 200 other online stores). They are: One Day in The Life of A Fool, The Rise and Fall of Eric Hamilton, and Moments of Insanity.

I have another book due out this spring, and I have book #5 in the works as we speak.

I’ve also added the links to each book down on the link section of my blog. Any one who has read my books please feel free to post comments and the rest of you….please check them out and let me know what you think!

I am often asked the question; Do I need to get a permit if I’m just finishing my basement? The answer is almost always YES….there are a number of reasons why you should get a permit for a finished basement the first being, most cities require it.

The first thing to do when considering finishing your basement is to contact your local building department and find out what they require. Some cities don’t require a permit if you are finishing a space under a certain square footage. Others require it no matter what you are doing. SOOOOO to play it safe I always tell clients to ask the city before we begin.

I am also asked…Do I really need drawings for my basement? The answer to that is also YES. Most contractors and subcontractors will not give you a bid without a complete set of plans. With a complete set of plans they can figure square footage costs, number of fixtures, framing configurations, etc. A complete set of plans also helps you commit to the design. Without plans its to easy to get discouraged and feel lost during the renovation.