Why don't you give costs for the houses you build?

When Hometime builds a house the costs are very skewed because we are not a typical contractor. On Hometime projects the bottom line includes not only construction costs, but also the added expense of video production. For example, our construction labor costs are often inflated because our contractors have to work around our video production schedule, which makes the job take longer.

We also use lots of new products and materials that may not yet be common, or even available, in many areas. We often pay for a lot of head scratching while we figure out the best way to install these products. Sometimes a product is so new that it hasn't yet become available in Minnesota, which means there may not be local contractors who know how to install it. We've actually had to bring in installers from other states when this happens. Believe us, providing airfare and lodging for your contractors can really mess up a construction budget.

Finally, property, labor, and materials costs vary so widely across the country that it would be impossible for us to give you any idea what the houses we build would cost to build in your area.

We do have plans & study plans available for many of the houses we have built on Hometime. Based on these plans, a local contractor/builder can give you an estimate of what it would cost for you to build that particular home in your area.

Does Hometime do midrange projects any more?

Sure we do. As best we can tell, we have two audiences—those of you who want detailed information about reality-based hands-on projects, and those of you who are armchair dream-project builders—so we try to accommodate both in our production schedule. As we plan our schedule each year, we try to balance the high-end (usually a new dream home or a major remodel) with more moderate renovations (often landscaping projects and kitchen or bath remodels).

Beyond the entertainment value of building these dream houses, we feel there is value in them for anyone who will be building or remodeling in the next few years—no matter what the cost of the project. That's because new techniques and materials are expensive and show up in high-end homes first. These techniques and materials often become more available—and more affordable—after they've been around a few years.

Can I visit past Hometime projects?

To protect the privacy of the people who now own these properties, we do not release the addresses of our projects. We—and they—thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

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