Today’s guest shares his journey from the family chocolate business to becoming a sought-after builder in Rhode Island. Jeff Sweenor, founder of Sweenor Builders, delves into the evolution of his business, the importance of intentional client selection, and the transformation of his company culture. This has led to attracting and retaining talented individuals and an incredible opportunity to be involved with This Old House. Through over 30 years of challenges and obstacles, Jeff has learned most lessons that any successful builder has to learn. Listen in and you can learn them too.

Show highlights include:

• 03:10 The Journey of Sweenor Builders

• 08:40 Intentional Client Selection: The Key to Building Success

• 12:35 Determining your ideal client

• 15:45 Where does the budget come from?

• 19:15 How to choose your projects?

• 20:55 Ways the business has changed

• 23:00 The Role of a Chief Performance Officer

• 26:00 The Negative Impact of Being Too Nice

• 32:45 Elevating the Workforce for Talent Attraction

• 38:00 This Old House

• 43:30 The best advice - use social media

• 46:35 What’s coming up next and how to connect

You can learn more about Jeff at https://sweenorbuilders.com.

Social media:

Instagram

Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Human-centric, sustainable, green, high-performance and fully-supportive are the buzzwords of the last few years in custom home design. Today’s guest has been incorporating these elements into her home designs for decades - before there were labels to define the trend. Jenny Pippin, founder of Pippin Home Designs, shares what it means to incorporate the specific needs of clients with the natural harmony of location and space. The popularity of bringing the outdoors in and maximizing efficiency in new homes is only growing in demand. Listen in as we hash out the building science behind the trend.

Show highlights include:

• 02:05 Introduction to Jenny Pippin and Pippin Home Designs

• 06:00 Early days of full supportive homes

• 07:10 Creating Fully Supportive Homes: A Human-Centric Design Approach

• 11:30 How do clients figure out their priorities in how a home supports them?

• 14:00 How important is the lot?

• 14:53 Ideal clients and finding each other

• 16:50 What surprises people about a Supportive Home?

• 18:40 The standard must be met

• 20:00 Building Science in homes and the trends

• 24:00 Examples of client experiences

• 29:55 Navigating Rising Construction Costs and Budgeting Challenges with great design

• 35:25 The Importance of Team Collaboration in Home Design

• 40:00 What excites you about the next year 45:35 How to connect

You can learn more about Jenny at https://www.pippinhomedesigns.com/.

Social media:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

We’ve invited back a special guest to give our annual economic update on the housing industry. Danushka Nanayakkara, Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis at the NAHB, joins the podcast again to share the annual outlook. Listen in to learn the trends for the next 18 months, where the industry is struggling most, and the direction the interest rates are headed next.

Show highlights include:

• 02:45 Introduction and Background

• 4:40 What was surprising economically this year?

• 07:55 Interest Rates and Inflation Outlook

• 14:35 Affordability Challenges and the Need for More Affordable Housing Units

• 24:55 Creative housing solutions and zoning

• 32:00 Economic trends for the next 18 months

• 38:40 Getting young buyers into the market

• 41:15 What does the industry look like 5 years down the road?

• 44:00 What excites you about the next year

• 45:35 How to connect

You can learn more about Danushka at https://eyeonhousing.org/.

Social media:

LinkedIn

Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.