Builder FAQ
Q. How does the Terraso Solution help me sell homes?
Q. Why not just use spray foam on a 2x6 home?
Q. How can I estimate the energy and money savings when I start building Terraso Solution homes?
Q. What kind of tools are provided to help me sell homes?
Q. Do I need to redraw or reengineer my plans?
Q. What will subcontractors say?
Q. Is the Terraso Solution construction method easy to learn?
Q. Should I offer the Terraso Solution as an option or as a standard feature?
Q. How much can I mark up the Terraso Solution technology to my homebuyers?
Q. How does the Terraso Solution satisfy government regulations?
Q. Do Terraso Solution licensed builders have exclusive territories?
Q. How does the Terraso Solution help me sell homes?
A. By significantly lowering utility bills, the Terraso Solution pays for itself and offers the homebuyer a value unparalleled in the new home construction market. In addition, the benefits reach beyond new home construction, and allow builders to compete by offering homebuyers distinctive features they can’t find in the current inventory of new homes.
The Terraso Solution also helps builders sell homes by offering a homebuyer the following benefits:
Financial
- Short and long term savings that outweigh costs
- Greater home resale value
- Savings from downsizing climate control equipment
- Power over rising energy costs
- Lower net energy expenses make it easier to qualify for a mortgage
Comfort
- Improved indoor air quality – less dust and fewer allergens
- Reduction in level of noise pollution
- Eliminates bug infiltration through walls and roof
- Uniform temperatures maintained throughout home
Environmental
- Decreased carbon footprint helps the environment
- Zero energy home potential (Home energy use = energy produced)
By becoming a licensed Terraso Solution home builder, you will be provided with effective, professional marketing tools to help you sell homes. Color brochures, DVD films, visual displays, and custom energy reports are just some of the tools provided when you sign up to become a Terraso Solution home builder.
Q. Why not just use spray foam on a 2x6 home?
A. Spray foam in a standard 2x6 home is a good improvement over conventional fiberglass batts and cellulose insulation. However, it still does not stack up to the superior performance of a home incorporating the Terraso Solution technology. The Terraso Solution is 30% to 40% more efficient in heating and cooling than a 2x6 home using a maximum of 5.5” of spray foam insulation. The additional savings a Terraso Solution homeowner will see on their utility bill outweighs the additional cost of the technology. Informed buyers will find a Terraso Solution home clearly offers financial and environmental advantages over a conventionally constructed home.
Q. How can I estimate the energy and money savings when I start building Terraso Solution homes?
A. As a licensed Terraso Solution home builder, we will provide you with custom reports based on your floor plans. These custom reports will provide estimates on the cost of the technology, the energy savings, and a net cost to the homebuyer.
Q. What kind of tools are provided to help me sell homes?
A. As a licensed Terraso Solution home builder, we provide you with a number of tools:
Marketing Tools
- DVDs – Showing your homebuyer the Terraso Solution film on DVD is one of the best ways to get them excited about having you build a Terraso Solution home for them. Showing the benefits visually on film can help the home buyer make the right decision.
- Brochures – The Terraso Solution color brochure is a great way to summarize the benefits of building a Terraso Solution home for your customers.
- Visual Displays – Terraso Solution licensed home builders are provided with poster-sized visual displays clearly showing the details of the technology and resulting benefits. It’s a positive communication tool to place in your model homes.
Custom Reports
- Technology cost per home – Using your floor plans, we calculate an estimated cost of adding the Terraso Solution technology to your homes.
- Energy cost and savings by home – We also provide a custom report on the estimated energy savings for your homebuyer. We show a comparison to a typical home so the homebuyer can see the advantage of the Terraso Solution technology.
- Net cost to the homebuyer – This part of the report shows the homebuyer how much they will be saving on their monthly expenses after all factors have been taken into account. The net cost to the homebuyer is probably the most convincing marketing tool for you to close the deal.
Q. Do I need to redraw or reengineer my plans?
A. Since construction plans are not changed when implementing the Terraso Solution, the technology can be easily adapted to any home design without having to resubmit construction plans for approval.
Q. What will subcontractors say?
A. The Terraso Solution technology utilizes conventional building materials that all subcontractors are familiar with. This is a huge advantage over other non-conventional construction methods such as pre-fabricated walls or special block construction. In contrast to some of these non-conventional construction methods which require time consuming modification when installing plumbing or electrical, your subcontractors won’t have issues with the Terraso Solution. In fact, running plumbing and electrical in the exterior walls is made easier and faster because the materials fit nicely within the inch gap of the double wall system – no need to drill holes.
Q. Is the Terraso Solution construction method easy to learn?
A. The Terraso Solution uses conventional construction materials, but in a slightly unconventional way. The learning curve for builders and their staff is completely fulfilled in our one day training session and easy to follow training manual.
Q. Should I offer the Terraso Solution as an option or as a standard feature?
A. When the Terraso Solution is presented to a potential homebuyer, they will likely choose it over a conventional home building method every time. The Terraso Solution lowers a homeowner’s net monthly energy bills, adds health and comfort benefits, and helps protect the environment. Considering the advantages the Terraso Solution brings to the new home market, most builders will begin to adopt the technology as a standard feature for their homes.
Q. How much can I mark up the Terraso Solution technology to my homebuyers?
A. Mark up on the Terraso Solution technology is ultimately a decision each builder will make based on local market conditions. In today’s economy, our recommendation is for builders to charge the homebuyer for the actual costs associated with incorporating the Terraso Solution technology. Consider the Terraso Solution as a feature to help you sell homes in a difficult market rather than as a profit center. As the housing market improves, licensed Terraso Solution builders will no doubt elect to increase their margins on the technology.
Q. How does the Terraso Solution satisfy government regulations?
A. Due to increasing energy costs and rising demands, both the federal and state governments are passing legislation that puts demands on homebuilders to build greater energy efficient-homes. The Energy Star program was created to help guide the homebuilders and homebuyers toward greater energy efficiency. The Terraso Solution technology exceeds Energy Star standards by as much as 3 times, placing a Terraso Solution home far ahead of any future government mandates.
Q. Do Terraso Solution licensed builders have exclusive territories?
A. No. Part of our mission is to reduce the total amount of energy consumed by this nation, so our goal is to make this technology available to quality builders across the country. We support all licensed Terraso Solution builders equally, providing the best possible service and support.
