Build Smart with Brick: Truly Affordable (Part III)
It’s natural to assume that a higher quality product is more expensive – that’s a universal rule for consumer goods. As our homes are the biggest, single purchase we’ll ever make, it’s understandable that we want to plan and manage this cost carefully.
In the planning process for new homeowners (once every option is tallied up), the sticker shock can tempt buyers to choose less expensive materials. In the moment, these cost reductions can feel satisfying and reduce anxiety. In the industry, we also see homeowners swapping out quality fundamentals, like high-quality exterior options, for trendy interior finishes.
So, let’s consider another rule of thumb – quality provides value. Since our home is an investment, it should be built to have value today and provide good returns down the road. No other building product provides the long-term value that brick does.
And here’s the great news – brick is affordable. Truly affordable – because choosing brick will actually save you money on certain expenses year over year, and give you a higher resale value than a vinyl clad home.
Only brick provides these savings and return on your investment:
- Savings on insurance premiums
- Savings on maintenance costs
- Savings on heating costs (2-8% per year)
- A higher resale value of 5 – 7%.
Getting Started with Brick
This interactive tool from The Brick Industry provides great information on the benefits of brick that make it your wisest choice.
We invite you to review our diverse range of brick styles on our website and to download the General Shale mobile app in the APP Store. If you have any questions during your planning, please reach out to your local General Shale dealer.
Money-saving Tip
Some brick size choices, such as the Light Weight King Size (LWK) brick, can result in total wall cost savings of up to 25%. How? The LWK is about the same weight as conventional brick so it can be installed at the same rate – but, it has a larger face size and less brick is required per square foot, so the overall labor cost is lower!