NS Builders Blog

Nick Schiffer shares his expertise from over 20 years of crafting beautiful homes. Find tips, tricks, and techniques for building custom homes, renovating, and more.

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How To Maximize the Long-Term Value of Your Custom Home

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What To Bring to Your First Meeting with Your Custom Home Contractor

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5 Defining Traits of Successful Custom Home Construction Companies

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The Most Common Challenges of New Home Construction (and How To Overcome Them)

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How To Avoid Change Orders on Your Custom Luxury Home

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4 Tips for Narrowing Down Your Home Remodeling Wishlist

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Tips for Building an Energy-Efficient Custom Luxury Home

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4 Important Questions To Ask When Searching for Custom Home Builders

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How To Ensure the Accuracy of Your Custom Home Builder’s Budget

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Helpful Tips for Choosing the Right Exterior Material for Your New Home Construction

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How To Implement Features in Your Custom Home That Will Stand the Test of Time

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Home Renovation vs New Home Construction: Understanding the Differences

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Why Choose NS Builders for Your Next Project

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Expanding Our Horizons: Why NS Builders is the Right Choice for Your Project, Anywhere

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4 Essential Features to Include in Your New Home Construction

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Common Causes for Delays in Your Custom Home Project

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More Than Curb Appeal: How Custom Home Features Maximize Value

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How To Make the Most Out of Your New Home Construction’s Floor Plan

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Answering Your FAQs About Custom Home Building

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How To Make the Most Out of Your Home Rdenovation Wishlist

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Quincy Cottage Renovation—New Windows, Roof and Upgraded Electrical Service

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Grilles and Access Panels in the Back Bay 

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Detailed Roof Prep and Tapered Windows 

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Mitered Glass Corner Window and Cumaru Decking 

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Plaster Details at the Back Bay Brownstone Renovation 

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A Synthetic Slate Roof

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Quincy Cottage Renovation

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Designer and Builder Walk the Needham Project  

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Insulation and Sound Attenuation at the Back Bay Brownstone 

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A Living Room Designed to Impress 

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Site Wall and Custom Downspouts 

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Sheathing the Swooping Roof 

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Not Your Average Swooping Roof Install 

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Intelligent Lighting Controls

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Steep Details and Multiple Swoops 

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Detailed Site Work Complements Our Waterproofing 

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Why We Built a Mock-Up of the Roof

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A Walk-Through Showcasing Design Details 

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The U-Shaped Staircase in the Back Bay

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Creating a Continuous Vapor Retarder 

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A Modern Take on the Classic Cedar Shingle 

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When Swooping Roofs Throw You a Curveball

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Installing a Rainscreen Behind the Cedar Shingles 

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Full Steam Ahead in the Back Bay 

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Building Trusses On-Site in Needham 

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Intentional Plumbing Details That Rock

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Working Off One Control Line

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These Are NOT Your Average Windows 

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A Thickened Slab to Support Load-Bearing Walls 

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Sheathing Exterior Walls and Peering Through Skylights 

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Prepping the Slab in Needham

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What’s Up With the Blue Floor In Our Brownstone Renovation? 

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Using Foam to Create a Brick Shelf in the Concrete Wall

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Waterproofing the Footings in Needham 

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Fixing My Mistake in Moisture Control 

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A Few Changes In Framing the Garage 

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Prepping and Pouring the Footings in Needham 

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Detailed Drawings Leave No Room for Doubt 

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Finding Creative Solutions In the Back Bay 

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Sedge Helps Me Unwrap Gifts from Festool 

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Architectural Details That Elevate This Home 

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Final Prepping for Concrete 

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NS Builders Management Style

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Insulated Concrete Forms—An Innovative Building Technique

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Impressive Kitchen Design Details

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Airtight Homes That Breathe

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Water In the Hole 

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Showing Off Your Work Is Not Bragging

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Julia Designed It and We’ll Build It 

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Big Changes Coming to NS Builders in 2022

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What’s the Best Gift to Give Your Builder for the Holidays?

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What Is a Toothbrush-Ready Home?

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Obtaining Permits: The Necessary Evil of Every Project

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Should a Designer Pick the Finishes for Your Home?

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Who Takes Responsibility When the Wrong Countertop Gets Installed?

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Don't Overlook Value Architecture

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Take a Look at TruExterior and Westlake Royal Building Products

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This Is How to REALLY Waterproof Your Basement  

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Building a New House Around a 100-Year-Old Tree

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48 Hours To Go

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Upscale and Ultramodern Door Hardware

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Beautiful Oak Floors at Our Back Bay Project

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Stellar Staircase Full of Subtle Details

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Almost Invisible Flush Mounted Outlets

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Intentional Finishes

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Final Touches on the Southie Project

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Demolition and Site Prep in East Providence

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Always Have a Backup Plan

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A Tour of the Ultimate Rooftop Deck

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A Luxurious Marble Shower in South Boston

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Sort of Hiding A Door

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Waterproof Plaster Walls and The Floating Fireplace

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Massive Wall of Plaster in Cambridge

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A Staircase With Old World Charm

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Working in Tight Spaces

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Overlooking Beacon Hill on a Custom Daybed

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Plastering—One Coat or Two?

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Boston ROOF DECK

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Dealing with Historic Windows

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Taking Sound Attenuation to another LEVEL

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