The Robillard Group

Lower operating costs for newer homes

jrobillard — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:15:12 +0000

A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders found that new home buyers’ total expenses may be lower for a newer home than an older one. Based on data from the US Census and the Department of Housing and Urban Development the study found that total operation costs for homes built before 2008 averaged $564 per year while those built afterwards were $241. For older homes the same study determined that a buyer could pay up to 23% more for a new home than for one built before 1960 and have the same first year costs.

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2731 Lyons Week 19

jrobillard — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:30:18 +0000

It’s week 19 after we finally got our OK from the city and we’re wrapping up our latest project at 2731 Lyons on the east side. It should be on the market in a couple of weeks, unless we sell it first. The last touches will be carpet and landscaping which will be installed this week. This is 1650 square foot 3/2 with a master loft up. There is a good sized back yard perfect for gardening and it’s walking distance to Zaragosa Park, the Eastside ACC campus, and shopping and dining on East 7th street.

The eastside color scheme was inspired by visits to Mexico

Tiled enrty

Solid hardwood floors in the downstairs living and dining areas.

Roomy kitchen with lots of counter space and storage

Secondary bath has a classic black and white theme for the tile

Master shower is still waiting for the frameless shower door

Master bath vanity with basin sink

Master bath has lots of counter space and storage

Master loft office niche

Great location close to Zaragosa Park, ACC, and shopping on East 7th

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2731 Lyons Week 16

jrobillard — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 20:13:13 +0000

It’s week 16 after a long wait for permits from the city and we’re finally hitting the home stretch at 2731 Lyons. Most of the HVAC, plumbing and electrical finish out was completed this week and we’re just lacking flooring and some other details to get a feel for the final product. The granite that Scott found for the kitchen is a great complement to the flooring and back splash and really brings the room together.

2731 Lyons kitchen

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2731 Lyons Week 15

jrobillard — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:39:22 +0000

Last week at 2731 Lyons was a little slow, but we did get cabinets installed so you can get a better feel for the kitchen layout. This week should see a lot of progress with plumbing and electrical finish out and kitchen counters.

2731 Lyons kitchen cabinets are in

2731 Lyons open living room offers plenty of space

2731 Lyons master bath features three vanities for lots of storage

2731 Lyons master bath is separated from the bedroom by a screening wall in a contrasting color

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2731 Lyons Week 14

jrobillard — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:11:09 +0000

A little more progress this week at our rehab at 2731 Lyons Rd. Flooring is mostly complete and we got a start on doors and trim. Cabinets will be installed this week and plumbing and lighting fixtures will show up on Wednesday. Here are a few pics…

2731 Lyons shared bath - not really yellow, I guess the flash didn't fire

2731 Lyons - walk in shower in the master will have a frame-less glass door

2731 Lyons master shower

2731 Lyons master bath has a cool grey and black color scheme

2731 Lyons kitchen cabinets ready for install

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2731 Lyons Week 13

jrobillard — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 23:43:42 +0000

Now that we’re past the Sheetrock installation we’re really starting to see progress at 2731 Lyons. This week the interior was painted and the flooring is being installed. Let us know what you think of the color scheme. It’s definitely not your standard neutral colors.

2731 Lyons kitchen and shared bath floor tile

2731 Lyons looking from the master bedroom through the bath and into the closet

2731 Lyons the glass block window brings light into the stairwell

2731 Lyons

2731 Lyons - Cool shot looking up the stairs to the master suite

2731 Lyons - cool shot coming down the stairs into the living room.

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2731 Lyons Week 12 AP

jrobillard — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:32:01 +0000

After a short delay waiting on an inspection we finally got the go ahead on our Sheetrock and were able to complete the tape, float and texture at our rehab project at 2731 Lyons. Although this is a big accomplishment I didn’t take any photos as it would look about the same.

This week we should start to see some very visible changes, so stay tuned for my next update.

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2731 Lyons Week 11 AP

jrobillard — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:57:49 +0000

It’s been a long wait, but we’re getting to the point where we’ll be seeing our project at 2731 Lyons getting closer to the finish line. This week we finally got to Sheetrock after a series of additional delays. This is partially because the city is still struggling to keep up with the demands on their resources. Good news for Austin in general but a little hard on our schedule.

Now that the spaces are enclosed we’re able to get a feel for how the spaces feel, and I’m really pleased with the result. I think that Scott did a great job maximizing the space given the constraints of the original design. The kitchen has lots of space and a corner pantry, the downstairs bedrooms are a good size, and the master suite is going to be really cool.

Check out the new pics to get a feel for how things are shaping up. And give me a call if you’re interested in taking a closer look.

2831 Lyons living room from the entry

2731 Lyons Master - bathroom is through the opening at the back

2831 Lyons master loft has an office niche and dormers

2831 Lyons sports bold East Austin colors

2831 Lyons kitchen will have lots of counter space and a cool corner panrty

2831 Lyons living room has good natural light

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2731 Lyons Week 10 AP

jrobillard — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 01:02:31 +0000

I missed my weekly update for 2731 Lyons last week because I was out of town, so we should have a lot of progress to report. Unfortunately we had a couple of delays so there’s not a lot to show.

We had three issues that came up during the framing inspection. Two were minor, but one required some additional blocking and installation of rock wool insulation, which wasn’t in stock locally. The good news is that we’re ready for Sheetrock this week. Unfortunately Monday is a holiday, so we’ll have to wait till Tuesday for the inspector to check off on our final.

Here are a few pics of the spray foam insulation. This is going to be a really energy efficient house!

The stucco repairs are from installing a drip screed

Livving room, you can see the rock wool that the inspector required in the ceiling

This is the kitchen area, cool corner pantry

Master suite upstairs

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2731 Lyons – Week 8 AP

jrobillard — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:10:52 +0000

Another slow week at 2731 Lyons. Progress this week was mostly on the roof. We had the missing baffles installed, finished off all the penetrations, cleaned up the eves, and added gutters on the west side. Also installed the roof over the front porch. Not much to see this week, so I didn’t take any new pictures.

By the end of this week we should have insulation and Sheetrock, so you’ll be able to get a feel for the interior spaces. Stay tuned!

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2731 Lyons Week 7 AP

jrobillard — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 21:46:43 +0000

Another week of work on paint, wiring and plumbing at our rehab project at 2731 Lyons, so there’s not a lot of progress to see. The wiring and plumbing are complete now, including wiring for a security system. The exterior paint is mostly complete, so you can see what the final color scheme looks like. There’s still a bit of work to do around the kitchen window. It will end up trimmed out and painted like the entry.

This week we may get insulation so that Scott can start on the finish out.

2731 Lyons final colors

2731 Lyons master

2731 Lyons kitchen

2731 Lyons laundry

2731 Lyons shared bath

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2731 Lyons Week 6 AP

jrobillard — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 19:15:28 +0000

Not a lot of progress on construction this week at our project at 2731 Lyons, but it’s to be expected that that things will slow down a bit during the holidays. Scott and Brenda did finalize the color scheme, which is based on the colors that we see in Guanajuato, one of our favorite cities in Mexico. Let me know what you think!

Guanajuato GTO Mexico

2731 Lyons Entry

2731 Lyons Colors

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2731 Lyons – Week5 AP

jrobillard — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:52:49 +0000

This week was spent working on plumbing and wiring, which is mostly complete. We decided on a tank-less water heater for this project which is a nice feature. Since we’re going to use spray foam insulation the utility bills should be really low.

The new entry is framed in and the new door and sidelight installed so you can see what the finished facade looks like. Scott and Brenda have decided to add a false gable detail over the kitchen window to spice things up a bit more, so that should be complete next week. Here are the latest pics…

2731 Lyons new entry and front door

2731 Lyons tank-less water heater

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2731 Lyons – Week 4 AP

jrobillard — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:38:02 +0000

It’s been four weeks since we finally got permits from the city and things are progressing well. I didn’t get an update posted last week so I have two weeks of progress to report this time.

On the outside we have a new driveway, sidewalk and front porch. We’re going to create an entry by recessing the front door, so this will make more sense next week when the rest of the work is finished.

Inside the first floor has been completely re-configured with an open living dining kitchen area, two bedrooms and a shared bath.

The stairs were moved to the front of the house and the loft is now configured as a master suite with a sitting area, private bath, and large walk in closet. The master bath configuration has just a screening wall separating the bedroom from the vanity. The shower and toilet are located across from each other in the dormers. I think that this is going to be a really cool space when it’s done.

HVAC and plumbing are in progress and electrical is next. Once all the systems are in we’ll be moving on to Sheetrock which will give us a better feel for the final product.

New sidewalk, porch and driveway at 2731 Lyons

The stairs were moved to the front of the house to free up space for the secondary bedrooms.

New kitchen layout with a corner pantry

Here's the view from the master bedroom to the bath area. The vanity will be behind the screening wall in the center of the room.

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2731 Lyons – Week 2 AP

jrobillard — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:18:45 +0000

We just completed week two at 2731 Lyons Rd. and the new floor plan is starting to take shape. Scott Cason of Austin Rebuild Team installed a beam to open up the kitchen dining area and the bedrooms, bath and utility are are framed. Other changes include new Pella windows throughout and changes to the placement at the kitchen sink and one of the bedrooms.

The next steps will be to create the new entry, install the stairway, and start on the second floor master suite. There should be a lot of visible changes by next week’s report.

2731 Lyons living room

2731 Lyons kitchen - dining. Notice the new beam that allows us to open up the floor plan.

2731 Lyons - new windows

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2731 Lyons Rd – Week 1 AP

jrobillard — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:46:13 +0000

I decided to restart our week counter after the 9 week delay waiting for the City of Austin to review and issue our building permits. I’ll report on the total time including delays at the end of the project, but for now I’d just like to forget about it and move on.

Our first week AP didn’t result in much progress either unfortunately. Scott of Austin Rebuild Team got the layout done and was ready to start framing but our materials deliveries were delayed. No lumber, no framing. We did get the laminated beams that he’ll use to open up the kitchen and living area.

By next weekend we should see the outline of the new layout taking shape, although this is a short week due to Thanksgiving so I don’t expect a lot of progress. Everyone needs to take a break and eat turkey!

2731 Lyons laminated beams

2731 Lyons building permits

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2731 Lyons – Construction Begins

jrobillard — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:02:51 +0000

We’ve been waiting on the City of Austin to approve our building permits for our new project on 2731 Lyons since September 10th, and they finally came through last week. This was 9 weeks for approval of our project. Almost the amount of time we’d normally need to complete it.

I’m still not sure what caused the delay, but part of it apparently was a new system for approval that was supposed to improve turnaround. Doesn’t seem to be working.

Now that we’re back in business I’m going to re-start the count as week 0 AP (after permits). I’ll have news of our progress (finally) next week.

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The Robillard Group Open 2012

jrobillard — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:12:29 +0000

Thanks to everyone who made it to the 2012 edition of The Robillard Group Open. Our last event was in 1989 so it’s been a while, but we had such a good turnout that we’re planning to make this a yearly event again, at least as long as the Putt Putt course is around. Here are some photos from last night.

The Robillard Group Open 2012

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Third Occasional Robillard Group Open

jrobillard — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:06:57 +0000

It’s been about 24 years since the last Robillard open, so we decided that it’s time for another one. We held the first and second at the old ‘official’ Putt Putt course on North Lamar, but since that’s long gone we’re going with the iconic Peter Pan course on Barton Springs Rd. Apologies to any Putt Putt purists out there.

To keep in the spirit of past events we will be providing very little, so bring a cooler with your favorite beverages (no glass please) and a good attitude. We’ll have prizes, but don’t get your hopes up for a new iPad or trip to Disneyworld. As usual they’ll be underwhelming and awarded on a totally random basis.

Here are a few photos from the 1989 event to get you in the spirit.

1989 Robillard Open

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Austin Real Estate Market Update – September 2012

jrobillard — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:16:00 +0000

I just received the Austin Real Estate Market Update for September from the National Association of Realtors. As I’ve already reported, after several years of relatively flat results the median home price in Austin rose by about 8% compared to the same quarter last year. There are lot’s of other interesting information in the report for those of you who are into charts and graphs.

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