Notes from AXE.
Projects, practical lessons, and a look at how we work.
Why Fewer Builders Can Handle New Construction Projects
At first glance, construction can seem pretty straightforward. Plenty of firms can renovate a house, build a rowhome, or manage a small addition. But once a project crosses a…
The Real Costs of Unexpected Structural Repairs During a Philadelphia Home Renovation
Today we’re diving into everyone’s favorite renovation topic – the costs to remedy unexpected structural problems . We’ll provide the knowledge, and you can provide the…
Lessons from Restoring a 200-Year-Old Custom Home in Philadelphia’s Historic District
At Axe Builders, we’ve been fortunate to work on some truly unique and high-end projects. But 313 S. Smedley Street in Philadelphia’s Historic District has been one of the most…
Choosing a Builder: How to Find the Right Fit (And Avoid the Wrong One)
Today, we’re stepping into your shoes and asking the same questions we would if we were in your position: How do I choose the right builder?
AXE Builders Origin Story
People sometimes ask how I got started in this business, and the truth is, it wasn’t a straight line. I’m Andrew, Co-Founder and CEO of Axe Builders. My business partner Tyler,…
Finish Selections and Procurement: Our Construction Process
How we coordinate approved specifications, material orders, and deliveries to keep construction moving.
Watch for These 7 Red Flags When Picking a Contractor in Philadelphia
Picking the right contractor for your construction project is a massive decision. In many instances, this will be a relationship that lasts over a year, and it will likely be…
Building a Custom Home: Outsmarting the Risks
In our previous blog, we discussed the financial benefits of building your dream home. But we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t also give you a complete picture of the…
Building a Custom Home: The Financial Benefits
It’s rare to find instances where we get to ‘have our cake and eat it too,’ but building a custom home can be one of them. Building a custom home comes with its own set of…
Breaking Down Construction Costs:
The response to our deal analysis for 1414 S 19th St was overwhelming, so we’re taking it one step further with a full breakdown of construction costs. For those curious about…
High-Rise Condo Remodel: A Unique Challenge
This project was not our typical undertaking, but it presented an exciting opportunity to push our boundaries and demonstrate our versatility. Our task was to combine two…
Why Choose Us?
We started the construction business so we could build our own projects. Now that we’re working with clients, we simply don’t have the ability to look at your project…
AXE Builders Pro Forma Template
This excel sheet has been tested through our own deals and it's constantly evolving based on real world info that we're seeing from our deals. A few tips for those of you who…
Cost Per Square Foot
"So, what's it cost you to build per square foot?" If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked this question then we wouldn't have to build anymore! Its easily the most…
AXE Builders Pre-Development Checklist
Navigating the permitting process in Philly can be . . . challenging, to say the least. It's definitely one of the biggest barriers to entry with regard to developing property…
How We Model Our General Contractor (GC) Fees
Alright, let’s solve this once and for all – What’s the best payment structure between a GC and their client to ensure that their incentive structures are aligned?
3 Components of an Ideal Partnership
Chaotic work weeks always remind me how fortunate I am to have a great partnership. My theory behind the qualities of an ideal partnership is simple. There are 3 components to…
Real Estate Investing: A Beginner’s Guide
Looking to get involved in real estate investing/development? Look no further.
Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR): 101
Get ready for a lively and vigorous discussion about a very important and relevant topic . . . one that you may be hearing about for the first time if you've only been buying…
Choose 2: Quality, Efficiency, Price
It's a common saying that when hiring a contractor, you can choose two of the above three attributes. We've found that to be very true, with one small caveat -- if you're…
The 4 Variables in Development
In this blog, I’m going to provide a breakdown of the four big variables in a development deal and why it's relatively difficult these days to make them pencil. To be clear,…
Real Estate Expenses: The 3 Most Common Misses
The three expenses most commonly missed in projections are (#1) Cleaning, Staging, Punch-out, (#2) Entitlement Costs, and (#3) Extension Fees.