Outhouse

Design Inspiration: The High Line, NYC

October 1, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

Bring Your Home Designs to Fruition at Outhouse

Have you ever stumbled upon a place so unexpected and exhilarating that it floods your mind with creative ideas and inspiration? That’s exactly what I experienced on a recent trip to New York City while exploring the High Line, an elevated linear park built on a former rail line. This isn’t just any public park; the High Line is a unique blend of art, architecture, and urban design. Stretching 1.45 miles through Manhattan’s West Side it offers stunning views of the city’s skyline and showcases some of its most innovative buildings.

Iconic Architectural Landmarks

From the elevated perch, high above the crowds, the view of iconic buildings, like the Empire State Building, is astonishing. Here are a few of the wonderful buildings you see along the way:

The Eleventh (BIG): Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, this striking complex features two twisting towers at 76 Eleventh Avenue. Known for its bold geometry and expansive glass walls, The Eleventh offers panoramic views and a modern twist on traditional skyscraper aesthetics.

*The Eleventh – designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group.*

520 West 28th Street (Zaha Hadid Architects): A hallmark of contemporary design, this building is noted for its curving metallic façade and futuristic appeal. It is one of the last projects by the legendary architect Zaha Hadid, making it a significant landmark on the High Line.

Chelsea Market: Originally a factory for the National Biscuit Company, this historic building now serves as a vibrant market with various food vendors and shops. The High Line runs through the building, showcasing its blend of old and new architectural elements.

*The High Line making it’s way through Chelsea Market.*

10 Hudson Yards (Coach Building): This skyscraper marks the northern terminus of the High Line and is a central part of the Hudson Yards development, a massive urban revitalization project often compared to Rockefeller Center in scale and impact.

*10 Hudson Yards building in the distance.*

Unique Experiences and Sights

Walking along the High Line offers more than just architectural wonders. The park itself is a showcase of landscape design, featuring over 500 species of plants. Areas like the Gansevoort Woodland and the Washington Grasslands offer serene green spaces amidst the urban hustle

The High Line also functions as an outdoor art gallery. With installations like Paola Pivi’s “You know who I am” and Nina Beier’s “Women & Children,” the park provides a continuous rotation of thought-provoking art that enhances the visitor experience.

*Mural by renowned Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra.*

Although some people don’t love these, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I found “The Vessel,” and a whimsical sculpture by artist Danny Cole to be quite entertaining as well.

The Vessel – centerpiece of Hudson Yards. This interactive sculpture was imagined by British designer Thomas Heatherwick.

What’s The Connection Here to Home Building?

Wherever you find inspiration for new homes, whether it be the High Line in Manhattan, an out-of-this-world experience elsewhere, or a simple walk in the neighborhood park, Outhouse, the outsource hub for home builders, can help bring your wildest ideas to fruition. Give us a sketch on a napkin, and our architectural team will produce a full set of construction documents.

While plans are in progress, our rendering team will meticulously craft your 3D exterior and interior elevations, virtual tours, and visualizers. Our interactive team works their magic to build digital tools like interactive floor plans and interactive site maps that will engage your homebuyers. We can also coordinate digital assets with your web designer including industry experts Blue Tangerine, Bokka Group, Group Two, Meredith Communications, and Adlanta Creative,

All of this can be accomplished simultaneously in a compressed timeline bringing your homes to market faster, and increasing your ROI.

*The juxtaposition of old and new is striking. The iconic Empire State Building in the background.*

Conclusion

The High Line is a testament to New York City’s ability to innovate and adapt, transforming an old rail line into a vibrant public space that seamlessly blends nature, art, and architecture. Whether you’re an architecture enthusiast or just looking for a unique urban experience, the High Line offers a fascinating journey through some of the city’s most captivating sights.

If you visit the High Line, or anywhere else that inspires some fresh design ideas, draw a quick sketch, and send it over to Outhouse. We will take it from there to bring your idea to life!

10 Lessons Ted Lasso Would Have for the Home Building Industry

October 1, 2024
By Tabitha Warren

Courtesy Apple+

This Fall, “Believe” wore me down. I had been hearing about Ted Lasso for two seasons. As a person that isn’t into watching sports, I wasn’t interested in a show about a football (soccer) team. But references were everywhere. Finally, on a walk with my husband, I (begrudgingly) looked at him and said, “I think we should watch Ted Lasso.” His eyes nearly fell out of his head.

This wasn’t because he had wanted to watch it. He didn’t even know what it was about. Recently, he had to return to the office. He had to host a temporary project for an executive team and teach them to use new tools. Early in the experience, they made him write “Believe” and hang it over the door to the conference room. He didn’t get the reference. We hadn’t watched Ted Lasso. His team was floored that he didn’t get it. He was happy to dive in with me and be in on the mantra.

Ted Lasso is a heart-warming show about an American football coach that is hired by an English football (soccer) club. They hire him for his uniquely up-beat and sometimes over the top coaching style. He’s charismatic. Ted arrives in England only to discover that the English don’t believe in hope and optimism. His own brand of hopeful leadership continuously hits brick walls of negativity. Ted finds that his first obstacle won’t be helping with soccer strategy, it will be battling prevailing negative, downtrodden attitudes. After his first day on the job, he posts a sign above the locker room doors that simply says, “Believe.” It’s his way of planting the seed of hope in the minds of his players.

It took three episodes for Ted’s charisma and off-beat leadership style to win my husband and I over. From there, like many people, I started writing down Ted quotes and applying them to my industry: home building. Here are ten key take-aways for anyone working in home building out there:

1. “Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn’t it? If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.”

If the pandemic has taught us anything, things in the home building industry need to change. This varies from updating our websites, to having new virtual tools, to designing houses to have better flex space for families that are working and schooling from home.

2. “As the man once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get.”

There is no doubt that home building and sales are hard work! The market might make it seem like hard work isn’t necessary now. However, home site availability, or lack thereof, has presented new challenges. How are competitors retaining customers with wait lists that can seem unmanageable? Are they just lucky? Or maybe they are creating luck by working hard and listening to customers? Have a plan that keeps customers interested. When products aren’t ready and available, get good at customer nurturing. Wait list management can be one of the more difficult aspects of our industry. It is hard work, but there are several different strategies to take this on when experiencing “gapping.” Solutions include setting a priority list without target dates, a priority list with target dates, reservations with or without base pricing, price increases every x sales, lottery releases, eBay style auctions, sell with escalation clauses on costs, or pause sales entirely for a set amount of time. For more information on these strategies check out this article from our friends at Do You Convert: The Definitive Guide To Priority Lists In 2021

3. “You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory.”

There is a rule out there called “the 15 second rule”. This is how long your website has to catch your prospective customer’s attention! Are you running SEO to see how long customers are staying on your website? This will tell you if you need to consider updating your website, adding new interactive tools, or scraping it and starting over from scratch.¹

Customers need that 10 second hit of endorphins. Does your website delight? We want those happy goldfish. Don’t let them forget you. Well-designed websites, like those made by Blue Tangerine, with great interactive tools, like Interactive Floor Plans by Outhouse are great ways to keep customers on your website and interested in your homes. For more information on how to build an award winning website and win your customers over, check out this blog by Blue Tangerine: 10 Tips for Home Builder Websites.

4. “If the Internet has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes it’s easier to speak our minds anonymously.”

This one is an internal suggestion. In an early episode, Ted implements a suggestion box for the team. Things are brought to his attention by a few players that he may not have known on his own. Not all decisions can be made in a vacuum. Not all information can be caught by one or two people. Here at Outhouse, the management does an anonymous annual survey asking what our team would like to see change at the company. It, also, asks what they like and would like to see stay the same. It has helped us change and evolve. There is an open-ended question asking for any other input we think they should know. The anonymity really opens people up. They feel freer to say what they feel and think. Maybe your company would benefit from doing things like this a few times a year. Maybe your sales agents and marketing team has caught trends or gaps in your system that you’re missing.

Courtesy Apple+

5. “I think that you might be so sure that you’re one in a million, that sometimes you forget that out there you’re just one in 11.”

Demand was at an all-time high in 2021. It’s forecast to continue this way into 2022. There are stories out there about customers feeling like they weren’t treated as having been valued. Home builders knew that another customer would come along and buy the home if the last prospect was unhappy. This is a terrible way to build a brand reputation and repeat buyers! Don’t be so sure that your company is the end-all-be-all. Even in a high demand market, customers need to be treated with value.

6. “I feel like we fell out of the lucky tree and hit every branch on the way down, ended up in a pool of cash and Sour Patch Kids.”

Remember that markets change! What are you doing to market to the future that slows down? Are you planning ahead? Our friend Meredith Oliver at Meredith Communications hosts a live stream event the first Friday of every month to discuss sales and marketing. It’s a great place to get ideas, keep on top of market changes, and connect with other people in the industry. She also has guests that are worth following. One of her guests may become a valuable resource! Bottom line: find resources that work. Luck won’t last forever.

7. “There’s two buttons I never like to hit: that’s panic and snooze.”

I just wanted to drive the point home here. We are at an unprecedented time in the housing market. But it is not time to panic. Maybe it was a few months back for those of us who weren’t prepared for the sudden and massive shift to online home sales, but that ship has sailed my friends! Hopefully, by now everyone has made the necessary changes, and customers can explore homes online. It is, however, time to put a plan in place on how to continue that progress. Know customer expectations. Have a budget for those things. Even if those things are in place, it is not time to get complacent. It is, also, not time to snooze because the market is booming! It’s time to be preparing for when the market slows. Know how to make it through lean times, and how to drive sales during those times.

8. “I believe in Communism. Rom-communism, that is. If Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan can go through some heartfelt struggles and still end up happy, then so can we.”

This is an industry with extreme highs and extreme lows. We struggle together, and luckily, we are not in it alone! What can we do to prepare for those heartfelt times of struggle? First, consider working with industry experts to grow your home sales. Many larger builders already do this as regular practice. Experts help incorporate web tools like interactive floor plans and virtual tours that buyers expect and that top builders are already using. They also help maintain unique brand identities. Those items are our second point. Even without expert help, it may be an important strategy to incorporate web tools and present a strong brand identity. We want customers to recognize us in the din of online marketing vying for their attention. This is how we all end up happy, builders and buyers, no matter the market position.

9. “We all know speed is important. But being able to stop and change directions quickly? Well, that’s like Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak. It don’t get nearly enough credit.”

During 2021, we witnessed the beginning of the “Great Reshuffling.”² People began to move from where they had to live for work to where and how they wanted to live for work from home. This shifted market demands to different areas as well as the type of housing that customers were demanding. Amidst a housing shortage, it was now the mark of a great home builder to be able to shift their offerings. We’ve seen a high demand for things like flex spaces, green spaces, and so many other trends. Ted’s lesson here: be able to build a quality product quickly but be able to evaluate market demands and change quickly when the market calls for it.

10. “Here’s an idea that’s gonna help a little or hurt a whole lot. Who needs a drink?”

Like Ted, making real changes and progress in home building starts with belief. From there, it takes a whole lot of hard work. For many, it may take changing decades long attitudes, traditions, and processes. It may take going against the grain, investing in new technology and new talent. What can’t happen is continuing to do things the same way that we always have. Like my TV mentor Ted, I’m going into 2022 with a little belief, a whole lotta optimism, and an open mind. I can’t wait to see how all of our friends out there progress as they adapt to this ever growing industry! We’ll be here to help.

Courtesy Apple+

Tabitha Warren was an Income Tax Accountant for 15+ years. In the first months of the pandemic, she took a chance and re-careered to freelance in Marketing. She currently, and very happily, works with video and photo editing, social media marketing, and now blog writing.

Zheng, D. (2020, May 14). The 15 Second Rule: 3 Reasons Why Users Leave a Website. Retrieved January 7, 2022 from https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/why-users-leave-a-website/
Zillow NewConstruction (n.d.), New Construction Conversion Playbook. Retrieved January 7, 2022 from https://wp-tid.zillowstatic.com/bedrock/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/09/Zillow_NewConstruction_ConversionPlaybook_2021.pdf

Visualization Sells

October 2, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

Lessons Learned from Zillow + a Trip to Croatia

*A mural at the market in Zagreb, the largest city and capital of Croatia.*

With its ancient towns, incredibly detailed architecture, and pops of color, the country of Croatia a sight to behold. If you haven’t been, this is one place that should be on your must-see travel list. The country is a visual feast, and the great walled cities like Dubrovnik and Split are spectacular! As you sail along the Dalmatian Coast and between the islands dotting the Adriatic Sea, the first glimpse of each city or town reveals a mass of limestone buildings with terra cotta tile roofs.

*Korcula Island, a historic fortified town.*

Although a bit similar, each is wonderful and breathtaking in its own way. Color and texture play a vital role in bringing out the unique personality of each island and the coastal area in general. Fantastic murals, light installations, brightly painted pottery, and fun, colorful yachts and boats stand in sharp contrast to the deep blue sea and off-white buildings. “A picture paints a thousand words” certainly applies to this amazing country, and that is why Croatia draws travelers from around the world.

Imagery and Engaging Tools are Vital to New Home Sales

The same holds true for your homes when it comes to painting a picture for potential buyers. Describing a “beautiful bedroom with tray ceiling and a pair of windows” is one thing. And then there is this rendering.

Which bedroom is most appealing to you? The one in the description, or the one in this beautiful rendering?!

A recent report by Zillow shows nearly half (49%) of new construction buyers under age 40 (Gen Z and millennials) say they feel very or extremely confident about making an offer on a home solely after seeing it virtually. The same holds true for 36% of buyers between the ages of 41 and 55 (Gen X).“

2020 brought some unique challenges to the home building industry. With Americans staying home in droves, builders were forced to rethink online marketing strategies. As the abundance of time people spend online continues in 2021, we see a growing contingent of sophisticated buyers who are making most purchases online; and retailers are spending billions of dollars engaging them. When it comes to their search for a new home, these same buyers seek out and expect a similar, interactive experience. Outdated 2D renderings and static floor plans are not enough to capture their attention. They are looking for tools like Interactive Floor Plans (IFPs) and Interactive Site Maps (ISMs). These tools are incredibly engaging and build emotional connections, especially the IFPs with their furniture planners, pricing tools, and structural options selectors. Statistics show that home buyers spend 2-3 minutes on the typical builder website. This time increases by 13-20 minutes, on average, with an Outhouse IFP.

*Click to engage the Outhouse Interactive Site Plan and Floor Plans.*

Statistics show that home buyers spend 2-3 minutes on the typical builder website. This time increases by 13-20 minutes, on average, with an Outhouse IFP.“

Also playing a huge role in online sales are virtual tours and animations, which allow home buyers to walk or fly through homes not yet constructed. These can be so lifelike with running water, crackling fireplaces, and more, they may even look better than the Matterport tours of your model homes. A massive benefit to builders is the cost, which is substantially less than building and furnishing a model.

*Click to see our animation in action – bubbling fountains included!*

Virtual Tours and Visualizers Bring Maximum Engagement

Kicking it up a notch are interior and exterior Visualizers, enticing home buyers to select color palettes, materials, and finishes for their new homes. In addition to clear, vivid images, the Outhouse Visualizer offers builders the choice between predetermined color schemes and a la carte selections.

Yes, model home traffic will gradually continue to grow, but the move to greater interaction online is here to stay. The pandemic has accelerated the widespread acceptance of new technologies. Even people who typically are later adopters have learned to use and appreciate the convenience of interactive online tools (can anyone say Zoom!). Visualizers, Virtual Tours, Animations, Interactive Floor Plans, and Interactive Site Plans are crucial for builder websites. All of these tools are designed to capture buyers. They market and sell your homes from anywhere in the world, even when your sales centers are closed.

Pants Optional – Episode One: Where Do I Start?

October 2, 2024
By Stuart Platt

Pants Optional is a series focused on advice to company Owners, Managers and Employees on how to be successful in a Work-From-Home business model.

Online work at home. A young man typing on a laptop sitting at a table at home.

Before 2020, deciding to become a Work From Home (WFH) company was exactly that; a decision. When the pandemic hit, many companies had this decision made for them – Become a WFH company or risk losing some staff or your company altogether. For those of you who survived the nightmare of shifting to a WFH business model, practically overnight, you sincerely have my undying respect and admiration. If you have already, or intend to, bring everybody back to the office to continue ‘business as usual’ the Pants Optional series may not be of much value to you. Those who will benefit most from this series are:

Business Owners forced into a WFH business model with a desire to continue doing so.
Business Owners considering moving to a permanent WFH business model from scratch.
Managers wanting to develop and improve WFH policies, procedures, and communication.
Workers looking for support and advice on how to navigate the surprisingly complex WFH transition.
Anybody already working in a WFH environment open to learning more tips and tricks as this work/lifestyle evolves.

So… Where do I start? Seeing as every business is different, the steps Outhouse went through may not apply to what you will need to follow, but the overall goals will likely be the same or very similar. The primary categories all companies will need to focus on are Technology, Operations, and Culture and that is what this episode will cover.

As an owner, I often found myself the cause of delays because I had stretched myself too thin… “

First, give yourself as much time as possible to plan and research. I started entertaining the idea of going remote 24 months before doing so with some light research 18-months before the move I got very serious putting mostly my own time into researching a transition; then at T-minus 12-months I formed a team of my smartest employees to help make it happen, with me still deeply involved in every aspect. My biggest recommendation is to form a team early, even if it means hiring consultants to do most of the heavy lifting. I sacrificed way more of my own hours towards research, planning and executing than I anticipated or frankly needed. As an owner, I often found myself the cause of delays because I had stretched myself too thin, neglecting other responsibilities. Do not do the same to yourself.

Technology

Hardware/software, file sharing, security, backups and redundancies, internal and external communications are going to be your biggest concerns with many unforeseen obstacles along the way.

File sharing was my company’s biggest challenge. We maintain roughly 1.5 million files (15 terabytes) in our active libraries and projects. With 40 people sharing files across 10 states, we still have frequent hiccups and have not figured it out 100%.

Another challenge was IT troubleshooting and hardware issues. To help solve this we moved to outsourcing 24-hour IT support and maintenance. Today, every employee has nearly instant online support for software issues. For hardware failures we utilize Amazon’s same-day/next-day deliveries or in emergencies send workers to pick up hardware at their local electronics stores. It’s rare anything takes longer than 24-hours to fix with most issues being resolved within 4-6 hours.

If you are technology heavy, do not be surprised if your expenses go up instead of down. Outsourcing IT support may be one of those areas. You may also spend more on upgraded cloud software, backup subscriptions, filesharing services, additional hardware for home-office systems, Zoom, etc.

Operations

Standard operating procedures, office space, project management, team dynamics, vendor relations, meetings, working with customers and so much more. Operations is likely going to be the longest and most time-consuming list of challenges to solve, but you will also find opportunities for some surprising wins.

With the luxury of having over a year of planning, we were able to test a lot of systems and processes before the actual move. Internal employee communication is a good example. We moved to Microsoft Teams several months before the physical move and directed our in-office staff to communicate as if they were home.

Operations is likely going to be the longest and most time-consuming list of challenges to solve, but you will also find opportunities for some surprising wins. “

One of the surprising wins was in training new and existing employees. Being able to remotely watch the trainer while sharing each other’s screens was a big benefit over standing over someone’s shoulder taking notes. It was also easier for an employee to call in and share their screen with a trainer to ask questions.

We only had 1 or 2 employees who could not handle working from home. Sometimes you must accept it just isn’t in a person’s nature to work without physical supervision. This is the benefit of our Office Optional program. This at least gives local employees the choice to come back to the office.

Silhouette of group happy business team making high hands over head in beautiful sunset sky evening time for business success and teamwork concept in company

Culture

Many books about business will tell you something along the lines of “company culture is the shared values, attributes, and characteristics of an organization,” but the best company cultures also consider people’s emotions. In an office environment, it’s much easier to walk around, stop by someone’s desk or office and take the temperature of how individuals are feeling about things. People go to lunch or happy hour together. Face-to-face casual/intimate/honest conversations come more naturally in an office environment than over a video call. This dynamic is going to change when people work remotely, and leadership is going to need to adjust to make up for this.

A 2020 survey[1] shows Collaboration/Communication and Loneliness tied for first as the biggest struggles with working remotely. The longer a person works from home, the more likely they will start feeling disconnected from their coworkers, the company, and the leadership. When that happens, it is just a matter of time before they stop caring about the company or the individuals they work with.

The longer a person works from home, the more likely they will start feeling disconnected from their coworkers, the company, and the leadership. “

As a business owner, if you want to set your company up for the best chance of success working from home, be prepared to spend as much time designing new ways to stay connected to your people as you spend solving your technology and operational challenges. Because, well… feelings matter. Yes, culture is about values, attributes, and characteristics of the organization, but it is also about the interpersonal relationships your people share within the company. Developing, nurturing, and maintaining relationships inside a physical office space comes more naturally than in a work-from-home setting.

Many industries will never be able to offer WFH for some, most or any of their employees. The logistics just will not allow it. However, with technology that exists today, and in the future, many businesses are discovering WFH not only works, but may be an even better business model than before.

[1] Buffer.com/state-of-remote-2020

About the Author: Stuart Platt, Managing Partner at Outhouse LLC restructured his 25+ year company to an Office Optional (OffOp) business model in 2018. Stuart’s version of the OffOp model enabled the company of nearly 40 employees to downsize its physical office from 14,000sf to 6,000sf. Based in Phoenix, local employees desiring to work in the office for a few days, weeks or months can reserve any open desk whenever they want. The remaining employees work from home, fulltime across 10 different states and counting.