NEWS WORTHY

Spring arrives this week, and you might be making a list of things you can do to help your house welcome the season. “Curb appeal is always a spring game changer,” says Malia Yee, lead designer for Graham Builders, the Honolulu design/build firm. “A new entryway or...

A couple of years ago, 500 homeowners who had recently completed renovation projects were asked about their project’s most difficult challenges. Almost a third said budgeting was the biggest challenge. Others included choosing a contractor, shopping for fixtures and...

The year was 1990. Danny Graham, a McKinley High graduate who had served in the Air Force, decided to open a contracting company. He already owned a successful realty company and a thriving water purification business. But after volunteering some of his time with RICO...

In the days and weeks ahead, homeowners around the world will welcome 2025 with plans for organization, resolution, and renewal. “The New Year is a perfect time to think about maintenance and improvements in a number of areas in your home,” says Lenore Smith of Graham...

If you’ve always wanted to host holiday parties for your friends and family, you might be imagining how to transform your house into the perfect gathering place. Or you might already be planning to build a home that will be perfect for celebrations. “Either way, there...

As a hom  eowner, you likely already know that Hawaii’s hurricane season officially ends at the end of this month. “Even though hurricane season will soon be over, it’s a good idea to plan now, so you’re ready for the next season,” says Ryan Graham, VP of operations...

Paving the Way in the Design-Build Field Client care manager Lenore Smith refl ects on Graham Builders’ commitment to empowerment. Describe your company and its role in the construction industry. Founded in 1990 by Danny Graham, our company was one of the fi rst...

Does your house feel overcrowded and outdated? Do you dream of a larger, more functional home? There are numerous advantages to expanding or remodeling your residence. “You can enhance your lifestyle, improve safety and security, and increase your property value, just...

Deep in Manoa Valley, the community is quite densely packed, with houses nestled right up against the glorious Koolau Range. Tucked into a quiet corner of this stunningly beautiful valley is a house that is modern and expansive, filled with warm and welcoming natural...

 On our densely populated island, many small older residences are in need of updating and modernizing. And with the highest real estate costs in the country -- $660/square foot, versus the national median of about $233 – it’s critical to maximize every inch of those...

Remodel or rebuild? It’s a question that occasionally confounds homeowners with older houses whose bones just aren’t “quite right.” Remodeling involves changing the structure or layout of a home, removing walls or changing the flow or structure of a building. Rebuild,...

Oahu’s temperate climate and extraordinary beauty often present homeowners with unique opportunities for outdoor living. But these opportunities are often accompanied by challenges like inclement weather patterns, erosion, sound and privacy issues, among others. “With...

Spacious… inviting… filled with light. Nestled against the Koolau Mountains in Waimanalo, the home is expansive and welcoming, bright with natural light that streams in through gable-end windows, wide sliding glass doors, and high windows that surround the living room...

It hardly seems possible, but Graham Builders hosted its very first “Building Your Home for Life” seminar in 1996. Over the past 27 years, hundreds of Oahu homeowners have been able to take advantage of the construction and renovation information shared at each free...

When you think about the houses you find most comfortable and inviting, is your own home on the list? “A well-designed home doesn’t just look good; it feels good, too,” says Evan Fujimoto, president of Graham Builders, the award-winning Honolulu design-build firm....

You’re undoubtedly familiar with the term “smart phone.” Most of us have smart phones in our pockets or purses, and we use the amazing little devices to connect with each other through a wide variety of communication apps. But what, exactly, is a smart home? And how...

Self-reliance is an admirable trait, but some home construction projects are simply too ambitious for even the cleverest do-it-yourselfers. “The myth of DIY – ‘do it yourself’ -- construction refers to the misconception that anybody can undertake complex construction...

To renovate or not to renovate? That is, indeed, the Shakespearean question many of us ask ourselves when we contemplate the leaking roofs, creaking floors, and sticking doors in our old houses. Sometimes, according to Evan Fujimoto of Graham Builders, the answer is...

Thinking about building or renovating a house, or adding new rooms to your home? If you’re the sort of homeowner who appreciates the convenience of working with one cohesive team from the beginning to the end of a project, you might consider hiring a design-build...

According to Pew Research, around 60 million American households are considered “multi-generational” -- generally defined as a family in which three or more generations live together. Here in the Aloha State, strong family values and the high cost of both caregiving...

It might be a homeowner’s worst nightmare: waking up to the smell of smoke, and the unmistakable sounds of fire, crackling and popping. “Building one’s dream home usually doesn’t start this way, but for too many people, it begins with a nightmare,” says Evan Fujimoto,...

Over the past three decades, the construction project delivery method known as design-build has become tremendously popular in the United States. In a survey conducted by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) and FMI Consulting, homeowner satisfaction with...