Rheem Manufacturing Co.'s, Air Conditioning Division, recently introduced its "Better Home Planning Guide" at the 2006 International Builders' Show. The online program provides an additional revenue source to homebuilders, increasing the value and profitability of the homes they build by providing customized HVAC system upgrade options for their potential homebuyer customers.

Available to homebuilders, homebuyers, and HVAC contractors, the guide can be accessed by visiting www.rheembuildergroup.com or www.ruudbuildergroup.com. The guide allows for total collaboration between builder, homebuyer, and contractor in creating a customized HVAC system for a healthy, energy-efficient, and comfortable home.

Bill Alderson, Rheem and Ruud publications and web services manager, explained how the guide works.

"The Better Home Planning Guide provides HVAC contractors and home builders with an easy-to-use online HVAC home upgrade program. The contractor works with the builder to select the Rheem/Ruud products that best fit the home being constructed.

"The homebuyer can then use the system to learn more about the offered HVAC products before making their HVAC product selection online. The process is easy to follow, and free to all Rheem and Ruud HVAC contractors."

Guide users can access, in real time, photos of a wide range of Rheem and Ruud product choices, product descriptions, warranty options, personalized mortgage impact calculations, operating cost comparisons, investment payback calculations, and geographic and local area considerations such as utility rates and climate patterns.

"The Better Home Planning Guide has been called one of the most valuable tools a builder can use to assist their new home buyer customers in designing the most complete, efficient, healthy home comfort system for their homes, which ultimately helps builders grow their businesses," said Mike Barnes, national accounts manager for Rheem and Ruud.

"We wanted to help builders gain an advantage over their competition by assisting homebuyers by offering home comfort system options that may be important to them. When given options, 60 percent of the time buyers will upgrade to more fully featured comfort systems with rapid comfort and economic payback that generates high homeowner satisfaction levels and higher profit margins for builders."

The guide is customized for each builder with standard equipment, upgraded packages, and equipment costs loaded into the system. Forecasting tools show the additional builder profits expected from each upgrade as well as many other useful planning and builder management functions.

The guide was recently named Showcase Award Winner for design by Comfortech 2005, besting entries from more than 150 contenders. It won based largely on its innovation, design functionality, ease-of-use, and user added value.

"Our goal with The Better Home Planning Guide is to provide contractors with the online tools that they need to help them compete in the home builder market," said Alderson. "Using the guide allows the contractor to select several upgrade options for the home buyer, who can then research and select a package at their leisure."

He noted that signing up to use the guide is a simple process. "To receive a free username and password, the potential user simply completes a brief form by clicking on the ‘Click Here To Receive Information' button," Alderson said. "The person requesting information or login privileges will be contacted by Rheem/Ruud personnel to set up an account."

Publication date: 01/30/2006