WHY CHOOSE BOSGRAAF

The Full History of Bosgraaf Homes By Amy (Bosgraaf) Alderink Over the years, many people have asked how this family-owned business known as Bosgraaf Homes came to be. Well, it started 30 years ago when the family learned to downhill snow ski.

You see, there was a farmer, Ted Bosgraaf, who owned sod farms with his brother Jack and father Ben. In the late 1960’s there was a new ski mountain under construction “up north” called Schuss Mountain. They needed sod, a lot of it. We needed ski lessons, and a lot of them, for our family of four kids (I was still a glimmer). So, my dad, Ted, traded sod for all the ski lessons and lodging we could handle. Did I mention we are a family of very good skiers?

Well, sod was not a very fun thing to farm. Kind of like “sitting around watching the grass grow” but a lot of work because of the mold, disease, and critters that invade the product. Therefore, when Ted was approached with an idea to build a dam, flood his 812 acre farm to create a 228 acre lake, and turn it into a resort area, it sounded like a great idea. The onion and sod farm is now the 2,400 campsite community in Allegan County known as Sandy Pines.

Members started living at Sandy Pines in 1972, the year I was born. Living in a trailer with five children was a cozy experience. My crib was the bath tub and my brothers, Mike, Brian, and Scott, slept in the screen porch whenever possible.

Ted continued to develop Sandy Pines as well as farm celery and onions on various farms that his family owned in West Michigan through the 1970’s.
In the late 1970’s, Ted, his brother Jack and other partners started development and construction of 220 condominium homes surrounding a small par 3 golf course in Hudsonville, called Summergreen. Summergreen was followed by the condominiums in Grand Haven called Sandpiper. For all of you Pronto-Pup lovers, these are the condos directly across the street. The city of Grand Haven approached the Bosgraaf company regarding the re-development of the old Story and Clark Piano Factory in downtown Grand Haven. We purchased the buildings and renovated them into condominiums, retail shopping, and restaurants. At this time, the company was known as Bosgraaf Sales and Leasing.

In the mid-80’s, my mom (Pat Bosgraaf) became a real estate broker and set up her office in Holland. In fact, her office was directly across the street from our current office building on Douglas Avenue. Pat had one employee, my brother Mike. Mike was still attending Calvin College but had earned his real estate license. Pat and Mike were selling our condominium development on the south side of Holland called Spring Lane, as well as selling general real estate (also known as “used” houses).

Bosgraaf Sales and Leasing decided to split in 1985. At that time, Ted and my brother Brian formed the company Bosgraaf Homes and took over the Holland developments. My uncle Jack and other partners kept the name Bosgraaf Sales and Leasing and took over the Grand Haven/Hudsonville/Grand Rapids developments.

In it’s first fifteen years in Holland, Bosgraaf Homes would launch such developments as Bay Meadows, the Cottages at Bay Meadows, Windstream, Rolling Oak, Tall Grass, Sunflower, Silver Ridge, Sunridge, and Woodwind. Brian led the construction side of the business, Ted the development side, and Pat and Mike the sales.

In the meantime, I was plodding through high school and college, and my job title at Bosgraaf Homes for the summers was construction waste engineer. Basically, I drove the cleanup truck and picked up trash all day.

In the late 90’s, Brian felt a calling to sell his part of the company and volunteer for Inner City Christian Federation (ICCF), which builds homes for low-income families in the inner city of Grand Rapids. After spending 2 years at ICCF, he started a home design company. Brian does some large remodel jobs and builds a few custom homes per year.

On January 1, 2001, Mike and I completed our buyout of our dad, Ted. Ted is still very involved in the land development for Bosgraaf Homes. Mike and I are the sole owners of Bosgraaf Homes and we are having a great time working with an incredibly talented team of people. Kris DeVree, Norm Vredeveld, and Doug Ritsema have been with us almost since the beginning and helped us grow from a handful of homes per year to more than 100 per year.

It has been an honor for our family to build homes for more than 1,000 families in West Michigan and we look forward to many more years of partnerships with our team of employees, our trade partners, and our homebuyers.

Since 1999, Bosgraaf Homes has committed to building every one of its homes to standards set by Energy Star – a program through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to encourage energy efficiency. In the Fall of 2006, Bosgraaf unveiled its 1,000th Energy Star certified home - more than any other builder in the state. “When you look at our homes from the outside and the inside, they look like a high-quality newly constructed home. It’s when you go beneath the surface that you see our homes take this quality and energy efficiency to another level,” said Michael Bosgraaf, president of Bosgraaf Homes. In 2006, the EPA named Bosgraaf an Energy Star Partner of the Year for its outstanding commitment to energy efficiency and protecting the environment. “We build every one of our homes to Energy Star standards because we know it is the right thing to do for the environment and the homeowner,” Bosgraaf said. “At the same time as we reduce greenhouse emissions, our homeowners are enjoying greater comfort in their homes and reduced utility bills.” Homeowners in Michigan can save more than $500 per year on their energy bills in an Energy Star home.

An Energy Star home is 40 to 50 percent more efficient than new homes built to the 1993 National Model Energy Code. Building to Energy Star standards is not complex or highly expensive. It simply requires using proven materials, setting a standard for quality construction, and testing the finished product to be sure it has accomplished the goals. When you look beneath the surface of a Bosgraaf Energy Star certified home, here is what you will see:

Insulation: All Bosgraaf homes have R-38 attic insulation and R-13 wall insulation manufactured by NU-WOOL, a Jenison, Michigan-based company. R-value measures insulation’s resistance to heat flow, and the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power. With levels as high as R-38 and R-13, homeowners are assured optimal energy performance and energy savings, as well as quality sound-proofing. Bosgraaf also employs strict procedures for insulation installation, ensuring there are no gaps, compressions or misalignments. NU-WOOL Attic Insulation and NU-WOOL WALLSEAL are manufactured from recycled fibers. Each pound of the insulation contains at least 85 percent paper fiber content. The fibers are treated with boric acid and sodium polyborate to create permanent flame resistance. The additives are mold-resistant, nontoxic, non-corrosive, will not irritate normal skin, will not give off odor during or after insulation, will not attract vermin or insects and will not adversely affect other building materials. This environmentally friendly insulation provides up to 40 percent savings on energy bills when compared to conventional insulation materials.

Furnace: Bosgraaf uses 92 percent Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) furnaces which use up to 20 percent less energy than standard efficiency models.

Air Conditioning: All Bosgraaf homes are equipped with SEER 13 air conditioners for greater efficiency and durability. SEER, or “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio,” is defined as the total cooling output provided by the unit during its normal annual usage period divided by its total energy input during the same period. With SEER 13 units, Bosgraaf homeowners are enjoying optimal cooling with minimal energy use.

Doors: JeldWen steel doors complement the JeldWen vinyl Low-E windows in every Bosgraaf home. The doors are made of 24-gauge galvanized steel with an epoxy coated galvanized steel interior and two coats of baked-on white exterior finish. With an insulating core and customized fit, the doors provide maximum energy savings.

Windows: Bosgraaf uses JeldWen vinyl Low- E windows to keep its homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter. JeldWen, like Bosgraaf Homes, has been named an Energy Star Partner of the Year. Low- E, or low-emissivity, insulating glass features transparent microscopic layers of silver placed between layers of anti-reflective metal oxide coatings. These coatings block 83 percent of harmful UV rays and 96 percent of the sun’s infrared heat. In the winter, Low-E helps keep homes warmer, reduces condensation, and offers greater visible light transmittance than tinted glass. So Bosgraaf homeowners are ensured the best year-round performance and energy savings of at least 15 percent over clear glass.

Air-sealed home: Bosgraaf homes are sealed with caulks, foams, weather stripping, gaskets and door sweeps in places that commonly allow air filtration. Ducts are sealed and Pactiv Green Guard house wrap is installed to shed water from the house. The result is air-tight construction with proper ventilation.

Faucets: Moen faucets are made with patented one-piece cartridges, which means no washers, springs or discs which commonly cause drips. By preventing leakage, these faucets allow energy savings for Bosgraaf homeowners.

Light fixtures: Bosgraaf homeowners now have the option to install Kichler energy efficient light fixtures in their home. These lights use 2/3 less energy than conventional lighting and last 6 to 10 times longer.

Programmable thermostat: Bosgraaf homeowners use Lennox programmable thermostats to regulate moisture levels and temperature inside their home around the clock, providing convenience and comfort, as well as energy savings. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that homeowners can save about $100 a year in utility bills when using a programmable thermostat properly.

Water heater: Bosgraaf homes are equipped with high efficiency, gas-fired, power vented water heaters. A high efficiency gas-fired water heater can reduce water heating bills by 10 to 25 percent over a minimum efficiency gasfired water heater.

Appliances: When new home buyers opt for General Electric Energy Star-rated appliances in their home, they can enjoy additional energy savings. GE Consumer & Industrial has been recognized as an Energy Star Partner of the Year for three years and this year, won the Sustained Excellence Award for its outstanding commitment to creating highperformance household appliances and lighting products that help reduce energy spending and protect the environment. Energy Star qualified GE refrigerators use 40 percent less energy than conventional models sold in 2001, and about 50 percent less than models manufactured before 1993. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing a 10-year-old dishwasher with an Energy Star model can save $25 or more per year in energy costs.