Amenities Aplenty
When a product is classified as a luxury item, it might be misleading. Not all luxury items are expensive if implemented at the appropriate time. Some products cost less than an alternative, and other products may require more of an initial investment but cost less to use over time. To illustrate each of these three points, the Designer Dream Homes™ staff chose three products: the Ultimo residential elevator from Savaria, the Vitapur® water purification system from CFM Specialty Home Products and the Personal Valet® clothes vitalizing system from Whirlpool®.
APPROPRIATE TIME
Ultimo Residential Elevator
The time between choosing a home plan and starting construction is crucial. This is the time you will begin to choose appliances and amenities that fit into your budget and find out if your house may need to be modified to accommodate those items. This is also the period in which you will begin to plan for the distant future, being as prepared as possible for what lies ahead.
Although the Ultimo residential elevator can be retrofitted into an existing house, it’s easier to budget an item like this in the beginning. Spending less on one item allots money for another, and an elevator would provide convenience, be more likely to help meet future needs and raise your resale value.
The Ultimo addresses one of the largest problems in development — shrinking lot sizes — but you don’t have to sacrifice the square footage you desire in order to fit your lot. The Ultimo allows you to build up, and with no machine room, it’s easier to incorporate the elevator where you want it.
“It’s nothing to plan the Ultimo into your design from the start. It doesn’t cost very much for the hoistway. Most elevators need a machine room, and it takes some space — almost double the size — to house the machine room,” said Robert Berthiaume, vice president of Savaria Inc. “We can make the Ultimo fit in just about any space possible, because we are the only one that makes a roped-hydraulic elevator without a machine room.”
COSTS LESS THAN
AN ALTERNATIVE
Vitapur® Water Purification System
In order to choose the appliance or amenity that best suits your needs, you should thoroughly compare products, which includes their functions, maintenance levels and prices. You might have a less expensive product that is too limited in function, or what might appear to be a less expensive product at first might cost you a lot more money to maintain. You may even discover one product takes the place of many.
The Vitapur® water purification system is a point-of-entry system that actually costs less to install and maintain than some of its competitors, and when considering function, it excels and takes the place of many point-of-use systems you’ll find with sinks, showers and even garden faucets. In its house, the Vitapur® makes bottled water or spring water delivery obsolete.
The obvious problem the Vitapur® addresses is water contamination throughout the entire house. Whether drinking, washing or watering, its advanced filtration and ultraviolet system delivers clean, great tasting, odor-free water, directly and indirectly benefiting the entire family.
“Although great for comercial applications, the Vitapur® appeals to homeowners, because it treats and filters water throughout the entire house,” said Rina Ristagno, marketing manager for CFM Specialty Home Products. “It’s continuous functioning and easy to maintain. It can even treat well water effectively, and there’s a warning alarm if the system goes down.”
COSTS LESS TO USE OVER TIME
Personal Valet® Clothes Vitalizing System
You’ve heard the expression “products that practically pay for themselves.” There is some truth to that saying, if you believe what costs you less money to operate saves you money to operate saves you money. Often, items may require more of an initial investment but save you money over time by reducing other expenses such as electricity, or as in this case, dry cleaning.
A point-of-use system, Whirlpool’s Personal Valet® is best suited for bedrooms or master closets, rather than laundry rooms. Safe for nearly all fabrics, the Personal Valet® removes wrinkles and odors from clothing in about thirty minutes, and it helps make morning routines easier.
The Personal Valet® addresses a number of problems: unnecessary dry cleaning, the rising cost of dry cleaning and the bothersome task of ironing. According to Whirlpool® research, 64% of clothes taken to the dry cleaners had wrinkles; 34% of clothes had odors, and 26% of clothes taken to the dry cleaner had stains.
“If something isn’t ready-to-wear, you can do one of three things: launder it, send it to the dry cleaner or iron it,” said Todd Vanderstelt, associate brand manager of Whirlpool® New Business Development. “As an alternative or supplement to dry cleaning, the Personal Valet® gets you ready-to-wear in thirty minutes, and it saves you at least 50% of your dry cleaning cost.”
WHY DID WE CHOOSE ULTIMO?
• Roomless elevator (no machine
room required)
• Modular Guide Rail System for
Quick Install
• Shallow 6” Pit
• Low Overhead Requirement
• Quiet Submersible Pump
Assembly
• 1000 lb. Capacity up to
1400 lbs.
• Motorized Platform Gate
• 21 different Cab Configurations
• Custom Sizes Available
• Speed of 40 ft. to 80 ft.
per Minute
• Safe Roped-Hydraulic system
with Emergency Built-In
Lowering
• Smooth Ride with Multiple
Speed Hydraulic Valve
• Battery Backup for Lighting
• Telephone Jack with Optional
Telephone
• 30-Month Warranty on All Parts
Customize your elevator at www.savaria.com
WHY DID WE CHOOSE VITAPUR®?
• Point-of-Entry System
• Easy Maintenance
• 2 UV Lamps
• 2 UV Sensors
• 5-Micron Carbon Block Filter
• 5-Micron Sediment Filter
• Continuous Cleansing Wiper
Inside Quartz Tube
• Light Reflector
• 45” Height
• 37” Width
• 16” Depth
• Weighs 100 lbs.
• Change UV Lamps Every
8,000 Hours
• Change Filters Every 6 Months
• Warning Alarm for System
Shutdown
• 2-Year Limited Warranty
WHY DID WE CHO0SE PERSONAL VALET®?
• Holds Up To Three Items
• Removes Wrinkles
• Removes Odors
• Reduces Morning Hassle
• Reduces/Eliminates Dry-
Cleaning Trips
• Pre-set Cycles for Fabric Types
• Takes a Few Minutes to Load
• Thirty-Minute Cycle
• Safe for Virtually All Fabrics
• Doesn’t Burn or Scorch Fabric
• Accessories
• Several Standard or Decorator
Models
• Customizable to Match Decor
• Point-of-Use System
• Presiva® Cleaning Formula is
Water-based
Check it out at
www.personalvalet.com
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