Landon Homes : November 2015

Saturday, November 28, 2015

New House Builder | Sustainable Interior Design Tips

New House Builder | Although the idea of sustainable design has been around for a while, it’s emerging as a hot trend just recently. The reason is that for a long time, eco-friendly was perceived as pricy, a passing fad or simply as a synonym of plain and ugly. In reality, many architects and designers are fascinated with sustainability, creating mesmerizing and almost hard-to-believe interiors. Merging modernity and nature can bring unique character to your living space that will impress every visitor. If you are looking for a way to design a breathtaking interior with a “green” theme, you can explore these eco-friendly features.

1. Minimalist Approach

Minimalism and sustainability are so entangled that it’s impossible to talk about the one without mentioning the other. Nothing screams style and class like a minimalist design. Its simplicity and symmetry will give your decor a cutting edge. The sleek and clean lines, combined with a mixture of industrial and natural materials add a contemporary, yet timeless feel to the place. On the other hand, living with less means less production and greener environment. The manufacturing of goods involves the use of scarce resources and the emission of volatile substances. Plus, you will spare yourself the hassle of cleaning all the knick knacks.

Home Building Trends | Your home is likely your largest investment, and full of sentimental value. Unfortunately there are instances when your precious property will face unexpected dangers and risks. Some of these you can prevent by being proactive now.

1.) Have Your Home Inspected for Structural Damage

Maintaining your home is critically important to preventing expensive damage in the future. To do so, ensure you have a proper home inspection that points out any problem areas. Then, address any issues with professionals. Key areas to monitor on an ongoing basis include your roof, the home’s foundation, insulation, windows, and heating and cooling systems. Don’t let the value of your home drop because you are not providing preventative maintenance to these systems.

Moving Tips | Moving Mistakes You Don't Want to Make

Moving Tips | Moving can be an incredibly stressful time. There are so many things to do and details to remember that you are bound to forget a few things. It happens. After all, it’s not on most people’s list of top 10 fun things to do! However, when you’re aware of the potential missteps you can make, you’ll have a much easier time managing your stress. Here are five moving mistakes to avoid.

Rushing

You may not be left with much time to get from point A to point B, but rushing is one of the most critical mistakes you can make during relocation. It can even be dangerous, literally and figuratively. When you rush – moving furniture, appliances, heavy boxes—you can end up injuring yourself, someone else, or damaging your family china. You will also elevate your stress levels which can have a snowball effect through the entire process.

Not asking for help

Moving is not a one-person job. Unless you’ve decided to live a minimalist lifestyle and everything you own fits into a duffel bag or two, you will need a few extra hands. Organizing, packing, physically moving things and then unpacking them takes considerable time and effort. The simplest solution is to ask a friend or two (or five) to help out. Throw in some pizza and a few drinks and you are set. Otherwise, you can always hire a moving company to take care of anything you need.

Forgetting to research moving companies

If you are not relying on the help of your friends, you probably need to hire a company. Researching moving companies isn’t something you want to be lazy about or to forego, even if you are crunched for time. While most moving companies are completely legitimate, there are those that are not interested in putting you and your belongings first. Booking top-notch movers can be more challenging during peak moving times (summer months), but you will definitely want to shop around. Ask for licenses and other credentials and get quotes in writing. The Better Business Bureau is a good place to start, and you can also find more customer reviews online.

Packing everything you own

Do you need to take absolutely all of your earthly possessions? Moving is the perfect time to take inventory of your material existence. When you do, you will find there is quite a bit of stuff you don’t need. It might be things you have not seen or used in years; clothes that went out of style in 1993 or furniture that is not going to fit in your new place. Packing all of this excess can take extra time and may end up costing you in the long run if you pay for it to be transported. Instead, make an effort to reduce your belongings either by selling or donating them, or both.

Poor organization

This can be a real killer and goes hand-in-hand with each of the previous moving mistakes. Poor organization—from planning to packing—can result in you spending more money and time than is necessary. It can lead to lost or broken items, and, of course, a lot of stress. Take inventory of your belongings, make a moving checklist, maintain constant communication with your moving company (or your helpful friends), time and schedule your move so it is convenient to you, and sufficiently pack and label everything. The goal is to make your move as straightforward as possible so when you finally arrive at your new place, you have everything you left with, including your wits. - Redfin

Looking for new house builder? Please do not hesitate to contact us at Landon Homes, (904)567-3430!

Home Builder Jacksonville | 3 Easy Tips to Improve Home Security

Home Builder Jacksonville | Landscaping is a terrific way to beautify your home and increase its value, but many homeowners don’t realize that it can also be an effective way to improve your home security. While a safer yard may bring to mind ugly chain-link fences or barbed wire, it’s easy to improve the security of your home without sacrificing attractive landscaping. Here are three simple steps:

1.) Plant shrubs with thorns

A lesser known landscaping strategy for keeping away burglars is planting bushes and flowers with thorns. These spiky plants make it less easy for criminals to hide in your yard. Rose or holly bushes are both attractive and effective when it comes to keeping intruders at bay. Plant them directly under windows as an extra layer of protection. After all, climbing into a window protected by sharp thorns is no easy task. Be certain that these pointy plants are small enough that they don’t provide hiding spots, however.

2.) Get rid of hiding spots

Burglars are generally attracted to yards with plenty of cover. Help discourage these unwanted visitors by getting rid of obvious hiding spots on your property. Keep foliage short. Trim overgrown trees and plant small shrubs rather than giant bushes. Overall, make sure entryways are as open and visible as possible. Any doors and windows that are easily visible from the street or a neighbor’s house are less likely to be targeted by criminals.

3.) Install motion-sensitive lights

In the same spirit as keeping a clear and open yard, motion-sensitive lights are an important component of a safe entryway or lawn. Install lights near key entry points, like doors or ground-level windows. Many criminals are hesitant to attempt breaking into a home when their presence is easily detected by a pair of bright floodlights.

You don’t have to sacrifice a beautiful backyard to improve home security. Head to your local nursery or home improvement store to pick up some plants, a pair of shearers and some motion-sensitive lights. Making small changes to your yard is inexpensive and easy – no professional landscapers required. - Redfin

Looking for a home builder in Jacksonville? Please do not hesitate to contact us at Landon Homes, (904)567-3430!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

New Home Communities | Keeping Your Home Safe During an Open House

New Home Communities | Letting complete strangers tour your home is a little unnerving. Along with dealing with lots of unknown visitors, you may also fear judgment for hoarding unfinished Pinterest projects in your laundry room. Most things that can cause social embarrassment are easy to hide, but it is worth putting some thought into keeping your home and belongings secure throughout the process of finding a buyer. Here are some safety and security tips that protect your home and your peace of mind.

Preparing for Your Open House

The moment you decide to put your home on the market is the moment that you prepare to host strangers. It’s a normal part of the selling process, and you can make yourself feel more comfortable by thinking through the following.

New House Builder | Home insulation is paramount to the proper heating and cooling of a home. While insulation in a newer or custom-built house is usually high quality, insulation in an older home wears with age. If worn insulation is not replaced, it could mean a significant increase on the electricity bill, a cold house in winter or a sauna during the summer, among many other problems.

Does your home’s insulation require replacement? To find out if it’s time, here are some signs of insulation degradation:

Home Building Trends | 5 Helpful Tips for Renting Out Your Home

Home Building Trends | 39 percent of homebuyers plan to rent out their last home rather than sell it. The report notes that people are choosing to become landlords for reasons both financial and practical. If you are renting your home, or are considering doing so, here are some tips and suggestions for making it a positive experience.

First, recognize that becoming a landlord is like starting a small business. You should set goals and realize that you are taking on financial and legal responsibility. You also need to spend time thinking about the relationship that you want to have with your customer (your tenant). To help you think through everything, here are the five components of a typical rental process:

Moving Tips | Big transitions in life can be challenging, and moving definitely ranks at the top. It’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s stressful — and everything in between. If you have school-age children and your move happens to fall during the school year, it can be even more difficult. As a dad of three, I’ve had to move my family midyear on multiple occasions, and I’ve learned from those experiences. Here are 10 tips for making a midyear move less stressful:

Before You Buy

1. Find the right neighborhood and school for your family. Spend time researching schools and neighborhoods. Determine your target school or school district and narrow your home search to those areas.

Home Builder Jacksonville | Declutter Your Home Through Philanthropy

Home Builder Jacksonville | Whether you’re spring cleaning or just plain irritated enough to throw your clutter right in the gutter — hold up a minute! It’s now easier than ever to find a worthy charity to take the excess off your hands — and put it into the hands (or paws) of someone in need.

1. Gather everything you don’t want.

Here are three lists of the items most sought in popular charity sectors:

New Home Communities | We’ve all heard the saying “bigger is better,” and that can certainly apply to real estate. Bigger homes are worth more, particularly if they come with large pieces of land. But the same old rules of real estate don’t necessarily apply when it comes to vacation homes. A vacation home is a place to relax and spend time with family, and it doesn’t have to be luxurious to be a good investment.

Have you always dreamed of having a vacation home, but think you can’t afford it? Well, it’s time to get creative and think outside the box (or beyond your local market). There are a number of affordable, unique options for vacation homes, as well as plenty of tricks to find more value for your money.

New House Builder | 10 Value Boosting Home Projects

New House Builder | If you’ve lived in your home for a while, it may need more than a typical once-over this year, particularly if you’re thinking of selling anytime soon.

Home designers were asked which home projects they suggest for homeowners who are considering selling their homes in the near future and want to add value. Here are the 10 projects they mentioned most frequently.

1. A new front door or garage door

Angela Creech said a new front door or garage door is one of the best returns on investment that she’s seen. According to the Cost vs. Value Report, she’s right: Replacing an entry door with a steel door would cost an average of $1,162 and would recoup 96.6 percent of that cost when it comes time to sell, the highest return on investment seen in this year’s report. A garage door replacement was also in the top five projects.

Home Building Trends | Before we start any rehab, Tarek and I always take a look at the area comps to see what we need to do to get a good market price on our property. Sometimes we see well-designed flips with a lot of beautiful rehabs, and sometimes we see houses that have barely had anything done to them at all. The biggest thing I notice that other flippers skimp on is lighting, and it’s kind of a big deal. Here’s why…

Good Lighting Changes Everything

First of all, think about the last time someone took your picture. In warm, natural light, you look younger and more beautiful. Under harsh fluorescents, you look washed-out and tired. If there’s not enough light, then the picture won’t come out well at all. So what does that have to do with the lighting in your flips? Everything.

New Home Communities | Three Simple Home Security Fixes

New Home Communities | Easy checks around your home will do wonders for your peace of mind this winter. It only takes moments to make sure your locks are secure and your windows can be safely opened to let in that fresh breeze. Here are our top three tips for fitting home security into your schedule.

1. Check Your Door Locks

Your doors are the gateways to your home, so tightening them up should be your first step when you’re making sure your home is safe and secure. First, test the screws that secure the lock to your door, as well as the bolts running through the actual lock. You’ll notice anything loose pretty quickly, and there shouldn’t be anything a screwdriver or wrench can’t fix!

Home Builder Jacksonville | Imagine a world where every home is powered by the sun. Where every raindrop waters the yard, even on dry days. Where trash is turned into fertilizer, which is used to grow produce. This isn’t science fiction; it can be done today. Here are 9 things you can do to lessen your home’s impact on the environment, ordered by least expensive to most expensive (but most impactful).

Why does it matter? According to Energy.gov, homes and commercial buildings consume 40 percent of the energy used in the United States, the majority of which comes from fossil fuels. According to EPA.gov, the average family of four can use 400 gallons of water every day. Homes also pollute the environment; fertilizers, pesticides, automobile fluids, paint, trash, animal waste and other pollutants can end up in the storm drain system that flows into rivers, harbors and the ocean. Making your home more green can reduce waste and minimize pollutants while saving you money on utility bills.

New House Builder | DIY or Call a Pro?

New House Builder | With the list of home improvement projects piling up in your home, it’s time to separate out what goes on your weekend to-do list from what you should hire a professional to tackle. Unless you have the skill and expertise, it’s safer to hire professionals for projects involving electricity, plumbing and major additions or remodels.

To help you categorize your list of projects, here are some things that can go on your DIY list and others that should be left to a professional:

Home Building Trends | Homeowners across the country are harnessing the power of the sun to light their homes, run their air conditioners and even watch their favorite TV shows. Since 2009, the number of home listings that mentioned solar panels grew 288 percent. Just last week, former vice president Al Gore said in a speech at the University of Hawaii that the exponential growth in photovoltaic solar panels is a “game changer” in the fight against climate change. According to a report highlighting the top neighborhoods for green homes, the median sale price of homes with green features was $47,600 higher than for homes without green features.

Julie Jacobson, who had solar panels installed on her own roof in 2011, said she has definitely seen an increase in solar panels over the past few years.

New Home Communities | 5 Affordable Home Upgrades

New Home Communities | Looking for affordable, simple upgrades that will add a touch of class to your home? There are tons of projects out there that won’t hurt your wallet, and can be done without the help of a contractor. Check out these five affordable home upgrades and get started on a project that speaks to you and your style.

1. Update Your Lighting

New lighting can totally change how a house looks and feels. There are so many ornate and beautiful light fixtures to choose from, not just from bigger stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s, but up-and-coming designers who are placing their modern pieces on websites like Behance. Getting a new fixture isn’t the only way to change up lighting.

Try changing the type of light the lamp or fixture gives off. Soft, amber lighting can really set the mood for special occasions, while other rooms can benefit from brighter lights. Because there are so many options available, it’s wise to take a room’s needs, architectural features and dimensions into consideration when deciding what type of lighting to install.

Home Builder Jacksonville | Now that you’re a proud home owner, it’s time to deck your walls with art that reflects you. Your newfound soaring ceilings and open floor plan can feel a little empty without something to brighten the walls. Creating a cohesive feel is really important, so it could require purchasing some additional pieces to supplement the art you already own.

Here are five things to consider when choosing (or repurposing) art for your new large spaces, along with a couple of case-studies from my own home.

1. Think About Size

Smaller artwork is easier to come by, it’s easier to store and it’s generally cheaper – so most people have a lot more small stuff, which works great if you have a snug bedroom, or a cramped hallway. But in an expansive room with high ceilings? Not so much.

New House Builder | 5 Burglary Prevention Tips for Vacationers

New House Builder | What can you do to keep your home safe? We’ve compiled some simple tips for burglary prevention. Keep these in mind this winter, whether you’re heading on vacation or just going out for the afternoon.

1. Link Up

You may leave your home during vacation, but who says you can’t stay connected? A little separation anxiety is healthy in this case, so why not know your house’s status no matter where you are? Many modern security systems and home automation devices are interactive and allow you to receive text message notifications in the event of an alarm. Wireless cameras are even viewable from a smartphone in real time. Feel free to check on your home from the pool at your stylish hotel, and then get right back to the important stuff (like your tan). Not only does technology like this create another layer of defense, it actually helps induce the peace of mind that every vacation deserves.

Home Building Trends | Moving into a new home is exhausting, rewarding, exciting and challenging. When you looked at the home, you likely filled your head with ideas for how to decorate, where to put your favorite pieces of furniture and what you wanted to buy to make the house uniquely yours. Before you jump into all those projects with both feet, take some time to think about how to make the most of your home’s square footage.

Living Large While Keeping it Cozy

A large living room is fantastic for entertaining and family charades night, but big living rooms also run the risk of seeming cold and uninviting. To keep a big space hospitable and cozy:

New Home Communities | Tips for Exploring a New City

New Home Communities | Once you’ve finished unpacking all your boxes and furniture, you might think you’re done — but you’re not. Whether you moved across the state or across the country, you’ll need to do some exploring.

The Internet is going to be your new best friend after you move. Here are some tips for exploring a new city by going online.

1. Visit Review Websites

Whether you moved for work or for a change in scenery, you undoubtedly did some research on your new home. But what do you do when you arrive and you don’t know where the best pizza place is? Who will you ask when you need to find a reliable plumber? What will you do when you need to find a new yoga studio?

Moving Tips | Moving to a new city or town can be incredibly stressful, and it’s also a huge stress to your pet. New sights and sounds and unfamiliar smells can combine to make a move upsetting to even the most well-behaved and mellow of animals.

According to some estimates, up to one third of pets get lost at some point in their life. The chaos of moving and unfamiliar surroundings in the days and weeks after a move raise the risk that your pet may escape or even try to run away.

If you are moving with a pet, here are some tips from experts including the American Humane Association to help you make your move go smoothly.

Home Builder Jacksonville | Creating an Edible Garden for Your Home

Home Builder Jacksonville | Growing your own food doesn’t have to be a time-intensive project. Start small and expand as your time permits. There’s nothing as satisfying as walking out your door to prune a sprig of rosemary, pick a handful of blackberries and cut a bowl of arugula fresh from your garden. Now that’s what I call hyperlocal food.

Make a Plan

Pick an area of your yard that receives a minimum of six hours of sunlight; the south side of house will receive the most light. Your edible garden can be one large section or a few smaller areas with your plants distributed among them. Next, make a list of fruit, veggies and herbs that you enjoy eating often and narrow your list down based on plant hardiness for your region; available growing space; and what tastes best fresh. Herbs and lettuces are always better right from the garden than store bought. Before you dig in, map out your plan.

New House Builder | When you decide to complete a home improvement project, the inevitable question is, “Do I pay someone else to do it or do the work myself?” Hiring a professional can be expensive, but your time is valuable as well. So which projects are worth investing time and which are worth investing money? Here are some common projects that homeowners may want completed and whether they likely fall into the “time” or “money” category: