8 Little Things Not to Forget When Building a New Home

Building your own custom home can be exciting yet nerve racking experience. Paying attention to detail throughout the new construction home process will help streamline the process and increase your ultimate satisfaction with the home. Here are eight little things not to forget when working with a Premier Home Builder on the construction of your new home.

Ample High Performance Lighting - Be sure to install ample high output energy efficient lighting in high use areas. This rule absolutely applies to kitchens and bathrooms. If installing recessed lighting, be sure to several lights through out the kitchen or bathroom to avoid shadows. Chandeliers, track lighting, fluorescent lights or under cabinet light will all work fine. Just be sure to install plenty of them in high use areas.


Insulate Your Garage - Most builders only install insulation within interior walls of the home that face the outside of the house. Generally, builders do not insulate the exterior walls of your garage. Forget this tip and your garage will be hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. Have your builder insulate the exterior facing walls of your garage before the drywall is installed. Better yet, do it yourself to save some money.


Electrical Outlets Under Eaves - If you like to install lights during the holiday season on your roof line, be sure to install electrical outlets under the eaves to simplify installing the lights. Also be sure to install a switch to turn the lights on or off from inside your home near the front entrance. When you are up on that ladder on a blustery winter day, you will be thankful you can just plug the lights in with minimal extension cords and flip the lights on or off with a switch from inside your home. Speaking of holiday lights, install an outlet near the mantel of your fireplace too.


Double Coaxial Connections in Wall Jacks - Given the popularity of high definition televisions and digital video recorders, be sure to run two coaxial cables into each wall jack where you may want a TIVO or DVR unit. This will allow you to record one show and watch another simultaneously. Forget and you will need to drop that second coaxial line later which can be very tricky after drywall is installed.

Gas Line In Utility Room - Even if you plan to use an electric clothes dryer, it may be prudent to install a gas line into your utility room to allow for a gas clothes dryer in the future. Although gas prices are on the rise, if you have a large family and do many loads of laundry each week it may be cheaper in the long run to use gas. If you do not add a gas line in the utility room, an electric clothes dryer will be your only option.

Seal Your Garage Floor - Consider sealing your garage floor before moving into the home. Concrete sealer is available in do-it-yourself kits that will protects your garage floor from deterioration caused by road salts and prevent stains due to oil and other fluids. It also adds to the aesthetics of the garage and may make your home more marketable when you sell in the future. You might also consider a drain in the floor of your garage.

Ample Height for Shower Heads - This may seem like a no brainer. However, if you forget to raise your shower head to a comfortable height during construction, you will have to squat or bend over while you should be relaxing under a nice warm shower.


Automatic Pool Water Filler - When installing a pool or spa, remember to hook the pool fill line into your sprinkling system so you can automate adding water to your pool. This is especially convenient in the south where water evaporation rates are high in the summer. This will allow you to set one zone of your sprinkling system to add water to your pool. You then simply tell it to run 10 or 15 minutes once a week.

The character of your home will often shine through in the details. Paying attention to the details, such as those noted above, will help increase your satisfaction with your new home and should help simplify your lifestyle.

Landon Homes is a locally owned and staffed new home construction company in Northeast Florida that is committed to a personal, hands-on approach to building homes. Our goal is to not only build an exceptional home, but also deliver an memorable homebuilding experience for our customers. Communication, honesty, integrity, a commitment to doing it right, and creating a relationship that extends beyond the home sale and closing are our top priorities when helping homeowners discover their dream home. Once in their new home, homeowners can rest assured that we will stand behind our product long after the sale. Give us a call today (904) 567-3430 and let's get started!

The Value of Custom Homes to You

Landon Homes | Quick Move-In Home - Model: Amelia

Custom homes are those you design and build yourself, through the help of professionals. Rather than having to buy a property that is already constructed, you get to buy a lot, design a house that is right for you and then participate in the process of building it. There are many benefits to doing this. Though many think they cannot afford to do so, it may be just as affordable as buying and remodeling another property. However, there is added value the homeowner will see when he or she builds.

Property's Value

One of the key things to keep in mind is that many custom homes have a very high value even after you have lived in them for years. For example, if you build a home and then sell it 10 to 15 years later, you can be sure the value of it will remain high because it is still significantly newer than other properties. As long as it is maintained and attractive to other buyers, it may retain most of its value for you and the next buyer.

The Way You Want

Imagine having that den you have dreamed about or having the large bedroom that has a master bathroom. You may want the big yard that offers plenty of room for your favorite plants. You may be after individual rooms for the kids or that luxurious kitchen you have dreamed about for years. No matter what your goals and dreams are, when you build the property yourself, you get to make those changes. You get to create the type of space that fits your desires.

Get It Right, Right Now

Another key benefit of building a home rather than buying is that you get to make all of the changes and adjustments right away. That means that there are less projects to worry about down the road. It also means that you will have less money to worry about after the home is built. It is just the way you want it from the beginning. Of course, if you want to add on or make changes later you can do so. However, unlikely purchasing a home that requires remodeling, you are less likely to put off what you can do right now.

Custom homes make sense for many people. With so many options available for customization, including the layout, the style and the lot design, there is no doubt that you can create a space that is just right for you and your family. It may even be a house you plan to live in for years to come knowing it feels just right. Why buy something that is not just right when you could build something that is perfectly suited to your needs now?

Landon Homes is a locally owned and staffed new home construction company in Northeast Florida that is committed to a personal, hands-on approach to building homes. Our goal is to not only build an exceptional home, but also deliver an memorable homebuilding experience for our customers. Communication, honesty, integrity, a commitment to doing it right, and creating a relationship that extends beyond the home sale and closing are our top priorities when helping homeowners discover their dream home. Once in their new home, homeowners can rest assured that we will stand behind our product long after the sale. Give us a call today (904) 567-3430 and let's get started!

10 Steps to Building the New Home of Your Dreams

Many people shudder at the thought of building their own home because they think the process is too complicated. Read this short article and you will learn that it is not complicated at all.

1. Budget - Determine how much you can afford. Consider your debt-to-income ratio. This is a comparison of your gross (pre-tax) income to housing and non-housing expenses. Monthly mortgage payments should be no more than 31% of gross income. Your mortgage payment combined with non-housing expenses should total no more than 43% of your income.

2. Credit score - Check your credit score before you start the borrowing process. It is important that you clean up any negative information that affects your credit score as it will affect the interest rate that you will be able to negotiate for your mortgage.

3. Financing - Many home builders have arrangements for financing in place with incentives built in so you will take advantage of their financing.

If you decide to go elsewhere you need to decide whether you want to use a mortgage broker versus banker. Which is best? Your bank has high overhead with their expensive buildings, staff, and equipment. Who do you think they will pass those expenses to? Mortgage brokers usually have less overhead. You may even save money by checking the Internet.

4. Location - Where do you want to live? How long is your commute to work going to be? Are there parks nearby to walk your pets? How close is the nearest shopping? Does it meet your needs? Are there schools nearby for all of your children? Are there buses available to get them there?

5. Realtor - An experienced new homes specialist will help you avoid making any costly mistakes when going through the home building process. They can save you time by searching for neighborhoods and homes that meet your needs. An experienced realtor will also keep your interests at heart with the contract negotiations.

6. Pick your plans - Is this dream home practical? If you live alone do you really need a 4 bedroom/4 bath home? It will give you the extra room you've always wanted, but can you afford the higher utility bills and higher taxes? Figure out your costs for extra furniture and decorating. Will the home suit your present and future needs?

7. Pick your Lot - Is it big enough to accommodate the plans you picked? Will you be adding a pool? How much yard do you want to maintain? What direction do you want your backyard to face?

8. Contracts - You have finally narrowed down your choice for your new dream home. Now is the time to negotiate with the home builder and get a contract signed with them. Your new homes specialist can guide you through the process and make sure you understand everything thoroughly.

9. Furniture - Are you buying new or using the furniture you already have. Will it fit? You can use a home design software program to help you visualize your furniture in each room. There are design websites like Plan3D.com that are also a great tool.

10. Interior Design - Now comes the fun part. Your new home builder may have a design consultant on staff that will help you pick your colors. There are also numerous websites, magazines and books that you can reference.

Building your new home can be and exciting time. Keep yourself organized and use the resources offered to you and soon you will be moving into the new home of your dreams.

If you're considering building a new home, give Landon Homes a call today (904) 567-3430 and let's get started.