The Best Home Building Trends of 2015 (Part 2)

Smarter Homes and Gardens

Home Building Trends | That’s part of a broader interest in cramming the home with appliances and features that can be controlled by mobile devices, she said. While women, overall, in the survey readily see the advantage of managing such things as televisions, DVRs and heating and cooling systems via smartphone, younger homeowners anticipate many more applications — in garage doors, in laundry rooms, for indoor and outdoor lighting and elsewhere, Waage said. She adds that they see it as a good investment and aren’t particularly worried about their “smart home” technology becoming obsolete.

“They are going to make (tech inclusions and upgrades) part of the norm, Waage said. “Don’t forget, (this generation) is used to a new iPhone coming out every couple of years.”

If all this tech and outdoor luxury seems a little high-end, Waage said those features likely represent the dreams — as opposed to a gotta-have-it-now agenda — of younger homeowners, who are likely to approach their home-exterior upgrades with something as simple and inexpensive as a bit of paint.

The Best Home Building Trends of 2015 (Part 1)

Home Building Trends | If you think “What is the meaning of life?” is the eternal question, you haven’t been hanging around with homebuilders lately. 

No, for the people who design and construct our homes, here is the eternal question: “What do they want?”

That is, in the world of homebuilding, trying to get a handle on the household preferences and dreams of buyers is all-consuming. At two recent trade events — the International Builders Show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show held jointly in Las Vegas in mid-January — there was no shortage of soothsaying and survey-sharing for industry attendees. And if the crystal balls of the researchers are right, among the features you might be seeing in your new (or newly remodeled) home:

•          A backyard built for lots and lots of casual living;
•          Garage doors, locks, furnaces, security systems and plenty of other features that can be controlled by your phone;
•          A brightly colored front door; and
•          An unfinished, bare-bones room in an otherwise all-new house.

Custom Homes: Designing a Custom Room for Your Pet

You could say some open houses are going to the dogs.

At least that was the case for Standard Pacific Homes’ grand opening of a new community in Brea, Calif., where canines, as well as their humans, lined up to preview pet suites being offered as an option in the homes. 

Consumers want homes that facilitate lifestyle, that make the everyday easier and better and this vision likely includes the family dog or cat. “It’s something buyers take into consideration now,” says Rhona Sutter, a Naples, Fla., real estate agent who founded the Pet Realty Network in 2007. “Whatever people want for their pets, they are going to get.”

Home Builder Tips: Advice for Couples

Building a new home is an exciting journey. But, with so many decisions to make and transitions to navigate, it’s possible for disagreements between you and your spouse or partner to occur.

Here’s how you can work together to build the home of your dreams — without the drama.

Clarify Your Plans

Marriage and family therapist Lisa Bahar of Dana Point, Calif., encourages couples to start “with a ‘reality check’ conversation regarding the actual process of what is about to occur.”

Getting real about the challenges is part of the conversation — building the dream is another. Being honest about what each of you desires in your home is essential. “If you know you want eastern light shining through your kitchen window and the sun setting over your patio, speak up,” says relationship therapist Gemma Utting of Aukland, New Zealand.

New House Builder: Custom Home vs. Resale

New House Builder | Is a newly built home right for you? Do you want a home that you’ve helped design and that offers the latest in energy efficiency and design? Or a previously owned home that may need fix-ups, paint jobs, and walls moved around to create the types of open spaces that make sense today?

These are baseline questions that confront many home shoppers early in the process. Your own answers are likely to depend on your lifestyle preferences, financing needs, and the priorities you put on features like high energy efficiency, functional arrangements of interior living spaces, and your desire, budget and aptitude when it comes to repairs and capital improvements.

There are a number of reasons you might prefer a resale house, even if it needs work. For instance, you may have your heart set on moving to a specific neighborhood in the city or a close-in suburb, where newly-constructed houses are rare or not available unless you buy an existing home, tear it down, and build a new home on the lot. Or you may be a do-it-yourself aficionado and relish the opportunity to take an old house and transform it, even if that takes considerable time and money.

Kendall Creek Realtor Grand Opening Luncheon - The Bella Model!

The Kendall Creek Realtor luncheon was a great success. Check out these fantastic pictures of us celebrating the grand opening of St. John's newest community, the Bella Model! 

Custom Homes: Unusual Materials to Use in Your New Home

The more unusual the material, the more personal a space can be. Unique materials aren't just fun — they can help a home become a personal expression of its owner.

Some of these products have been around for ages but were previously used in different contexts or environments; today's production techniques have helped simple materials achieve sophisticated designs. Other products are newcomers, still on the cusp of recognition.

Learn about the options below so you can make well-educated design decisions.