Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Building Your Home

Choosing to build new or to buy a pre-existing home can be a weighty and overwhelming decision. Make sure you understand the positives of building before you make up your mind.

1. Get Exactly What You Want.

Choosing to build your home means that you get to pick nearly everything, from the layout, to the faucets in your sinks, to the paint colors on the walls. When building a new home, the choice is yours in almost all aspects of the house.

2. Fewer Harmful Toxins.

Older homes are more likely to harbor health concerns, such as asbestos, lead paint, or mold hiding in walls. With advances in home construction materials, newly built homes are unlikely to have the same problems.

3. Fewer Safety Issues.

Older home can have faulty wiring hiding in walls or unexposed leaks that are rotting floorboards. With a newer home, electrical wiring and plumbing systems shouldbe up to code from the moment they are built.

4. Brand New Appliances and Heating/Cooling Systems.

New appliances will be covered under warranty, andthey are also typically safer than older models. Innovative heating/cooling systems and new appliances are also more energy efficient, saving you money on your monthly utility bills.

5. A Strong Emotional Connection to Your Home.

All the time and energy spent deciding on everything for your home can create a bond to your house that is unlikely to be matched from a pre-existing structure.

The flexibility of building your home and the pride from seeing it to completion can be a great experience. Best of all, the only limits when building your home are your budget and your creativity.

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The Dos And Don'ts Of Home Construction

Home construction is a fulfilling experience as you customize your perfect house. Learn some things to do as well as avoid and you'll make the journey more enjoyable.

For first time home builders, the entirety of the complicated building process can be daunting. If you take it one step at a time and avoid a few key errors, it will be smooth sailing for you and everyone involved. Planning is going to be your first and most important step. Think in the long-term. Houses take time to build and afterwards, you will be living in them for years to come. Consider what you will need as your children become teenagers and young adults. As you rise thorough your career, will you entertain often? Will the length of your commute be satisfactory in the long run? Is this a home you plan to retire in? These are all important questions to ask in the very beginning of this process because they will shape future building decisions.

Once you've made a list of your needs and wants, plan your space well. Spatial planning is crucial when developing a home. Even if you propose to build a 30-room mansion, you do not want to have random, unnecessary or unused areas. For instance, do you live in a warmer climate? If so, you probably do not need a coat closet in the foyer. However, if your region experiences harsh winters, you will most likely have plenty of occasions to use such an area. Everyone wants a large walk-in closet, but storage space detracts from living space. Design for what you will use.

Bedroom placement can be a point of contention in pre-built homes. Masters that are off of the living room or next to a nursery don't usually receive much appreciation. For your customized home, put the bedrooms far away from the main traffic regions. You'll also want to put a distance between sleeping areas and living areas. When sleeping, you don't want to be disturbed by other family members. Ideally, there aren't walls shared between sleeping and living zones.

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How To Determine If a House Has Structural Damage

Structural damage can be devastating as a homeowner. Foundation issues can be very costly, inconvenient, and extensive. As a potential homebuyer, knowing what to look for can help you avoid costly renovations to a newly purchased home. As a homeowner, knowing what to watch for in your home can help to ease your mind or remind you to fix problems before they get worse.

Inside The House

The following could all be warning signs that your home may be experiencing some structural problems:

• Cracks appearing on walls or floors, especially over doorways and window frames

• Doors that are stuck or don’t close correctly

• Water seeping into the attic or basement

• Windows that stick or won’t close properly

• Uneven, sloping floors

While it is typical of most homes to settle over time, any of these issues seeming to appear out of nowhere or these problems getting worse are a sign that something may be wrong.

Outside The House

Flaking and chipping concrete foundation walls can be a sign of structural damage that is possibly caused by drainage issues. You should also look for any signs that pieces of the house are drifting apart, such as brick work opening up cracks more than 1/8” or a crack along a chimney that shows it beginning to separate from an outside wall. It is usually considered that the bigger the cracks in walls or foundations, the bigger the structural problem.

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Choosing the Best Theme for Your Kitchen

Choosing a theme for your kitchen can help make your cooking space a unique reflection of you. When picking an overall motif, there are some things you should consider.

Choose the Theme

Think about what you want your kitchen to say about you and how you ideally would like it to look. Possible theme ideas include:

• A certain era (i.e., 1950s or 1960s)
• Your favorite food or drink
• Your heritage
• Your favorite color
• A style you’d like to emulate (Tuscan, Cape Cod, etc.)

Don’t Go Overboard

It can be easy to buy every rooster-covered accessory you see. But over time, all those cute objects can start to clutter up your space and make it overwhelming. Stick to a few accents here and there to keep the look light and playful instead of cloying and overpowering.

Timeless Themes Are Best

Try and stick to a theme that will stand the test of time in your home. You may really love all things farm-related today, but what about in a few years? Select items and accents that you’re more likely to enjoy years from now to avoid wasting time and money on short-lived changes. Timeless designs can also help if you will be re-selling your home in the future. Buyers will want to picture themselves in the space, and a very personalized kitchen allows for little imagination from interested shoppers.

A themed kitchen can be a fun and personalized addition to the style of your home. Keeping it simple can result in an understated theme that helps express your individuality in a subtle but still enjoyable way.

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