Homebuilding Tips

If you are thinking about building a new custom home, you might be tempted to buy a spec home instead. After all, the design is already done, the decisions are already made, and the home is either already built or on a construction schedule that matches your timeline. This might sound appealing, but it’s not the whole picture. Before you sign on the dotted line, consider these downsides to buying a spec home.

If you have a narrow lot and are building a new home, there are some limitations to what you can do. The dimensions of the lot, especially when setbacks are taken into consideration, affect the design of the home. For example, you probably can’t build a sprawling ranch with an attached two-car garage. However, with smart design, you can build a new home with the features you desire, including single-floor living and ample parking and storage space.

Of course, you can also view a narrow lot as an opportunity for creativity. For example, even though your home might be limited to a width of 25 to 35 feet, with an open floor plan a limited width can still feel spacious and airy, especially if you can see the entire length of the house.

As with any other type of lot, you can build a new home using modular or stick-built construction methods. As you explore your options for modular vs stick-built homes, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each approach.

Whether you are planning for single-level living in the future or simply like having plenty of space to spread out, ranch-style floorplans are an excellent choice. This popular style offers many benefits, such as:

• Large families can have their own spaces.
• Master suite can be separated from other bedrooms.
• There is no noise from floors above or below.
• No stairs allow you to age in place.
• The footprint can be compact or sprawling.
• Conducive to indoor/outdoor living.
• Easy to add onto in the future.   

With more than two dozen ranch-style floorplans available, Adair Homes can help you build your dream home. These are just a few examples of our most popular one-level custom floorplans:

There’s nothing quite like a beautiful garden to make a house feel like a home—especially when it’s done in an environmentally friendly way. In the Pacific Northwest and around the globe, sustainable gardens are becoming increasingly common, which is a trend that homeowners, neighbors, and the environment itself can all appreciate.

Installing solar panels on your roof or on the ground near your home is a great way to reduce both your environmental footprint and your utility bill. Solar panels can also increase the resale value of your home because future owners will enjoy lower energy costs. Many solar panel systems have a lifespan of 20-30 years or more, which means you continue to enjoy savings long after the cost has been paid off. By saving on installation costs, you can reach that point even faster.

While many companies provide solar panel installation, it is possible to install some systems on your own. Whether you are an avid DIYer or just want to save a little cash, these home solar panels are designed to be installed by people with basic construction skills.

One of the key elements in any custom homebuilding process is choosing the location. In addition to the school district, neighborhood dynamics, and proximity to your favorite places, there are also some technical details to evaluate when considering various lots.

The spectrum is large, and it runs from easy to difficult when buying and then developing property. On one end is an existing flat city lot with all the utilities at the street and no grading required. At the other end is a rural piece of sloped-acreage property with no existing access road or utilities. Of course, most properties will fall somewhere in between these extremes, so it’s important to understand the pros and cons of the land before you buy.  

Some of the factors to consider when evaluating properties for custom homebuilding include:

When building a new home, budget is always a consideration. If you’re like most people, there is an upper limit to what you can build with the resources you have available. If you don’t yet have the funds to build your dream home, you can save money by using your existing space to your advantage. Spare room rentals will allow you to save money for a down payment on a construction loan or pay off more of your existing mortgage faster to build more equity.

If you’re a fan of the Madison floor plan but want even more space, the Cashmere might be just the design you’ve been seeking. With more than 3,000 square feet of living space, this home allows the entire family to spread out in four bedrooms, or three bedrooms and a bonus room.

Whether you have an expanding family, enjoy hosting friends, or want enough room for the entire family to visit while you enjoy single-floor living, the Cashmere can be adapted to any lifestyle with custom home features.

For those who consider themselves outdoor enthusiasts, their love of nature is part of nearly every aspect of their lives. Even when planning for their next home, they keep the outdoors as a top-of-mind priority. Luckily, there are several exciting home design trends happening right now that will help any outdoor enthusiast to feel right at home.

Below, we explore some of the top home design features that are perfect for nature lovers:

Spring is the time of year when homeowners get the urge to freshen up the look of their home. As the weather warms up, it’s natural to want to do a deep clean, get rid of some of the clutter, and maybe even spice up the look of your home. Luckily, each of these tasks is relatively cheap and easy—and there’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to completely change the feeling of a home!

It is fascinating to watch how paint color trends evolve over the years. Just like fashion and home design, our collective tastes gradually change, and it can be fun to incorporate a new color into your home. You might be surprised how a fresh palette in your living room or kitchen, throughout your bathroom, or on your home’s exterior can make the house feel brand new.

Let’s take a look at some of the top paint color trends for 2018: