Features to Consider When Building a Custom Home
Being at home should be one of the most relaxing experiences. Though, whoever has gone through the process of finding the right home knows that the search is anything but. The most reliable option to ensure that your home is an oasis for relaxation every time you walk in the door is building your new, custom home from the ground up. Here are some features to consider when building a custom home.
A custom home build offers you complete control of the design, layout, and features of your home. You choose the number of bedrooms, the location of bathrooms, and the perfect layout. While these big picture decisions are absolutely crucial, there are also a number of smaller, seemingly insignificant details that, if left unplanned, will inevitably give you big time builder’s remorse down the road.
Save yourself the headache and don’t overlook these features to consider when planning your custom build:
Covered Back Porch
A covered porch offers you more opportunity to optimize your outdoor living space. Back porches are especially key if you have a large family, or if you plan to entertain regularly. It’s easier to manage people in an open, outdoor area than all over the house and it’s easier to clean, too. And before you say a fireplace is too indulgent, think about a beautiful evening with family and friends surrounding it!
When designing your home, consider your roofline, entryway from the inside, and flooring to be used in the outdoor space. Consider beforehand exactly what you plan to use your outdoor space for, so your builder can plan for it. For example, including outdoor appliances or a fire pit will require more space and more planning.
Power Outlets (in the Right Places)
Sure, the lack of enough power outlets is not often considered among the most common (or dire) electrical problems in a home. But, in everyday life, the inaccessibility of an outlet in your home as you try to charge your phone from the comfort of your couch, or style your hair in front of a mirror, can be quite frustrating.
The kitchen is arguably the heart of most homes and as an unwritten rule, deserves to have enough power outlets for all your small appliances. If you hire the right home builder, they will tell you that having enough, correctly placed power outlets in your kitchen is crucial to upholding the kitchen work triangle principle; a gold standard in kitchen design.
Other places to consider thoughtfully located power outlets include:
- Bathrooms
- Bedrooms
- Living room
- Home office
- Deck
When planning for power outlets, consider:
- Where do you need access? – do you want to access a socket from your patio or inches from your bed? Whatever it is, your needs come first.
- What will the room layout look like? Furniture placement is a factor to consider, as you wouldn’t want your office or living room plagued with tripping hazards from chords running from all directions.
- Do you decorate your outdoors for holidays? – putting up Christmas trees in the yard is nothing new, and neither is the probability of tripping yourself from wires running all over.
High Quality Flooring
Unlike carpet, which can be replaced fairly easily when you need a change, hardwood and tile floors are more costly to update and replace. Selecting the right style from the start takes some careful consideration.
Quality flooring serves the purpose of not only form, but also function. Sure, clean and consistent flooring can be the perfect tie-in throughout the rooms of your home, but looks aren’t the only reason for your floor choice. It’s crucial to choose a high quality material for your flooring so it can withstand all the wear and tear from a home well lived in. Whether it’s the muddy shoes, toys thrown across the living room, or those little dog nails that race through the entry way to greet you, a good floor should maintain its quality condition as you make memories in your new home.
A Functional Wiring Package
No one wants a labyrinth of wires running all over the walls just because you had “second thoughts” about adding a few appliances around the house. A well thought out custom home goes hand in hand with a comprehensive wiring package also known as smart wiring.
A good wiring package not only needs to cover your current needs, but anticipate future ones, too. A smart wiring package has a number of advantages:
- The luxury to add more components
- Your home becomes more energy efficient
- You save a lot of money you would have spent upgrading all the time
- Increases the value of your home.
Custom Home Lighting
Imagine adjustable lights in your bedroom or dining room that can change based on the current mood and activity. Both natural and installed lighting play a critical role in your new home. Overlooking lighting in rooms where you plan to spend most of your time in can create a dull feeling, overshadowing all the hard work you put into the design and layout of your custom build. Lighting is not only important for your main areas of the home, but also places like hallways, the entryway into your home, and areas that may often lack the most natural light.
Other than natural lighting, the “types” of lighting to consider in your new home are:
- Ambient lighting – the primary source of lighting in any given room
- Task lighting – increased illuminance for a specific activity
- Accent lighting – focuses on one particular area or object
Home lighting is considered a necessary decorating element that livens your mood and increases vitality.
Keyless Entry
Let’s face it; life would be easier without keys. Imagine being locked out of your own home and having to crawl through a window in broad daylight for your new neighbors to see. It’s no wonder keyless entry systems are the new popular addition to luxury homes!
Keyless entry makes it easier to give your family access to the home. Moreover, home cleaners, dog walkers, and other service providers have a very easy time accessing your home with a keyless entry (with your permission, of course). The security and pure convenience of a keyless entry home are becoming an increasingly more popular addition.
Work With a Professional
You might be tempted to dive straight into building your new home. After all, the sooner you start, the sooner you’re done, right? Well, it doesn’t work that way unless you plan and consider all the details beforehand.
Everybody does things differently, but working with a professional when building your custom home is your safest route in ensuring your vision be executed properly.
Costa Homebuilders leads in the Pittsburgh area when it comes to building luxury homes, providing you with everything you need in your home from start to finish. From consulting on design, to material selection and putting up the actual house, Costa is the easiest way for your to turn your ideas into a reality.
