“It’s a waste of time waiting around for the delivery driver, but if I don’t, I’m always worried my package might not be there then I get home.” “I may sell a dozen kits over the weekend [home-based business], but what I dread is having to plan my day around waiting for the delivery driver to pick them up.”
It’s almost become commonplace to hear about packages being stolen off porches, especially during the holidays, which is very disheartening. Whether it’s a package being delivered or shipped out, you want it to be secure. There are apps that you can use in conjunction with a delivery service where the driver can open your garage door (or front door) and leave/take packages. But, how do you guarantee this is safe? We’d like to think delivery drivers are reputable and honest and won’t take advantage of having access to our garage, even our house in some cases. This is where the Shipping Vestibule design is a nice alternative.
In the Leinart plan #29336, notice the shipping zone to the left of the front entry. There’s a secure closet accessed from the porch by your delivery driver keeping your home deliveries safe (you could install the app on this door for added safety and limit access to your home). Similarly, if you sell a dozen items online over the weekend, the shipping zone is ideal for packaging those items that you can then place in that shipping closet. No longer do you have to wait around for that delivery driver to drop off or pick up your items!
Talk to one of our plan specialists to learn more and see how a Shipping Vestibule can be incorporated into your home design!
Cover photo: <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/business”>Business photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com</a>
Are you plugged in? Whether it’s outdoor entertaining, yard work, or a project you do in the driveway, it seems there’s never an exterior electrical box where you need to plug things in. So, when that sunroom is being added or your dream home is being built, adding a couple more electrical boxes when the electrician is already at your home is a minimal expense you’ll often be glad you opted for.
And, with the holidays approaching, few things warm the heart as much as attractive holiday light displays. But stringing extension cords all over can be daunting – and hazardous. Adding electric outlets in the eaves under the roof overhangs as well as an outlet strategically located in the yard makes holiday lighting a pleasure. Be sure to have the electrician wire a switch inside the home to turn those lights on and off.
This last installment focuses on how ‘Homes Talk to Women’ through her personality. And, we’ll find out what Jacob and Aimee decided for their new home.
Our research also unveiled four primary home buyer personas that have an uncanny likelihood of predicting interest in certain aspect of the home. Let’s take a look into these four personas:
contemporary
work/life balance
form over function
edgy
goal oriented
individualistic
my home is unique
traditional
work/life balance
function over form
practical
family oriented
predictable
my home is my haven
formal
work/life balance
form and function
sophisticated
quality driven
detail oriented
my home makes a statement
casual
work/life balance
function over form
spontaneous
project/activity driven
free spirited
my home is carefree
With these characteristics in mind, how does each persona’s design preference differ and why? Let’s take front entries as an example. Almost everyone wants their front entry to say “Welcome.” Yet according to a ‘Margo’ in our office, “Our front entry views say ‘Cool’, with an open loft feel, leading to the great room with 10’ flat ceilings and contemporary kitchen. Homes with rustic finishes or a narrow entry say, ‘Not for me!’” In contrast, an ‘Elise’ insists on a front entry, “An open front entry says, ‘Welcome to our home’, an entry coat closet says, ‘Here, let me take your coat; make yourself at home.’” ‘Margo’ wants the wow-factor and a unique design, while ‘Elise’ is more traditional and practical.
Meanwhile…
Photo Courtesy: iLumigreen
After exploring their options, Jacob and Aimee have decided they want to buy new rather than remodel a resale home. They’re looking for a big walk-in closet and an eating area large enough to accommodate guests. Aimee’s dad is an electrician, so based on her experience and knowledge she’s keen on LED ceiling lighting without cans, quiet bath fans, and power outlets with USB charging. As newlyweds with good jobs and visions of a larger family, nice-size secondary bedrooms with larger closets are a higher priority than high-end fixtures and finishes. Aimee is thinking about a nursery within earshot of their bedroom, and how important it is for Jacob to have a place for video games – how he likes to unwind after work. Aimee’s an Elise with some Margo tendencies. Storage that is practical and maintenance-free gives back time for more important things. But she has already picked out some unique light fixtures and is leaning towards slate gray cork wood flooring. It’s all a part of her story – past, present, and future!
We invite you to learn more about the four personas and take our Finally About Me!® quiz to discover your new home personality. And, these other great articles regarding personas and design preferences:
You want your home buyers to make changes to your home plans. Let’s face it, you’d love to offer a home plan that’s right for each and every buyer, but realistically you can’t; therefore, you want buyers to make changes so the home design fits their needs. The tweaks buyers want to make are very personal and significant to them – after all, they’re probably spending a little bit more to achieve those changes in order to get the home that’s “just right.”
Home buyers are more committed to you and to their home if they see themselves involved in co-creating it. Prospects who take the time to dive deep into a home design, mentally “moving in,” have pretty much sold themselves on that design and on you as their builder.
Those buyers come to see themselves as “having designed their own home.” Without getting into the legal issues of authorship, copyright, and ownership of the plan, many times the buyers believe they created the resulting home design. They may give you some credit, “Oh, we started with their ‘Amelia’ plan, but we changed it.” This is one time when it’s best to keep your ego at bay.
The buyers believe their version of the plan is “better.” And, it is – for them. This is an opportune time to compliment them on the modifications they directed. Doing so furthers rapport, they come to like you even more and trust that you are the right builder for them.
Who you have modifying the plan matters. Design Basics home plan Construction Licenses allow the builder or other qualified local professional to make changes to our home plans. So, why do so many customers used Design Basics Plan Customization Designers to alter the plans? Quite simply, our Designers do more than just make the requested modifications. They take the time to get to know why the changes are desired and may be able to suggest alternative solutions that achieve the customer’s goals better, and/or more economically. Further, our Designers may recognize and be able to suggest additional opportunities afforded by the desired alterations that the buyers would love!
At Design Basics, we have the tools to help you stand out from other builders:
This installment of the ‘Homes Talk to Women’ series focuses on the home’s livability. Researching women’s preferences, we discovered there are four ways women typically look at a home’s livability – its suitability for her and her household. These four Livability ‘lenses’ are areas for: Entertaining, De-Stressing, Storage, and Flexible Living.
Each of us places a different importance on these areas of the home. These can be static or changing depending on your lifestage. Factors such as the home’s available space (flexible areas, storage space), the makeup of your household (children, empty nesters, multi-generational), and your personal preference (love to entertain, passion for scrap-booking, like keeping things organized and out of sight) can all play into which livability lenses are most significant to you.
It has been said that when men enter a home they focus on one or two areas that wow them, whereas women tend to recognize several areas of the home and how they can work together – where furniture will be placed, traffic flow, convenience of storage spaces, etc. We call this a “spotlight” vs. “floodlight” scenario; men typically focus on areas they are interested in, while women are taking it all in to determine the home’s livability for her and her household.
At Design Basics, our floor plans are color-coded so you can easily identify these areas of the home (we call this Livability at a Glance™), and our online Plan Search tool lets you search by areas of importance to you. We invite you to take our Livability at a Glance quiz to discover your lifestyle profile.
If you missed the other segments of this four-part series, click the links below:
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Are you plugged in? Whether it’s outdoor entertaining, yard work, or a project you do in the driveway, it seems there’s never an exterior electrical box where you need to plug things in. So, when that sunroom is being added or your dream home is being built, adding a couple more electrical boxes when the electrician is already at your home is a minimal expense you’ll often be glad you opted for.
Those buyers come to see themselves as “having designed their own home.” Without getting into the legal issues of authorship, copyright, and ownership of the plan, many times the buyers believe they created the resulting home design. They may give you some credit, “Oh, we started with their ‘Amelia’ plan, but we changed it.” This is one time when it’s best to keep your ego at bay.
