Futureproofing: Another Reason to Buy New

by Michele Weaver | Nov 16, 2020 | HER Home

Your expectations for the future will have a big impact on identifying the best home for you. How long do you see yourself living in the new home? Life happens! What will likely change, such as kids moving out or parents moving in? Are aging-in-place features important? Is your home easily adaptable to future needs? Wider doorways may not be feasible at a later date. You’re single, so two sinks in your bedroom suite’s bathroom and a private toilet area may not be important to you but ignoring such amenities could be a real drawback in the future.

None of us has a crystal ball. Prior to 2020, who imagined the impact the COVID-19 pandemic would bring? Still, when it comes to our homes, looking at what’s popular today provides some insight into what we can expect to likely be popular five to ten years from now. Continuing the bedroom suite bathroom example – large showers are in demand, particularly “curbless” showers with no lip or threshold to step over. Safer and more comfortable, choosing such an amenity when building your new home is a wise choice, especially compared to a resale home with combination tub/shower or a tub with separate, modest-size shower. Even something as mundane as cleaning the shower is a factor – small showers are harder to clean because there’s simply not enough room to move around when you are standing in that shower.

Storage and organization has become a higher priority with today’s home buyers. Neighborhood restrictions prohibiting sheds, coupled with our seemingly insatiable appetite for more stuff (along with our reluctance to part with it!) has fueled the interest in larger garages with more room for storage. In the Palmer (plan #42057), note the parcel drop at the front porch alongside the garage for securing home deliveries – freeing you up from having to wait around for the delivery driver to pick up/drop off packages for your home-based business. Increased storage extends to the bigger closets in our homes, deep walk-in kitchen pantries and flexible storage areas – particularly those that can be accessed from outside. As a rule of thumb, more square footage is being devoted to storage in today’s new homes than what you usually find in resales, a trend that is likely to continue.

The Palmer (below) provides extra storage in its 3-car garage as well as storage accessed from outside (behind the garage). Look at that kitchen pantry! Another draw – privacy for the covered porch.

The Palmer – #42057

Outdoor living space, already a “must-have” for many new home buyers, gained even further importance during the pandemic. Better than a simple patio or deck, prospective buyers wanted a roof over that space so that they didn’t necessarily have to cancel their outdoor plans just because it was raining. The Palmer plan has its covered patio to the side, behind the pantry, providing yet another desired amenity – added privacy. Sure, many resale homes have outdoor living spaces, too, but do they integrate with the home’s design, or look as if they were merely added-on at some point?

We assess an amenity’s value by both what we ourselves personally know and our experience with it. Something as elementary as a pull-out wastebasket drawer in the kitchen. Once you’ve experienced that simple pleasure, you’ll never settle for less. We also observe the value we see others place in it, especially if we think its popularity is increasing. Millennials have largely ignored and passed over those 5,000 square foot-plus “McMansions” popular with their parents’ generation. Older homeowners have sometimes lost money when selling those larger homes they no longer need or want due to a lack of buyers. But 32-inch wide interior doors throughout the home and laundry rooms that don’t double as the entry from the garage – those are futureproofing must-haves. When it comes to resale, Realtors tell us that regardless of the presence of a tub in the primary suite bathroom, if there isn’t a nice shower, many of today’s prospective home buyers are simply going on to the next home.

There will come a point in time when your new home goes on the market as a resale. Thoughtful design today translates into better resale tomorrow. Take curb appeal. It not only makes your home more attractive now, but it can also have a significant impact on the future resale of your home, both in terms of how quickly you get offers and the perceived value of your home. Example – the humble garage door. As with your front entry door, an attractive garage door enhances curb appeal!

The Rainey plans below share a common floor plan, but exude distinctive exterior styling. While a fairly traditional garage door style can work for the Rainey Gables (left), that simple 32-panel garage door would detract from the Rainey Chase’s contemporary design (middle), and the Rainey Farm’s Modern Farm House design (right).

Rainey Gables – #42457

Rainey Chase – #42458

Rainey Farm – #42459

Choosing a brand-new home, with today’s most-wanted amenities, will be significantly more attractive to most prospective future buyers than if you’re trying to resell a home that was already 30 years old when you bought it.

Next time – What Your Home Says About You.

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Thoughtful Design Concepts

Cover plan featured: Palmer (plan 42057)

New vs. Resale Homes: Peace of Mind

by Michele Weaver | Nov 9, 2020 | HER Home

Over half of all home buyers consider new construction according to Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report. Maybe it’s because they get grossed out by toenails.

We were touring an open house as was another couple when all of a sudden, we heard, “Eeew!” Apparently, the current owners had a habit of clipping toenails in the owner’s bedroom. Having removed her shoes, one of the other visitors had stepped on something and bent down to see what it was – a yellowed toenail clipping. That couple left without finishing their tour.

Our oldest child was two years old when we decided to replace the living room carpeting in our first home. Even though it was a starter home built in the 1950s, most of the rest of the floors were hardwood. We were aghast to discover all of the former resident’s apparent pet “accidents” staining the back of that living room carpeting, which our son had been crawling around on!

It’s not just toenails and pet urine. It could be smoking odors or allergens, or multitudes of dust mites in the air ducts. It could be mold trapped behind a fresh coat of stain-blocking paint caused by an unseen water leak. Some things are just hidden, even to professional home inspectors.

We value certainty. Stickers on the furnace and water heater of the resale home you’re considering indicate both are 10 years old. While you didn’t climb up there, the roof shingles looked okay. And though they are by no means new, the seller is leaving all of the kitchen appliances. Those items represent some of the potential expenses when buying a resale home that can wreak havoc on your budget. You don’t know when they’re going to fail, and you don’t know how much it will cost to repair or replace them. In contrast, your new home warranty and all of the associated warranties behind the products installed in your new home, mean you can budget and buy with confidence when choosing a brand-new home.

Beyond the dollars, there is a parallel – your time, knowledge, skill, and ability. You may want to tackle rebuilding that old deck yourself. You watch a couple online videos on the subject and can block out two weekends plus schedule to take the afternoons off during the week between. Still, you’ve never done this type of project before, and aren’t sure you have the right tools to tackle the job. And when you’re all done, will you be happy with the result?

Current technology. You may not yearn for the newest tech gadgets, but you’re used to a smart thermostat. You hope there’s an instruction manual for the “programmable” one in the used home. There’s no structured wiring, but a good router should provide a strong wi-fi signal throughout the home. Replacing that old doorbell with a video doorbell shouldn’t be too difficult; however, installing a smart garage door opener means hiring someone. From security to entertainment, technology offerings in new homes allow you to enjoy that new home more.

(Photo courtesy: Chamberlain; myQ SMART Home)

Technological advancements are also evident in new homes’ energy efficiency. As reported on energystar.gov, “In a typical house, about 20%-30 % of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts.” But to meet today’s stiffer energy codes, many builders and their HVAC contractors employ advanced testing to reduce conditioned air leakage in ductwork down to 3%-4%. Energy-efficient products and construction have resulted in homes built today being as much as 60% more energy efficient than homes built 20 years ago.

Originally designed with 2×4-inch exterior walls, the Buckland Showcase (plan #9170) can alternatively, like most plans available from Design Basics, be ordered with 2×6-inch walls, allowing more insulation in those outside walls. The outside dimensions do not change; inside, the rooms get slightly smaller when plans originally designed with 2×4-inch walls are revised for 2×6-inch exterior wall construction. For even higher performance, the Buckland Showcase ICF (plan #9170BTX) is designed for building with 10-inch thick Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) construction. Because of the added wall thickness of ICF construction, ICF-adapted plans do increase in overall width, depth, and square footage so that the interior rooms don’t become too small.

Below: The Buckland Showcase as originally designed for 2×4-inch exterior wall construction (left: main and upper level floor plans) and adapted for 10-inch thick ICF walls (right: main and upper level floor plans). To accommodate the thicker walls and minimize cutting of the ICF, the ICF home grew three feet in width; from 1,984 to 2,218 total sq. ft.

Buckland Showcase – #9170
(As originally designed: 1,984 sq ft)

Buckland Showcase ICF – #9170BTX
(Adapted for ICF construction: 2,218 sq ft)

Technology shows up in healthier new homes, too. You see it in in “hands-free” toilets and faucets as well as water purification systems; in having lots of natural light; and in having a quiet home, which minimizes internal and external noise. But perhaps nowhere else is technology more evident than indoor air quality. From air quality monitors that turn on ventilation fans if/when indoor pollutants exceed healthy levels, to air purification systems that can trap and kill most bacteria and viruses, high-tech solutions available mean new homes can be considerably healthier than used.

Join us next time as we look at how “futureproofing” considerations affect your home purchase decision.

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

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Browse our Her Home™ Magazine
Thoughtful Design Concepts

(Product spotlights are for informational purposes only.)

Designing with Natural Light

by Michele Weaver | Nov 7, 2020 | Great Design

Home designers know natural light is one of the most important elements of residential design. We are drawn to places in our homes that are bathed in natural light and oftentimes we don’t even realize it. But whether we’re having friends over or simply curling up with a good book, chances are we can be found in sunny spaces.

Physiologically, our eyes are attracted to light and studies show that sunlight triggers the release of serotonin in our bodies, a chemical that can improve our mood and also help calm us. Sunlight’s other health benefits are well documented – from Vitamin D production, lower blood pressure, and improved calcium absorption; to improved concentration, reduced irritability and headaches. Unfortunately, as we age, our eyes’ lenses yellow and harden, so less of the available light gets through. Rooms appear darker and less inviting. Everyday chores and even reading become more taxing.

In addition to the health benefits, abundant daylight dramatically affects our perception of color and size. Public areas in your home bathed in sunlight are perceived to be “welcoming” and “cheery.” They also appear larger than they actually are. It’s no surprise, then, when entertaining, people gravitate towards sunny spaces. Add in the obvious benefit of being able to easily and clearly see everything that sun-filled entertaining areas win almost every time. From the presentation of the food to the subtleties of your decorating, increased light levels in your dining area help make for memorable entertaining. Oversized windows, particularly out the back of the home can offer beautiful vistas. Placing windows on two, or sometimes three sides of your entertaining area, ushers in daylight from multiple directions.

Natural light from three directions, including two sets of triple-wide windows out the back, illuminate the Silver Creek’s (plan #42028 shown below) great room.
When entertaining, people always seem to gather around the kitchen island. Rather than upper cabinets, there are additional windows out the back of this home’s kitchen. Just be sure you’ve addressed that “lost” storage with, say, an oversized pantry!

Kitchens that enjoy high levels of sunlight are so pleasurable to be in. Additional solutions for adding daylight is to place awning windows or glass block between the backsplash and upper cabinets, high transom windows above the upper cabinets, and skylights over the kitchen area.

Consider also, windows as art. Not only are beautiful window shapes available, but the grouping of these windows can also be dramatic. Repeating arched windows… staggered thin vertical windows… delightful transoms… all speak to design aesthetics.

Wall art?

Transom windows are smaller and typically placed high in a wall allowing daylight and at the same time, privacy. In the Serena’s (plan #42282) rear suite bedroom, those transoms provide light while still allowing you to position your bed against that wall. And in the adjoining bathroom, transoms above the shower provide much-needed natural light.

Private spaces with more than adequate natural lighting feel “safe” and “serene,” one of the reasons for the popularity of bayed window sitting areas in bedroom suites. Daylight in the bathroom has a major effect on the color rendition of makeup. Electric lighting produces various color hues, many of which are not complimentary of skin tones. Then there are privacy concerns. A big window over the bathtub can usher in sunlight, but if it is covered over with window fashions for privacy, not much light is getting in. Glass block or privacy glass is a wise choice in bathrooms.

Other considerations.

Most interior doors in homes are left open. Therefore, placing windows directly opposite the door leading into a room elevate light levels in the hall or adjoining space leading into that room. Windows atop a staircase or at a staircase landing provide added light, making those stairs safer to transition.

Transom windows can also be used inside the home to further disseminate daylight. In the Gainsville (plan #6651), with windows on two sides of the great room and flex room, glass doors topped with transom windows share sunlight throughout these spaces.

Sometimes, the area you love for enjoying Mother Nature actually blocks much of the sunlight that otherwise would brighten your great room. Skylights to the rescue! Due to their angled orientation to the sun, skylights allow three times as much light as same size vertical window.

Skylights added to the Kauffman’s (plan #50012V) sunroom brighten the adjacent great room. With the added natural light afforded by skylights in the bathrooms, you may find no need for turning on the ‘electric’ lights. And with windows in closets still being rare, adding a skylight in the walk-in closet makes quick work of finding the item you’re looking for as well as discerning colors.

What more can you do if adding windows or skylights just aren’t an option? Window screens can reduce the amount of natural light passing through that screen by as much as 40%; however, there are some newer screen materials that block very little light. Strategically placed mirrors, particularly in bathrooms and dressing areas, can reflect sunlight, effectively doubling natural light levels. Even the paint you use matters, as lighter tints and glossier finishes reflect more light. Consider also where you work. Can you move your workspace closer to the windows? Just be cognizant of glare, particularly when at certain times of the day it might wash out your computer screen.

Whether public or private, areas in your home bathed in daylight are likely among your favorite places. Whether you relish moments alone for personal reflection or growth or life-giving time spent with loved ones, “light, bright, and airy” describes the perfect space. For so many reasons, high levels of natural light should be one of your top priorities when remodeling your existing home or building new. Be aware, building codes specify natural light levels, but understand these are minimums. Take the initiative and stress the importance of natural light levels when talking with your contractor or designer to eliminate future regrets.

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Cover photo courtesy of VELUX.

Buying New Avoids Obsolescence

by Michele Weaver | Nov 2, 2020 | HER Home

Deep entertainment centers originally designed to accommodate large tube-type TV’s… desks in kitchens, which become clutter magnets… two-story high ceilings that echo and are expensive to heat and cool… hard to reach plant shelves that need dusting… depressing laundry/mud room entries from the garage… amenities such as these can make homes feel old and obsolete. The age of your home often reflects design features and amenities popular at that time. Generally speaking, the older the home, the farther away its design is from what today’s home buyers may be looking for.

The average age of owner-occupied homes in America is 37 years (American Community Survey from the National Association of Home Builders, NAHB). Particularly over the last four decades, professional home designers have catered to evolving home buyer preferences. This, in turn, has somewhat diminished the appeal and desirability of resale homes as prospective buyers factor in the added costs and hassles of remodeling along with the home’s purchase price.

Design Basics’ Monroe home plan (now retired) was popular three-plus decades ago. It is two steps down from the entry into the formal living room, and there is also a step down into the “sunken” family room at the back. Unified great rooms for entertaining are more in vogue today, but not step-downs into living spaces. Similarly, the home’s formal dining room plus separate dinette has fallen out of favor compared to a single eating area, especially one that’s expandable for large get-togethers. The majority of buyers today prefer island kitchens to peninsula layouts, and the Monroe’s little pantry next to the dishwasher isn’t going to turn any heads. That kitchen is also closed off from the living and dining rooms, in contrast to the popularity of today’s open designs.

The vanity in the Monroe’s upstairs suite is wide enough to replace with the much more desirable double sink variety, but the skinny 24-inch wide doors leading into the bathroom, toilet area, and walk-in closet, as well as the hall bathroom, are considered drawbacks today. And it would be virtually impossible to finish living space in the Monroe’s basement with anything much taller than a seven-foot high ceiling.

In contrast, the Herndon (plan 29318) has a flex room up front that could easily be closed off for a home office, and this design is wide open across the back. The island kitchen is served by a large walk-in pantry and coming in from the garage, a drop zone, seat, and coat closet rather than the laundry room. Upstairs, the hall bathroom is a compartmented layout with two sinks, alongside the conveniently located laundry room. Your bedroom suite offers great storage, two sinks in the bathroom, and a five-foot shower with the option of also having a soaking tub.

Though 35 square feet smaller and 10 feet narrower, the Herndon plan obviously was designed for today’s buyers.

Resale home prices loosely correlate with the home’s age, which makes sense as pricier, newer resale homes may have fewer design-related deficiencies. On the other side of the equation, new construction homes command a price premium – for example, they typically cost “more per square foot” than resale homes. Resale or new, purchasing a home is a large investment and price is important. It’s a number, and it represents a long-term commitment. But it is more than just a number, as it reflects your priorities, what you are willing to trade-off or settle for, and peace of mind – the topic of our next blog post.

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

View other articles on our blog
Browse our Her Home™ Magazine
Thoughtful Design Concepts

Cover plan featured: Herndon (plan 29318)

New Home Cost: Cheaper than Expected?

by Michele Weaver | Oct 20, 2020 | Great Design

“When the price is higher, people tend to focus on the things that make it higher. When the price is lower people tend to focus on things explaining why it’s lower,” William Poundstone wrote in his book, Priceless. Which do you want? Prospective buyers touring your homes to figure out why your prices are cheaper, or having them appreciate what makes your homes more expensive?

In most markets, national/production builders can offer what appears to be the “best prices.” Rightfully so, as they may enjoy economies of scale that can provide certain cost advantages in terms of land, building products, and even labor. The model homes are attractively presented, consumers notice the Delta faucets and Whirlpool appliances, and the sales representatives show how easy it would be to own one of their homes. (Photo courtesy: Delta Faucet)

Some of these builders deliver an outstanding value, but oftentimes, in checking online reviews and apps such as Next Door, the builder’s reputation, quality, and customer service may be suspect. Buyers reason that is how the builder can price their homes cheaper. Aware of this, some buyers will accept those risks and buy on price; others rule out that builder, fearing the potential disappointment and regret.

If you’re not the lowest price builder in your market, your challenge is to help possible buyers identify what makes your homes more expensive. Those factors, if they matter to the buyer, will help them justify choosing you, so you may also need to help those folks appreciate why you build that way and/or include those amenities. Remember, buyers buy on emotion and subsequently justify those decisions rationally. Wanting to buy a home based on factors other than the lowest price is emotional.

Some of the factors might be obvious – the Craftsman touches add to their home’s curb appeal. They fall in love with the look, can’t wait for their friends to see it, and value aesthetics. Other factors might require demonstration – the glass block windows (photo courtesy: Hy-Lite®) in the suite’s bathroom that provide both light AND privacy, plus crank out for fresh air, too! Factors might even be hidden – like the high performance insulation that will make their home more comfortable to live in, and is estimated to save them $XX monthly in utilities, giving them “bragging rights” as well as appealing to their desire to be environmentally responsible.

So, how do you make sure new home shoppers become aware the many reasons your home is a better value, even when it is more expensive? Besides the obvious model home tour, focus on rapport and trust. Rapport is a two-way street. The buyers want to know more about you, your company, and the homes you build. On the flip side, they’ll appreciate talking with someone who listens, cares, and truly has their interests at heart. Trust takes a little longer, though most people initially believe people they meet are trustworthy until they have reason to doubt. Knowledge of home building and your models is an important component of establishing trust. So is discovering things you have in common with the hopeful buyers (e.g., affiliations, schooling, interests, hobbies, preferences, etc.) – such similarities can go a long way with both rapport and trust. People like to do business with others like themselves. Transparency also aids in building trust, especially when it comes to pricing. Think pre-priced options and upgrades. Intriguing signage in your model home that calls attention to a specific feature that might be overlooked or under-appreciated can aid your buyer’s learning about amenities they would really want, but may not have even been aware of, further establishing trust.

As a business thought-leader and author, Seth Godin points out, price is a story, “People form assumptions and associations based on your pricing.”

Hyundai’s pricing strategy is very different from that of Mercedes Benz, and they sold a million and a half more vehicles world-wide last year than Mercedes. Yes, people form assumptions about Hyundai and Mercedes vehicles based in part on their pricing. But Mercedes sales pros probably aren’t losing any sleep over Hyundai prices!

For more resources on thoughtful design:

(Product spotlights are for informational purposes only.)

Futureproofing: Another Reason to Buy New

New vs. Resale Homes: Peace of Mind

Designing with Natural Light

Buying New Avoids Obsolescence

New Home Cost: Cheaper than Expected?

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