moving into a new home can quickly dissipate once the movers leave and the sea of boxes have been strewn about, as if they were pieces of a missing jigsaw puzzle. Some might not be bothered by tripping over a few misplaced belongings. Others, on the other hand, may wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into. For those in the latter category, this type of situation can be easily remedied. Following are some tips that can ease the burden of getting settled:
1. Visit the new home before moving and before packing everything up at the previous residence.
2. Make a list of all the things on walls, shelves, and anything in storage that are being considered as potential home décor for your new abode.
3. Note the color schemes of your previous home and begin to think about where those colors might go best in the new home.
4. Approach the new home as if it's a fresh canvas waiting to be painted on! Spend some time in each room. Bring along your list of things (from tip #2) and your noted color schemes, sit down in the middle of the floor, and just look around. Think about where items will fit best.
5. When the moving process begins, consider which room is most important or special, and plan to decorate that one first.
6. Keep familiar items around to help ease the stress of moving and make you feel instantly more comfortable in your new home.
7. Most importantly, have fun decorating the new home. This is the start of a new life in a new place.
OUTSIDE, INSIDE & BACK AGAIN: The relationship of interior & exterior space is of utmost importance! Use porches, decks, patios & gardens in that order as transitions from interior to exterior. The qualities of these elements contribute enormously to the quality of the interior space.
SCREENED PORCHES: There is a wonderful sense of nostalgia & sanctuary about them. It is the key transitional space. Enjoy a summer evening and unwind after a busy day - there is no other place like it. A good number of Home Concepts' house designs include these havens. If your budget can't include a screened porch now, most of the designs would allow for it as a future addition.
QUALITY: Your home is your refuge - build in quality & enjoy it! Size & volume on their own DO NOT add quality. You can afford quality by eliminating unessential space. Consider your space requirements carefully. 150 square feet of saved space purchases a significant amount of quality.
SUNROOMS: In older & darker homes, sunrooms make great additions, but in a new well planned house designs there should already be a sunny nook or two to enjoy. Look for a design that works on your building site. With the proper design & orientation, the cost of a sunroom can be avoided.
BASEMENT: A dirty word, associated with dampness & darkness. Substitute the word LOWER LEVEL and you have quality space. If you live in a part of the world where basements - lower levels - are a necessary part of building, this is the SINGLE BEST PLACE TO CONTROL COST. I can not emphasize this enough. Many of Home Concepts' house designs feature lower levels with lots of natural light. Properly built, a lower level is as comfortable as upper levels. Need a three bedroom house design? Put two in the lower level & eliminate some size. Pay for quality! With thoughtful design, this works well even for a family with young children. Remember, they don't stay young for long.
GARAGES: Consider a lower level garage. This is the another effective cost control. Even on a level building site this can work well. Use some thoughtful grading & a pair of retaining walls to flank the garage entry. This actually enhances landscaping possibilities on a level site and contributes to that elusive quality of space.
CARRIAGE HOUSES: If you have a large enough building site & budget, a carriage house can add quality of space. Properly sited, it can be used in combination with the home to provide a sunny, sheltered courtyard. A carriage house (garage-apartment) ia a great place for the home office, guests or the returning prodigal son. With a limited budget, you might consider building the carriage house first followed by the home proper in a few years.
HOME OFFICE: With today's uncertain market conditions, planning for a home office space is a good hedge against job loss. The office space should be readily accessible to clients without imposing on the rest of the home. Wire now for small office equipment, computers & communications. If the office space is not required at present, it can be used as a den, crafts room or guest bedroom. Many of our designs take the home office into consideration. A room on the lower level can be particularly well suited.
ENERGY COSTS: Heating & cooling costs will continue to rise - that's a given. Use windows with features like double or triple glazing, low 'E' glass, argon gas fill & warm edge spacers. Consider insulation details that exceed local minimum requirements. The additional initial cost can be recovered from energy savings in 4-5 years. After that, the savings are in your pocket.
HOME AUTOMATION: What is it? Well, it's pretty much anything you want it to be. And that's where it can get confusing. Consider communications, alarm, video & sound systems well in advance of building - don't make it an after thought. Unless you are an avid do-it-yourselfer, get some professional guidance - there is a lot to know. At the very least, you should run structured cabling or wiring during construction so that it is available for future use. Use the web to do some research here.
LIGHTING: Proper interior & exterior lighting should be planned well in advance of building. The control of lighting can't be overlooked either. Pot lights with dimmers are great for general interior lighting & with the proper selection of the type of light bulb can be effective for task lighting. Used in the soffits on the exterior of the home, they will give a very effective "wall wash". A pot light fixture is relatively inexpensive compared to a good quality wall or ceiling fixture, but you will need more of them to do the job. Again, some professional guidance may be a good idea.
LANDSCAPING: A home's surroundings are a vital part of that quality of space. On a wooded lot you may not have to invest much money. On a clear lot it's a good idea to budget a minimum of 10% of land & house costs for professional landscaping. That can be a considerable amount of money & after building a home can strain even a healthy budget. Of course landscaping can be done over time and you can also undertake most of it yourself. If you choose this route, it may be a good idea to at least get a professional design. It will save you money in the long run. You have a plan to work from & it will probably prevent you from having to move plants 3 or 4 years down the road because they were in the wrong spot. I speak from experience here.
A well-designed landscape is a pleasure to the family, enhances a community and adds to the property's resale value. Landscape design involves much more than placing trees, shrubs and other plants on the property. It is an art which deals with conscious arrangement or organization of outdoor space for human satisfaction and enjoyment. Some of its major goals include:
Organizing and developing the site for maximum use and pleasure.
Creating a visual relationship between the house and the site.
Reducing landscape maintenance to a practical level.
Americans spend tremendous amounts of money "landscaping" their businesses, homes, streets, parks, schools, etc. Much of this money is wasted, however, because of little or no planning. People cannot understand how to landscape until they know why they landscape. There are several reasons why people "landscape": some think it improves the appearance of their place; others like to grow plants; still others just want their place to look pretty. Too often these landscapes dominate rather than serve. Masses of plants or other materials in the landscape may take up a large portion of the space and leave little room for people.
Then how does the designer arrange space so that people will find it useful, beautiful, meaningful and functional? His methods include:
Observing and analyzing the habits of the people who will be using the space, including their needs, desires and how much space each of their activities requires.
Studying past methods.
Surveying available materials to solve design requirements.
Analyzing the environment of the site including the view in and around the site. The ecology of the site should be carefully analyzed since it is an important design determinant.
Not all landscaping improves the appearance of a building. The work of an insensitive designer can subdue a building, conceal important features or contradict the architect's intent. Good landscape design can significantly improve the building's appearance by adding warmth, liveability and personality. It can also relate a building to its site and environment and give it the desired degree of dominance.
Growth and change separate landscape designs from other arts. Most works of art such as architecture, sculpture and painting look their best when new. Landscape designs, however, are at their worst when new and improve with age. A well-designed landscape will seldom look the same any two months of the year.
The temptation to begin planting immediately is almost overwhelming. Whether you are landscaping a newly-built home or redesigning an existing landscape, the results will be much more satisfying if you plan first. Ideally, you should consult a professional landscape architect on planning, but you can produce good results if you follow these steps.
Building a new home begins long before the foundation is poured. To avoid costly mistakes during the construction process, start with these five important steps.
1. Plan Your Budget
Begin now to think about how much you can afford to spend and how much building your new home is likely to cost.
How much money you get
Building Cost Estimator
2. Choose Your Location
you will almost always need to choose the land before you select floor plans or other details. You will need to investigate factors such as soil condition, drainage, zoning and building codes in the region.
Where to build
you will need a team of experts to design and construct your house. Many homeowners begin by selecting the builder or an architect or designer first.
Find an Expert
3. Choose Your Team
Many new homes are built using stock plans from a catalog. The builder or a home designer may make minor modifications in room size, window style or other details. A custom-designed home, on the other hand, is created specifically for the family which will live there.
In most cases, custom-designed homes require the services of a licensed architect. Whether you opt for a stock or a custom design, you will be wise to choose a plan that will meet your needs for many years to come.
