Building a custom home is no easy task; not on the homeowner nor the builder. Custom home construction is consumer driven and, like any other industry, the consumers mind changes. What may have been our dream design three years ago may not even represent who we are today or what we find to be a perfect home. We are influenced by books, magazines, television shows, advertisements, the economy, and more! It is no wonder the custom home industry is one of the fastest changing industries in America. The National Association of Home Builders recently worked through a number of growing trends showing up at the planning table between builder and buyer. Some trends merely add convenience while others seek to lower overhead expenses, or take advantage of more sustainable energies. Some trends even add value to the home in regards to resell or equity. If you are looking to build at River Landing, here are some of the trends emerging today.
IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
For the past decade or so, the nation has become more aware of the environment; its current state and its future. There is a blinding need to conserve and the custom home industry has not turned the other way. Green building techniques and materials, as well as implementing energy efficient components into the build, are more popular than ever. The conversation doesn’t begin and end with alternative energy though. Builders are integrating reclaimed wood, sustainably harvested lumber, and even composite materials that rely less on fossil fuels for production. This isn’t to say, of course, that solar energy, double-pane windows, radiant barrier insulation, and even fiber reinforced concrete, are passé, because they are not. You can even save money with solar panels and by using green energy. Clients choose a custom build because they want more control over the design of their home and environmentally friendly options are now more readily available than ever.
GET SMART
The tech industry seems to release something “smart” every time we think we are up to speed. It seems only right then for smart technology to be integrated into custom home building. Homes can now be built with smart technology, optimized and wired for the smart home experience. Whereas companies like Crestron used to allow you to use a touchpad remote control to control audio/video/lights, tech giants like Google, Amazon, Philips, and Apple now allow you to control everything from your lightbulbs to your thermostat with voice, touch panel, or smartphone Apps. Imagine coming home from a round of 18 holes and telling your custom built home to turn the thermostat down, dim the lights, close the blinds, and even put on a little Frank Sinatra. All of this just from the command of your voice!
“We haven’t had the opportunity to customize a smart home just yet,” notes Licensed Contractor Courtney St. Pierre of River Landing Custom Home Builders. “We have done some retro-fit work and even that is incredible technology that adds so much to the home. Of course it is cheaper to plan a smart system from the beginning, but there are retrofit options.”
There is no room in the home that can’t be automated and it’s only going to get better, more affordable, and more convenient with time!
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
There is no doubt that when planning a custom home build most homeowners are concerned with energy efficiency. With rising costs in fuel, increasing costs in kWh, and loss of overall comfort, homeowners are researching energy efficient technologies. The most obvious way to incorporate efficiency is through the purchasing of ENERGY STAR rated products. However, there are other building methods that enable the custom home to be much more efficient. One good example that most people have experience with is LED lighting. The bulbs themselves have become more affordable, the lighting fixtures are more attractive and varied, and LED lighting is an almost instant positive return on investment. It isn’t the only way though. Travis Stone of Stone Built Construction has quite a bit of experience with energy efficiency adding, “We do a lot of closed cell insulation in custom homes. We have a lot of experience and everything from the framing of the home to the supporting elements such as windows, lightbulbs and HVAC, really cater to energy efficient options like closed cell technology.”
The River Landing Custom Home Program tries extremely hard to pair property owners up with builders who stay on top of the custom home trends and help educate home buyers. It is our desire to provide homes that are all at once beautiful, economical, efficient, and smart!
