Archive for June, 2010

SMART TIPS FOR DESIGNING YOUR HOME OUTDOORS

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Creating an outdoor living space and kitchen area is a very exciting experience. However, you need to consider several things before preparing the blueprint for the same. For instance, it is essential to understand the main function of the outdoor kitchen and your personal preferences for its design.

For most people, the outdoors serves as a great place for entertaining and socializing with family and friends. You can plan a kitchen that includes a bar for drinks and some space for barbeque. Wine lovers can add a wine cooler to the design. If you entertain large groups of people, think about a layout with a large island in the middle. This allows you to setup the kitchen and seating in the center while everyone gathers around it.

Your time spent in the outdoors plays an important role in planning the entire design and experience. If you prefer being outside when the weather is nice, elements like screens and ventilation techniques have to be incorporated. This helps in keeping away the bugs and retaining the cool air when the screens are closed.

The process of designing a customized outdoor kitchen or living space does not have to undertaken on your own. Feel free to take help from your family and friends who understand your lifestyle. While working on the official blueprint, start with a basic drawing of the area to be used and then make several designs to choose the best alternative. We at Dustin Dewald Custom Homes provides professional help in creating unique outdoor set ups.

Once you know what you want and your budget restrictions, our expert can evaluate the viability of your plan and add unique aspects to enhance it. On the whole, we can help you in designing the outdoor living space in a way that ensures maximum benefit and personalization.

When you plan the project according to your needs as well as desires, it becomes much easier to find the right elements and accessories for your outdoor kitchen and living space.

Dustin Dewald Custom Homes are renowned Custom Home Builders in Central Texas, contact us for your building requirements.

COST SAVING WITH CUSTOM HOMES

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

These days, Custom Homes are available in diverse styles and sizes. When it comes to building your own home, it is essential to determine the cost involved as compared to your spending power. Basically, the cost of making a Custom Home is categorized under the following heads:

Cost of Acquisition
This includes the cost of acquiring the land on which you plan to build your home. Different rules apply to different states so you need to consult a real estate expert before making a deal. Make sure that the land is safe and suits your requirements.

Building Cost
Building a Custom Home means use of high quality materials for construction. Sometimes, it gets tough to balance quality and cost. While building a Custom Home may require greater spending, it ensures long term savings from energy efficient design and amenities.

Labor Costs and Builder Charges
A Custom Home is an elaborate construction project that involves the services of labor and professional builders. While hiring these people, make sure that you get maximum value without exceeding your budget.

Ancillary Costs
These consist of costs of survey, architect fees, permits, etc. Check the ancillary costs that may occur in building a Custom Home before starting the construction.

Generally, people assume that Custom Homes are very expensive. This may be true for the construction phase. However, they fail to recognize the long run savings that can be enjoyed along with efficiency in a Custom Home. Modern Custom Homes are built with energy-efficient techniques that reduce heating, cooling and electricity bills by 20-30%. Also the value of Custom Home in real estate market is much high then other residential property.

Green appliances and eco-friendly fittings can also help in huge savings of resources. With better planning and careful construction, your Custom Home can last longer, demand lesser maintenance and generate greater resale value than a pre-built home.

Dustin Dewald Custom Homes specializes in building low cost, eco-friendly and energy saving custom homes.

Killeen Home Builders - Central Texas Custom Home Builders

REAL ESTATE VALUE OF CUSTOM HOMES VERSUS PRE-BUILT HOMES

Monday, June 14th, 2010

A home designed according to your desires and specific preferences is known as a custom home. Your taste and choice shape up each and every corner of the structure. From the windows and doors to the water pipes and paint, every decision is made by you. Pre-built homes, on the other hand, are made according to standard structure and design.

Nowadays, home owners want to know the comparative real estate value of custom homes and pre-built homes. Here are a few parameters to be considered while comparing the Custom Homes with Pre-Built Homes in terms of the Real Estate value:

Home Layout
Pre built homes are built up with a pre defined layout plan, which remains the same for various homes being built by builder in the area. Custom Home gives an option to home owner to be a part of layout planning process. A home owner can decide and give a final approval on the design layout to builder before the construction begins.

Quality of Building Materials
In case of pre-built homes, you have no control over the quality of material used in building the house. Custom homes include doors, windows, cabinets and the entire structure that may be manufactured, fabricated or assembled in front of your eyes.  You choose everything with the assistance of a professional builder. The real estate value gets higher when the building materials surpass superior quality.

Existence of Amenities 
Compare the amenities available in a pre-built house with the extent of provisions you can keep in a custom home. The pre-built homes have fixed dimensions with spaces assigned for pre-decided usage. For Custom Homes, the owner can enjoy a wide range of luxurious amenities that raise the value of your property.

To summarize, it is much better to invest in a custom home rather than a pre-built home in order to enhance the real estate value of your home in the long term.

For Building Custom Homes in Texas contact Dustin Dewald Custom Homes Builders.

Killeen Home Builders - Central Texas Custom Home Builders

IDEAS FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION AT HOME

Monday, June 7th, 2010

With increasing emphasis on global warming and energy conservation, it is important for every person to contribute towards saving the planet. There are many quick, easy and practical ways to save energy in your home. Not only does it help the environment but also reduces your monetary liabilities.

  • Installing power management systems in your computer and monitor is a must. This allows the device to go into sleep mode after certain amount of time. Make sure that this feature is activated on all your personal computers so that energy can be saved while you are not working. In the long term, a laptop may be a better option as it takes less energy than a regular desktop.
  • Even when turned off, many home appliances continue their energy consumption. It is best to unplug them, whenever possible or purchase a smart power strip.
  • The effects of sunlight and heat from its rays can also be managed to reduce energy consumption. During winters, you must keep the curtains open on windows facing south to allow natural heating of your home. These can be closed in the evening to retain maximum heat and avoid cold chill on windows. Check whether the curtains are blocking radiators or air vents. The opposite must be done in summers.
  • A large part of energy usage in homes involves hot water consumption. By reducing this, you can conserve a lot of energy. Instead of taking a bath, use the shower to reduce water wastage as well as time taken for the activity. Keep the thermostat of your heater to 120 F and install low-flow faucets and shower heads in your bathrooms. Leakages and dripping must be promptly repaired.
  • You should make use of natural lighting techniques by using sun roofs and shades. You can also use solar heaters to warm up water for domestic usage.
  • Heating and cooling in the house needs to be optimally regulated. This can be done through an automated thermostat. Devices used for heating and cooling the home emit carbon dioxide and harm the atmosphere. You can cut down on their usage by installing a digital programmable thermostat that enhances energy efficiency.

These are a few measures for keeping your home eco-friendly. Many new techniques and methods of saving energy at home have been introduced in the market. Keep an eye on such products to conserve maximum energy and save money as well.

We at Dustin Dewald Custom Homes build energy efficient custom homes in Central Texas. To know more energy saving tips for your home, feel free to contact us.

Killeen Home Builders - Central Texas Custom Home Builders