Tips for Designing the Bathroom of Your Dreams

View from bath.One of the most important rooms in your home is the bathroom. According to statistics, the average person will spend a year and a half of their entire life in the bathroom. This is not something to take lightly. Bathrooms also have a large impact on the resale value of your home. When you look for the best home builders in Greensboro, check out the photos of bathrooms they’ve done and be sure you like what you see. Be ready to share your own ideas for your dream bathroom. Need a little help deciding what you want for your bathroom? Consider these tips.

Top Priority Should Be Functionality

Your bathroom should be beautiful, but more importantly, it should be functional. The space, layout, and features of your bathroom should be based on how you use your bathroom on a daily basis. It needs to be a space where you can get ready for work in the morning and also a place you can take a relaxing shower or bath (if you are a bath person) at the end of a long day. Carefully consider the placement of the tub, shower, sinks, toilet, storage space, and any other feature you plan to include. Some find it helpful to have a separate space with a door to house the toilet, leaving the rest of the bathroom separate. In some cases, the toilet and shower are in the same room and the vanity space is separate to allow one person to get ready without the steam and heat from the shower. A separate garden tub is a luxury, but may not be necessary for everyone, especially if no one really takes baths. Pedestal sinks are stylish but don’t offer storage. Plan around your everyday life.

Splurge on the Comfort Items

It’s worth it to put in the finer details that you picture when you imagine your dream bathroom. Go for the tile floor and walls that give you the style you want. Put in the steam shower and heated towel bar that makes your bathroom that much more luxurious. This is your dream bathroom after all. Additional radiant heating, so you step out of the shower to a warm floor, is also a valuable upgrade. Plan for different lighting options; you’ll need bright light for applying makeup, but may want dimmer light for a relaxing ambience while taking a bath. Make the bathroom a worthy part of your dream home.

Design and Build with the Best Home Builders in Greensboro

If you truly want to have the bathroom of your dreams with every feature and detail, you need one of the best home builders in Greensboro, R&K Custom Homes. An award-winning builder in the Triad, R&K has built and continues to build luxurious custom homes in popular neighborhoods in Greensboro and northern Guilford County. View the gallery of bathrooms already gracing the homes of satisfied customers. Bring your ideas and dreams and call (336) 362-5225 to start designing your dream home with R&K Custom Homes.

Downsizing in Retirement: Things to Keep in Mind

2Z3A7693You’ve finally reached the golden years of retirement. Like many retirees, you may be thinking about downsizing your home. Though this is a popular choice, it’s not necessarily the best choice for everyone. There are a lot of things to consider from a financial standpoint as well as your lifestyle. You may want to stay in your current home. Maybe now is the time to hire one of the best custom home builders in NC to build you the dream home you’ve always wanted with plenty of space for the grandkids to visit. If you’re having trouble deciding, keep the following things in mind.

Downsizing Does Not Always Save You Money

It may seem like a wise financial move to sell your home and move into a smaller home. You expect a lower mortgage payment, cheaper utilities, and less home maintenance to worry about. However, this is not always the case. Consider your current cost of living and compare it to the area you are considering moving to. If you are making a big change in communities, you may find that your cost of living could actually go up.

Carefully Consider the Size of Home You Will Need

Do you expect visits from children, grandchildren, and other family members? Will you have enough bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate everyone during the holidays? If your house tends to be the gathering place for family get-togethers, downsizing may not be the best choice. In fact, you may even need to upgrade to a larger home after retirement.

Plan for the Future

Is it your goal to age in place? Do you want to stay in your home for the rest of your life, or do you expect to move again in the future when you may find it more difficult to get around? Staying in your own home may not be possible if it is not equipped for advanced aging. This is where building a custom home in retirement can be a wise choice. Your home can be designed and built to be wheelchair accessible, have an elevator, an open floor plan, or consist of a single level. Aging in place is more feasible than ever with state of the art home design.

Retire in the Home of your Dreams Thanks to Custom Home Builders in NC

If you wish for a certain lifestyle in retirement, your home is a big part of that. Think about how you want to spend your retirement and plan your home accordingly. R&K Custom Homes can build your dream home with all of the features you want and the details you need to retire the way you have always wanted. R&K builds on ready-to-build home sites in some of the most desirable neighborhoods in Greensboro, Oak Ridge, Stokesdale, and the surrounding area. Convenient to the city with all the beauty and fresh air of the country, your retirement can be relaxing and fun. Build your dream home as part of your dream retirement lifestyle with R&K Custom Homes. Call (336) 362-5225 for a free consultation.

How to Determine the Right Custom Home Style for Your Family in Greensboro

Custom Home built in Greensboro NCAre you finally ready to build a custom home in Greensboro but aren’t sure what style is right for your family? Picking a floor plan that suits your family’s needs and lifestyle is of utmost importance. With so many styles to choose from, you can easily get distracted by how beautiful they look. What you need to focus on, however, is how you will be living in your new home.

The best way to do this, is to look at the floor plans while thinking of your daily routines – for both weekdays and weekends. For instance, how far will you have to haul your groceries from the car to the kitchen? Or do you need a mudroom for kids coming home from sports practice? Here are a few general things to consider that might help.

Great Room vs Family Room

Do you want a separate living room, with a family room off the kitchen, or will a great room do for your family? Some families use the family room for the children and like to have a separate room for the adults, or to receive visitors without worrying about any mess the kids are making. Even homes that feature a great room will sometimes still have a separate dining room.

You may want to consider your location and resale value when making this decision, though. If you are in an area where all the homes have separate living rooms and family rooms, then it may be very hard to sell your house with only a great room, should the need arise.

Stairs or No Stairs

Two story homes are a great solution for getting more square footage on a smaller lot. But they aren’t always a good idea for certain families. For instance, the first thing you will want to look for is whether there are any bedrooms at all downstairs.

You may not want a small child upstairs while the master bedroom is downstairs. That could be inconvenient for awhile, particularly if you have plans for adding to your family. Or you may want a guest bedroom downstairs if you expect to have elderly or disabled visitors.

Traditional vs Contemporary

There is a great deal of leeway in the type of exterior you can put on a floor plan. For instance, traditional Victorian homes historically consisted of separate, defined rooms. Even living and dining rooms often had doors to shut them off from the rest of the house. These days, however, you can have wide open floor plans with a Victorian exterior. Although, again, you will want to consider your neighborhood, and make sure your exterior isn’t so different that it will affect your resale value.

Your Custom Home Should Fit the Needs and Desires of Your Family

R&K Custom Homes has created and built innovative new home designs for hundreds of families. Call (336) 662-9299 today for a free consultation about how you can have a custom home in Greensboro built to suit your family and your lifestyle.

Where Mortgage Rates are Headed in the Near Future

Happy young couple getting keys of their new house. Close up of female hand receiving keys from house broker. Closeup of the hand of a real estate agent who give the house keys to a woman while her boyfriend signing a contract.

Happy young couple getting keys of their new house. Close up of female hand receiving keys from house broker. Closeup of the hand of a real estate agent who give the house keys to a woman while her boyfriend signing a contract.

Thinking of buying a home? Wondering when is the best time to apply for a mortgage in order to get the best possible rate? Mortgage rates are relatively volatile when compared with interest rates of other loan types. Since mortgages are typically such large sums, the rates are often an indicator of the current economy and a predictor of the future economy. Mortgage rates affect the overall housing market, referring to the average prices of homes bought and sold during the current year. If you plan to buy a new house in Greensboro, NC, this year, consider the rate predictions to help you determine the optimal time.

Mortgage Rates Stand to Move Soon, Act Now

According to The Mortgage Reports, mortgage rates have been at record lows this year, and that trend has continued into the fall. However, rates are likely to go up in the foreseeable future. Rates at or below 4 percent are likely to rise at least half a percent by the end of the calendar year. This means that if you’re thinking of buying a home, it would be wise to act quickly. If you’ve been planning to build your dream home, applying for a mortgage now is the best way to lock in a low rate. Mortgages typically have 30 year terms, and while you may have the option to refinance down the road, locking in a low rate now means you may not have to.

Now is the Time to Build your Luxury Custom Home

Do you have a vision for your dream home? Is it stylish and spacious and reflective of who you are? Before you buy a new house in Greensboro, NC, consider a custom home. Custom building allows you to plan and design your home just the way you want it, down to every last detail. Every luxury, every feature that you’ve always wanted in a home can be yours. Your ideas, wants, and needs come together when master designers create a truly original home just for you. From the blueprints to the finished product, you are a part of every decision and option. And the final result is a home you can be proud of, make memories in, and live life to the fullest.

Take Advantage of Low Mortgage Rates and Build a Home with R&K Custom Homes

Your money should go toward adding luxuries and beauty to your new home, not to the bank in the form of mortgage interest. With rates low but poised to move, this is your time to take action. Get a low rate locked in now before the rates rise. Then simply enjoy the custom design process. R&K Custom Homes makes designing your dream home a truly wonderful experience. Ready-to-build home sites are available now in some of the finest neighborhoods in Greensboro. Call (336)643-3503 to schedule a consultation.

4 Secrets to Building your New Dream Home

Tools on BlueprintDo you have a vision for the home of your dreams? You can picture it, can’t you: the inside, the outside, the yard? Well the time has come to make that vision a reality. Working with premier building contractors in Greensboro, NC, you can design and build your dream home just the way you want it. To make sure you are completely satisfied with the final product, you need to know the 4 secrets to building your new dream home.

  1. List your “must haves.” Make a prioritized list of features or details that you absolutely have to have in your dream home. Whether it’s a wrap-around front porch, a finished basement, a 3 car garage, or a state-of-the-art kitchen, these are the things you cannot do without. It’s the big and little things that fulfill your dreams when it comes to your home, so add to the list as you go to make sure you don’t leave anything out.
  2. Plan for the future. When designing your dream home, plan for the future as much as the present, because if there’s any certainty in life, it’s that change is inevitable. You might plan 4 bedrooms because you have 3 children now and don’t plan to have any more. But things change, people age, grandparents move in, surprises happen. You can never be sure of the future, so build in some room for flexibility.
  3. Be willing to compromise. This does not mean giving up on the dream home you want, but it does mean there will be situations during the design process where compromise will be necessary. Know your budget well, otherwise you run the risk of building yourself into financial hardship. Some of your less important items may have to be sacrificed in order to have some of the more important features.
  4. Trust your builder. When you work with an experienced, reliable building contractor in Greensboro, NC, you should trust their advice. Your builder will make recommendations along the way that can save you money and improve design choices. Choices like which materials to use and what brand names are best are wisely left up to your builder who has worked with the products and built many homes. If your builder thinks something may not be a good idea, take the advice. He will likely offer you a workaround that will be much more pleasing in the end.

Build Your Dreams with R&K Custom Homes, Premier Building Contractors in Greensboro, NC

Put your dreams in the hands of someone you can trust. R&K Custom Homes are the building contractors in Greensboro, NC, that are behind award-winning homes in the finest neighborhoods. State-of-the-art building technology, stylish design features, and quality materials and craftsmanship go into every R&K home. The dream house you have always wanted for the future can be yours sooner than you thought possible. The time is now. Call (336) 362-5225 to get started on your dream home design.

Benefits to Living in the Riverside at Oak Ridge Community

Riverside Lot 54If you’re looking for a new neighborhood that’s out in the beautiful countryside, yet close to the city, check out Riverside at Oak Ridge. As its name suggests, Riverside is a growing home community near Haw River. A luxury community, Riverside offers many amenities. In an excellent location with top schools and close proximity to shopping, dining, and entertainment, there’s something for everyone to love about Riverside. And there are available, ready-to-build new home lots in Oak Ridge, NC, now. Enjoy all the benefits of living in Riverside Community.

  1. Natural setting. Riverside provides convenient access to parks, golf courses and more. Drive along the country roads between rolling fields and lush forests and know you’re in a good place. If you’re tired of crowds and traffic and city noise, build your home in a community where you can escape all of that. Go back in time and experience life like it was before people got in such a hurry.
  2. Convenient location. Even though Riverside is out in the country, it’s just a short drive to reach all of the conveniences of Kernersville and Greensboro. A reasonable commute to work, shopping and dining close by, and plenty of things to do whether you’re looking for outdoor or indoor entertainment. Grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores and more are just around the corner. You can have both convenience and beauty in your life.
  3. Premier custom builders. Some of Greensboro’s best builders are designing and constructing the new homes in the Riverside community. R&K Custom Homes puts your needs and desires into a home design that encompasses all of the features and details that you want. Your R&K original home will be truly unique, reflecting your very own style and personality. Quality craftsmanship and the finest materials go into every R&K home.
  4. Pool and tennis courts. And the icing on the cake is the resort-like amenities. Play a match on the tennis court or take a dip in the pool and you’ll feel like you’re on vacation every day. Views of the trees and rolling fields are a gorgeous backdrop to these activities.

Spacious Home Lots in Oak Ridge, NC, at Riverside are Available Now and Going Fast

Such a desired neighborhood with beauty and convenience fills up fast. Home lots in Oak Ridge, NC, are selling quickly as more residents of Greensboro and the surrounding areas look for a community like Riverside, a beautiful escape from city dwelling. Just beyond the neighborhood itself there are parks, golf courses, shopping centers, and restaurants. Medical facilities and emergency services are close by and the schools in the area are top notch, both public and private. If you’re ready to find a new community where you can build your home your way, on a piece of land you choose, call R&K Custom Homes: (336) 362-5225.

Reasons for You to Choose Custom Homes Instead of Spec Houses

exterior of custom homeIf you’re about to invest in your first piece of real estate, one of the things that you should consider is what kind of house you would purchase. Is it going to be a spec home, or would you prefer to have something more customized? What exactly is the difference between the two?

Design Factor

The most glaring difference between production or spec homes and custom homes is the approach in design. A production house applies a template design, commonly found in suburban homes. There is an element of uniformity to them, from the driveway all the way to the interiors.

If you are in search of a property that would have the basics, and you don’t really want to fuss all too much with personalized features, then this is a good option for you. It’s already built and ready to move into.

As for a custom house, it follows no other template but yours. As the homeowner, you must work in close coordination with the contractors in order to communicate your design plans and ideas. With their knowledge, skills, and expertise, they can then guide the design process to ensure quality in both aesthetics and functionality.

Advantages of Custom

Sure, choosing a custom home can mean more work since you will have more opportunity for input of its design. However, if you work with experienced and expert home builders, the process will go smoother than you probably expect.

If you have seniors or individuals with special needs living with you, you can take their needs into consideration. A bedroom on the ground level, for example, could be convenient for senior residents because then they won’t need to climb stairs. This not only minimizes their physical exertion, but also mitigates the risks of an accident.

Special features such as a sunroom, home theater, game room and more can also be included to cater to your family’s interests and needs.

Dream Come True

If you’ve been dreaming up the perfect house all this time, your best bet at turning it into reality is by getting it custom built. Put your creativity to good use and enjoy the privilege of having a blank canvass to draw up your dream home design.

Professional contractors such as R & K Custom Homes can help you bring your design ideas to fruition. Turn your dream house into a reality. Get started by consulting with the pros for your design. Call R & K Custom Homes at (336) 362-5225.

Consider these Features to Make Custom Homes Even More Convenient

Great Room View from CeilingIf you are looking for a new home for your family, consider a custom home. With a custom home you will be able to choose many features that are suited for your family and lifestyle. That’s because with custom homes, you can say goodbye to compromises.

When you choose to have your home designed according to your tastes, you get the opportunity to include features that fit your family. This is especially true when it comes to home features that you may not see in existing homes for sale in your market. To give you a bit of inspiration, here are some brilliant house features that you can have added when you choose to customize your new home:

Keeping Room

The keeping room is like a cross between a dining room and living room. Typically located just off the kitchen, the keeping room is a spot where family can gather and have a casual get together. What’s great about this space is that you can keep conversing with people even while you’re busy preparing a meal. It also makes for a great entertaining space when hosting an intimate gathering at home. You can choose to serve your appetizers here then invite your guests to your dining room for the main course.

Hidden Storage Space

What homeowners tend to discover over time is that there is never enough storage space in their home, which is why they resort to purchasing small storage containers. As an alternative, you can opt to have more storage space cleverly installed all over your home. It can be under the stairway or even behind the walls themselves. 

Pet Bathing Area

You love your pets, but isn’t bathing them a challenge? With your very own pet bathing station, you never have to struggle with getting your furry pals in and out of your own bathtub again. If you happen to have large pets, you can opt to have a large high-walled basin installed so that you and your pets can be comfy during grooming time.

If you have been looking at a number of possible new homes and nothing seems to suit your taste, consider getting one custom built for your family. This way, you get the house that you have always dreamed of. And as you might guess, there’s really no better feeling than being able to walk into a home that you are proud to call your own.

Call R & K Custom Homes at (336) 362-5225.

Fun Things to Do in Greensboro

Custom Luxury Home ExteriorPlanning to visit or relocate to the Greensboro, NC, area? There’s lots to do that will stimulate the mind, body, and spirit that are a lot of fun too. Greensboro is an ideal city for families, with job opportunities, great schools, and a reasonable cost of living. Before you move, consult with Greensboro builders about custom home building opportunities in the area. New home neighborhoods with ready-to-build home sites are available in highly desired areas. Once you move to Greensboro there are plenty of attractions to keep you occupied that are fun for the whole family.

Greensboro Science Center

Complete with an outdoor zoo and indoor aquarium, the Greensboro Science Center offers fun learning opportunities for all ages. The outdoor zoo includes tigers, wolves, lemurs, barnyard animals, and more. The aquarium includes penguins, otters, sharks, fish, and even a touch pool for some marine creatures. Indoor exhibits include dinosaurs, weather, human body systems, and floating exhibits that change from time to time. Sail the seas on the play pirate ship or in the yellow submarine. There’s even a special area for the smallest scientists to play safely.

International Civil Rights Center and Museum

This museum stands in honor of 4 African American college students who sat down at the “whites only” lunch counter at Woolworth’s on February 1, 1960, the action that ignited the sit-in movement of the civil rights campaign. This location has been restored to look as it did on that important day in our nation’s history and serves as a museum where people of all ages can learn about the civil rights movement when it first began and its progress even now.

The Greensboro Arboretum

Enjoy 17 acres of gardens, floral displays, plant collections, and other greenery. Stroll around the grounds and take in the beauty and delicious scents of hundreds of different flowers. Learn about a variety of plant types and rest on the many scenic benches. The gazebo and fountain complete this picture-perfect collection of nature in Greensboro.

Local Flavor in Greensboro

When you visit Greensboro, you can’t forget to sample the local brews and food. Natty Greene’s beer is brewed in Greensboro at the brewery on West Gate City Blvd where the tasting room serves freshly crafted beer on tap. The Greensboro brewpub is located on South Elm Eugene Street offering beers and a full menu of burgers, wings, BBQ, and more. The Kitchen and Market is on Yanceyville Street, housing “the butcher, the baker, and the beer maker.” Located at the Historic Revolution Mill with an in-house butcher and baker, the Kitchen and Market is known for delicious food that is made from scratch on-site. A trip to Greensboro just isn’t complete without a trip to some of the areas great restaurants.

Searching for Greensboro Builders who Design and Build Custom Homes?

If you’re moving to Greensboro and want to find Greensboro Builders who deliver quality craftsmanship and reliable service, look no further than R&K Custom Homes. Your wants and desires for your dream home can be made a reality through expert design and building technique. R&K is currently building in the top neighborhoods in Greensboro. Call (336) 362-5225 to schedule your free consultation today.

Some Design Trends to Consider for Building Custom Homes This Year

A couple reviews a architect's drawingComing up with plans for a new home in Greensboro, NC, is always an exciting process. The biggest advantage of working on a brand new house is that it’s your own blank canvass. As the homeowner, you have the opportunity to build a home that suits your lifestyle.

That said, it’s best to entrust the final design decisions to professional contractors. They’ll know how best to approach turning your vision into reality. They’ll know which design concepts are possible and which are not, and they will know which choices may lead to unforeseen problems. And experienced custom home builder will know how these decisions will affect your final cost.

Feel free to throw some of your ideas their way for consideration, especially if you are like to keep up with the latest trends in custom home design such as the following.

Efficient Space Usage

It could be from a conscious effort to use space efficiently or because smaller homes are more economical. Whatever the reason, people are looking for smaller spaces. Every inch of space, therefore, should be used wisely, meanwhile the amount of foot traffic and storage space requirements must be considered.

Keep It Clean and Modern

Another trend to consider is clean and modern lines, especially since the minimalist trend in design allows more leeway for interior options.

You can also go for more classical designs such as French or Mediterranean as these are very safe design choices. Whatever you end up with, the important thing is to pick a design that best reflects your needs and preferences.

Metal Accents

Look into adding a bit more metal to your interiors if you want to add some eye-catching features to your home. It can be in the form of brass trimmings or accents, or backsplashes in your kitchen. It’s an easy and surefire way to create a unique look for a room.
Interior design trends frequently change, however, so you may want to think long and hard before settling on a particular design element. You’ll be stuck with it for a while after all.

When it comes to custom homes, it’s much better if you entrust the design and build to professional contractors such as R&K Custom Homes. Set an appointment soon so you can start to plan out the details of your dream home project.