If 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.

Planning 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.

With a brand new home, the possibilities for landscaping are wide open. There are so many ways to beautify the land that your home was built on. When you have a new home built by custom home builders in NC, your outdoor spaces should be an equally important part of your home design. Consider the latest trends in home landscaping and get some great ideas for your yard.

• Low Maintenance Plants. With busy lifestyles becoming the norm, many people are looking for low maintenance landscaping that won’t require much upkeep from week to week. Plants that are hearty in dry conditions and won’t need extra watering are popular for convenience and economic reasons. Let landscaping experts recommend plants that work well in the region where you live.
• Vegetable Gardens on Display. Growing your own veggies is becoming common practice again as organic foods offer health benefits. What’s changing most is that your garden doesn’t have to be in the backyard out of sight. Your veggies can be planted in the front yard among other attractive flowering plants which not only offers aesthetic benefits, but cross pollination benefits as well.
• Flowing Water. The serenity from moving water makes it a valuable investment. Fountains, fish ponds, waterfalls, and more are popular additions to many yards and patios. Zen gardens are all the rage with water scenes for peaceful meditation.
• Outdoor Kitchens. This concept is by no means new, but it continues to be a staple for backyard patios. Elaborate grilling and outdoor cooking areas combined with comfortable patio seating, often under and pergola or pavilion, is ideal for outdoor family dining and entertaining.
• Indoor Comforts Outdoors. Thanks to advances in outdoor furniture design, it’s possible to have indoor-quality furniture outside. Waterproof and fade-proof fabrics, as well as durable materials, make it possible to have stylish, cozy outdoor furniture that holds up to the elements.
• Stone or Tile Steps and Paths. Direct the flow of traffic in your yard with stones, tiles, or concrete pads. Create pathways and stepping stones to take guests on an adventure through your beautifully landscaped backyard, or lead them right to your front door without damaging the grass.

R&K Custom Home Builders in NC Include Landscaping as Part of the Custom Building Experience

Landscaping does not have to be an afterthought once your home is completed. Your plans for your outdoor spaces and plants should be part of your original home design. In order to make the best use of the lay of the land, patios, decks, plants, ponds, and other features should be planned for from the beginning. R&K Custom Home Builders in NC have the expertise to incorporate your landscaping ideas into the overall design of your home. From outdoor patios with pergolas to screened-in porches, these spaces are just as important as the home itself. Trust your whole home to R&K Custom Home Builders. To get started planning your dream home today, call (336) 362-5225 to schedule a free consultation.

While there are plenty of previously-owned homes on the market today, there is nothing quite like walking into your first custom-built home. There are many advantages to having the best home builders in Greensboro working with you to create your dream home. A new home allows you to personalize it to meet your needs and desires, while at the same time enjoying many years of low-maintenance living. Here are several major advantages of having your next home custom-built just for you.

A Personalized Home

When you are looking at new homes today, most are built to a predetermined set of plans. For example, if you walk through a new housing development, all the houses are built using a very limited number of floor plans. The best home builders in Greensboro will work with you to create a floor plan that best fits your family’s needs. You decide what rooms go where, how big they are, how many bedrooms and bathrooms your house will have. You also choose all fittings and fixtures, cabinets, color schemes and more. In other words, you have the final word in making your house into a home your family will love.

Increased Energy-Efficiency

The cost of utilities such as electricity, gas and water will likely only go up. Modern homes are being built using the latest in “tight construction” techniques with the most energy-efficient insulation materials. They are airtight and designed to keep in heat and air conditioning better than at any time in the past. New custom homes come with energy efficient appliances, low-flow showers and toilets, and LED lighting designed to maximize light and minimize power usage. All of this will help keep your utility bills under control.

Built for Special Needs

Do you need wheelchair access, special bathroom fixtures to help an elderly family member? What about extra space for elderly family members like an “in-law” apartment. Having the best home builders in Greensboro add these in while building your home is far more cost effective than buying an existing home and then having to pay a contractor to modify it.

Reduced Maintenance Costs

When you buy a previously owned home, you could be investing in a wide range of hidden problems that are likely to show up in the months after you move in and cost a lot of money to repair. With a new home, your maintenance costs are likely to be far less. Most custom home builders in NC offer a warranty. Depending on the nature of this warranty, it might cover things like the furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, appliances, windows, doors, roof and more. This can save you a lot of money in repairs compared to if you bought an existing home.

Working with the best home builders in Greensboro puts you in the driver’s seat. You never have to deal with the hassle of house shopping and making repairs as you are moving in. This may be one of the least stressful moves you and your family will ever make.

Have you ever wondered why it is that some homes can look dated only a few years after they have been built, while others look current and almost trendy despite being decades old? Custom home builders in NC will tell you it’s because these homes have what is often referred to as a timeless design. This type of design is one that will not only stand the test of time but is always going to look like it’s new and trendy.

Start by Looking Around at Existing Homes

If you want custom home builders in NC to create a timeless design for your home, the best place to start is by looking at the classics. In other words, seek out those homes that already seem to have that timeless look. Look at the different colors, designs, and styles considered to be “classic” and build your design around these concepts.

Go with Classic home Building Styling

Classic styling is just what its name says, styles that draw on history to create a new look that will endure. The Greeks used columns, busts, stripes, statues, and an amazing array of architectural molding in their homes. You can draw upon these for inspiration and make use of natural materials such as wood, cotton, brick, stone both inside and out.

Avoid Fad Styles in Home Construction

A good timeless home design is one that doesn’t get its ideas from the latest trends. The design should instead be a little understated, sophisticated yet simple. Your home design should be one that considers function before form yet is not boring. Any design you choose should be one that can be adapted as life changes or the house is sold.

Timeless Designs are Truly Functional

If there is one thing you can’t help but notice when it comes to timeless homes, it is that they tend to be rather sensible and functional in design. Create rooms that will have neither too much nor too little space for your furniture. Choose fixtures that while quite beautiful and functional are not over the top. Choose furniture that will best compliment the size and style of your rooms.

Avoid Being Overly Colorful

If you look at traditional home décor, one of the first things you notice is a high usage of neutral colors. Colors like off-whites, beiges, grays all play a large role in timeless designs. They are often offset by bright white fixtures and moldings that bring the rooms together. Avoid trendy colors if you can or at least try not to make them the main focus of the room.

Working with your custom home builders in NC, create a design that is not overstated yet is large enough for your needs now and in the future. Use plenty of neutral colors both inside and out to create a warm traditional look and you are well on your way to owning a timeless home. For more information and help designing your next home, please contact R&K Custom Homes at (336) 362-5225 and talk to our team of expert custom home builders.