So you decided that you want to build a custom home for your family.  Is it because you found a lot in just the right location?  Or you’ve been looking at existing homes for sale and are not finding one that has the features you need?  Or want a home that is uniquely your own?  Well, a custom built home may indeed be the answer.  The good news is that you get to select the features you need, you get to build it on a lot of your choice, you get to select your building team.  In short, you get to pick stuff.  But the bad news is the same as the good news; you have to pick stuff, you have to select a lot, you have to select a plan with the features you need.  So where do you start?

Budget, Plan/features, Lot; the most difficult items.  The budget is the overriding issue.  Everyone has to work within a budget, large or small.  So the sooner you establish a realistic budget, the better.  Run the budget by a mortgage lender to make sure you can afford the payments.  Run the budget by a builder to make sure you can get the plan and features you need (and some of the features you want).  Then you can calculate what you can afford for a lot.  Lots have several decision points; location, cost, construction complications.  A long driveway costs more to install, and more to maintain than a shorter one.  A 3 acre lot will cost more to seed, landscape and mow than a .5 acre lot.  All these variables should be considered when deciding on a lot.  By the way, one more consideration, there is an unlimited number of plans and features available for a home.  Wheatland Custom Homes and Remodeling can build a small or a larger home, modern or traditional, stone or siding; a wide variety of sizes, styles, features.  But there is only a limited number of lots available, land is just not being made anymore.

For help in this decision making process, to talk about lots, home plans and budgets, contact Rick@WheatlandHomes.com .   Wheatland Custom Homes and Remodeling has been building fine homes, additions and restorations in south central Pennsylvania for over 20 years.

Your home, your castle.  If you live in an extreme weather zone, how do you protect yourself from the weather?  How do you protect the citizenry from the potential weather?  Is the answer Government mandates for safe construction?  Or is the answer market driven?  In the wake of the weather disaster(s) in Oklahoma, the debate heats up.

Since in south central Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, York, Lancaster) we are not in a high wind (tornado or hurricane) zone, our new home construction building codes do not need to be concerned about extreme weather.  But it does bring to mind another issue, that of man caused home disaster.  In some areas, there is concern about fire and personal security in our castles.  And there is a solution, providing home security by construction of a “safe” room in your new house.  A safe room is used for personal safety in times of emergency, as well as for fire protection of valuables.  The room is constructed of reinforced concrete, with a vault door.             Fort Knox sales a vault door, we build the safe room, and they bring the door out and install it.  In talking to the Fort Knox dealer about a current project, they have also been supplying them for safe rooms that are being built in existing homes.  While installation during construction in a new home is more convenient; if there is access to the existing basement, installation as a remodel project can be economically completed by the Wheatland Custom Homes and Remodeling team.  For more information, contact Rick@WheatlandHomes.com

Conventional wisdom is usually correct, you need to realize that it became conventional because after all, it worked in the past.  But although conventional thinking usually eliminates mistakes, it also prevents the “outside the lines” thinking that is necessary for truly GREAT ideas.

Let’s look at an example:  Wheatland Custom Homes and Remodeling was asked to design a home on a corner lot with building envelope and slope challenges.  There is the existing street on the narrow side, new street on the wide side.  The lot slopes the wrong way, because of the building envelope and storm water inlet, the garage needs to go on the low side.  And it is an infill lot between newer homes and older classic style homes.

Conventional wisdom says that the house needs to be part of the new home community, with the front door facing the new street.  And design some kind of basement garage, a bilevel would be perfect!  But really, a bilevel?  This is 2013, not 1970.  Hold on, this is about custom home designing, so why must the front door face the wide side of the lot, why can’t it face the narrow side, the existing street?  Why can’t the new house imitate the character of the existing classic homes?  The driveway will enter off the new street, with the garage dropping a couple steps to follow the grade. And since a couple more steps would be helpful, let’s design a stepped down family room between the house and garage.  Wow, this might just work!!  And oh yeah, the cost is critical.  How about the total package of $235,000?  Might just work in Susquehanna Township!

For creative solutions to your home building or remodeling needs in south central Pennsylvania, contact  rick@WheatlandHomes.com