4 Steps to Designing Your Dream Home
Finding the perfect home on the real estate market is a daunting task, and homeowners often have to adjust their expectations and dreams as they purchase their new home. At Deer Ridge Construction we specialize in new home construction, which allows our customers to design their new home from the ground up, without making sacrifices in their style or quality of materials. Today we are going to take you through our new home building process and how we take our customers from design, to the construction of their dream home.
Choosing Your Home Style
Many of our customers come to us with a complete vision of their new home, but some are unsure and looking for guidance. There are a lot of different home styles popular today, each featuring different materials and space options. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular new home styles in Pennsylvania today.
Ranch Style Home
Ranch style homes are characterized by their single story, open floor plans. Homeowners love this style because it promotes informal and casual gatherings, and provides plenty of space for families to gather together, while also having their own space.
Cape Cod Style
Cape Cods are similar to ranchers but feature a steeper roof pitch. It is a single story home with lower ceilings which offers a cozy atmosphere. Some cape cods have a second story that features dormers to offer more space and light. They will often feature an open floor concept, giving homeowners the ability to get creative with their living spaces.
Choosing Your Home’s Siding
One of the first decisions we make with our clients is the siding material to use for their home. This decision is influenced by your style, color preferences, and durability needs. Let’s dive into some of our favorite siding options, and the situations that they work best in.
Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding is a very popular option because it is low cost, low maintenance, and easy to install. It comes in a wide variety of colors, and the color runs all the way through so abrasions aren’t as visible as painted siding. However, vinyl siding is prone to breakage and becoming detached from the home, so it is not recommended in areas with severe weather.
Fiber Cement Siding
Fiber cement siding can be pricey, but it is the most arguably the most durable option we work with. It offers complete protection against rot and insects, and is the most popular option in areas with extreme weather conditions. It also does an incredible job of resembling cedar wood siding, and comes in a wide variety of color options.
Cedar Wood Siding
Cedar wood has been used on homes for hundreds of years, and it is still a popular choice for homeowners today. It is a common belief that no artificial material can recreate the beauty and natural look of cedar, and many families still opt for the real thing. This natural beauty does come with a cost, however. It is fairly expensive to install, and needs to be repainted every 4-7 years.
Stone Veneer
Stone veneer has become a very popular option, and does a great job of simulating natural stone while being much easier to work with. We love using stone veneer as an accent to complement homes with vinyl, fiber cement, or cedar siding. It is slightly expensive, but using stone veneer as an entryway or siding accent can keep cost down and add a unique touch to your home.
Choosing Your Home’s Roofing Material
The next choice we like to make in the new home construction process is the roofing material. We work with our customers to decide the perfect option for them within their budget, and in our decades of experience we have chosen three options that work best for them.
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are the most common roofing material we work with, and for good reason. They perfectly complement almost all siding materials, and most brands come with a substantial warranty for peace of mind. They are also cost effective, making them accessible to all of our customers looking for new home construction.
Standing Seam Metal Roof
Standing seam metal roofs have become a very popular option in the last 10 years due to their durability and color options. Our customers pairing their metal roof color with their siding color to create unique combinations that set their home apart. Metal roofs are an investment up front but due to their low maintenance and durability many contractors believe them to be a better value. Metal roofs also increase your home’s efficiency; in warmer months they keep your home cool, and during the winter they help insulate your home and keep the heat in.
Synthetic Roofing Materials
Synthetic roofing materials have evolved a lot in the last 10 years, and we love using them to give our clients’ homes a unique look. Synthetic roofing materials come in a variety of styles that all imitate other popular roofing materials. Synthetic cedar shake shingles offer all of the beauty and color options of traditional cedar roofing, but eliminate the durability issues the material suffers from. There are also synthetic materials that emulate slate, clay, and asphalt shingle roofing.
Designing Your New Home’s Interior
Now that we have discussed the process we go through deciding on the exterior materials of new home construction, let’s dive into designing the interior of a new home. We love getting creative with our customers and designing homes perfect for their present and future families. Let’s look at some of the key components of a home’s interior, and how we work with our customers to decide what is best for them.
Floor Plan
Your new home’s floor plan will depend on the style of home you choose to begin the process. In a traditional rancher or one-story home, bedrooms are typically allocated to one side of the house which allows customers to get creative with the kitchen, dining, and living areas. We love adding a master bathroom, and an additional full bath close to this area as well.
In a two-story we love designing a master bedroom with a large master bath on the first floor for privacy, and placing the rest of the bedrooms on the second floor. This will also leave more space on the first floor for the kitchen, living room, and dining room.
Interior Design Tips
Once your floor plan and blueprints are created, it’s time to get creative! While Deer Ridge is not directly involved in the interior design process, we will often offer advice and ideas as our customers plan what they will do with the interior of the home. Today we will cover the three most popular interior design styles in Central Pennsylvania.
Farmhouse
The farmhouse design style is characterized by neutral colors, inviting furniture, and natural elements. This style is often complemented with antique furniture and the use of natural wood throughout the home.
Modern
Modern design started in the 1900s, and began shifting away from natural materials and using things like metal, glass, and concrete to accent the home. Modern design focuses on natural light, clean lines, and monochromatic color schemes that go very well with an open floor plan.
Rustic
Rust design is all about warm, natural colors paired with natural materials. Exposed wood beams with natural textures and handmade furniture perfectly complement this unpretentious style. With the abundance of handmade furniture in central Pennsylvania, the rustic style is extremely popular.
Are you ready to begin the home building process? Contact us today for a complimentary quote, we would love to speak with you about designing and building your dream home.
