Silver lining: 5 New Residential Construction Trends To Make our Homes Better After COVID

It is no surprise the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had an immediate impact on how we live, communicate, shop, and even spend time together. Some of these changes will pass, but it is possible that in a few years from now, when we look back at 2020, we may agree that the current circumstances have also brought innovations that have made our lives better and our homes healthier. The future of home construction trends certainly upholds this theory. We are already seeing changes in what our clients are interested in including in their luxury custom homes and what solutions the industry is offering:

#1. GERM AWARENESS

We’ve had an endless emphasis on hand-washing, sanitizing surfaces, and how germs are spread. This knowledge is now a constant reminder that viruses, and not just COVID-19, are always lurking out there.

A fixture in our homes (literally!), Delta Faucets offer many options with both their Touch20® and VoiceIQ™ Technologies. You can turn your faucet on and off by using voice commands such as "Ask Delta to turn on" and "Ask Delta to turn off" as well as touching the faucet anywhere on the spout or handle to start and stop the flow of water, so no matter if your hands are full or your finger are dirty, your faucet will help keep the germs away.

In terms of appliances, many high-end models offer handle-free technology, where you can also use an elbow or knee to open these appliances, reducing germ spread. Premium brands like Thermador and Dacor offer such options, as seen in the refrigerator and warming drawer we feature in one of our latest homes.

In addition, a home automation system, like Control4, allows the homeowner the benefit of automatically setting the lights to turn on when you arrive home, and to be able to control some components of their home like automatic window shades, thermostats and even door locks, from your smart phone.

#2. CLEAN AIR INSIDE THE HOME

Real Estate agents are already reporting that homebuyers are willing to pay more for homes with updated air quality and filtration systems. There are quite a few options for single room air purifiers on the market, but if you’re planning to build a new home, a whole house air filtration system might be something worth inquiring about.

#3. THE IMPORTANCE OF DROP ZONES

Drop zones, also called entryways or mudrooms, are places where you can literally drop your stuff when you walk in the door. These spaces are often found by garage entrances. Drop zones will be an essential place to keep un-sanitized items from entering the house, such as shoes and backpacks.

When you build a Providential Custom Home, you get to meet with the cabinet makers and choose the best design for your mudrooms.

#4. MORE WORK (AND WORKOUT!) SPACE

No doubt this has been one of the biggest changes in our lives. Between kids doing online school and adults working from home either full or part time, the need for more workspace has changed the layout of many floor plans, resulting in either larger square footages or maybe even multiple home office spaces.

#5. AT HOME ENTERTAINMENT SPACES

Since we’re all looking for ways to stay safe, healthy, and entertained at home, this could lead to more playful living space options in new homes. Game rooms are being used again as well as media rooms.  Another popular request lately is the addition of exercise rooms. The extent of these rooms can range from a simple spare room with a stationary bike to more specific requests like specialty flooring, mirrored walls and steam showers. The backyards are also getting a makeover to host more social distancing gatherings or just to make room for spending more time outdoors with the family.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless as each new challenge pushes us towards innovative solutions in home design. At Providential Custom Homes, we help our clients design their Dream Home according to their unique lifestyles. The owners of the company will personally help you conceptualize, design, and construct each home in such a way as to meet your specific needs and desires. Call us at 817-724-7777 or visit us at our Model Home in Colleyville for more information.

15 questions to ask yourself before you design your Dream Home

For most people, building a custom house is a once in a lifetime opportunity and can be really exciting! It can also, however, be intimidating, especially if you're not adequately prepared or have the right team behind you.

If you're thinking about building your custom dream home, here are some questions you should ask yourself before getting started.

Where are you going to build your house?

This is unsurprisingly the number one question to ask yourself before building your house. Location is everything. You’ve probably been looking for a while and know it’s not easy to find the perfect lot. But there are also many factors that make the perfect lot, well… perfect.

• Is it expensive to build on?

• Will you be able to keep all the trees?

• Can you fit the size of the house you want on it?

Having someone who can give you guidance before you purchase your lot means you know what to expect in terms of overall costs as well as how the house would be best laid out, saving you time during the design process and frustration when it’s time to build.

Other points to consider:

• Does your daily life fit in this new location?

• How is the commute? Maybe visit it during various times of the day to get a true feeling of the location.

• What feel does the neighborhood give you?

Surely, you can think of a hundred other questions about the practicalities of where you're planning to live. Remember this: the more you know up front, the better.

What’s most important in your new home?

• Do you have a specific need or feature you want included in the design?

• What is missing from your current home that you want to make sure is included in your Dream House?

• On the other hand, are there things you absolutely love in your current home that you’d like to replicate?

• Has your family outgrown certain spaces or perhaps you now need better use of other spaces?

• Will your family structure change in the near future?

• Do you need to consider better accessibility?

These are just a few questions that might help you as you write down a list of “Must Haves” and “Would Like to Haves”.

Knowing what matters to you will give your Builder a good sense of what to focus on when helping you design your home and how to best allocate your budget.

How about that Budget?

Last but not least… Money.

• How much can you afford?

• How much do you want to finance vs pay out of pocket?

• How much should you budget for?

Budgets can be easily drained by ambitious designs and tempting options. While the price of the lot and the size of the house will be your biggest factors, smaller items add up quickly. For example, a metal roof may not be as appealing when you find out how much it costs, or a full stone façade may become brick with stone accents to accommodate what you want to spend. The right Builder will guide you from the beginning of the design process to make sure your budget meets your design requirements and there are no surprises when it is time to sign the contract.

If you're thinking about building a house, please let us know... We would love to earn your business! Visit us at our Model Home or call us at 817-724-7777 for an appointment.

12 Luxury Custom Home features you didn’t know you wanted

The beauty of being a Custom Home Builder is that our menu of options increases with every client’s “Wish List”. We not only embrace these requests but also have featured some of them in our Model Homes.

Below you’ll find a list of our latest upgrade requests. Which ones would you like to add to your Wish List?

 Attic/ Whole House

Full spray foam encapsulation: whether it be 100 or 30 degrees outside, going into your attic doesn’t have to be a dreaded seasonal chore. Fully encapsulating the attic makes your home more energy efficient, gives you more storage space, and protects your cooling and heating system from the blasting heat.

 Wine/ Bourbon tasting room: no matter your drink of choice, having an area where you can display your collection or share your favorite bottle with friends, these designated areas are getting our homeowners attention.

 Storage lift: usually installed in the garage, this storage lift system safely lifts your storage items up to the attic and lowers them back down to the floor level when needed. It eliminates the time consuming, dangerous task of lifting or pushing items up and down your pull-down attic stairway.

Home automation system: Imagine being able to control most components of your home from your phone, no matter where you are. Lights on and off? Check! Open and close the door remotely? Yes! Gone on vacation and forgot to change the setting on your AC? No problem! With a home automation system, accessing your home can literally be at the touch your fingertips.

Kitchen

Under counter filtered water dispenser or Whole House water filter: Improve the taste, the quality and reduce harmful contaminants from your drinking water.

Large (or even a double) kitchen island: The kitchen is the center of the action in most houses. And our Homeowners list many of the benefits a large island brings: casual seating, more storage and extra workspace to name a few. Whether you use it for a gathering of friends or to gather up ingredients a large island is one of the most popular requests nowadays.

Large pantries: Clutter-free is in! By adding a countertop to your pantry, your kitchen has a better chance of looking like the one you fell in love with at the Model Home. You can still access the small appliances you use every day like the toaster and coffee maker but without having that mess visible. Bonus that if you close the door, your whole house doesn’t end up smelling like the food you have in your Instapot.

 Prep kitchen: If a large pantry has become the standard amenity, we’re starting to see an increase in requests for a prep kitchen by adding a second dishwasher, sink and even a refrigerator to the pantry. For our homeowners who enjoy entertaining a large number of people, having the ability to have the food prepped behind close doors is one of those dream items on the list.

Bathrooms

Electric Towel warmers: complete the comfort and convenience of your spa-like bathroom by adding the luxury of freshly warm towels.

Laundry Room

Dog washing station: Many of our clients are opting to adding a dog-washing station in the laundry room for when Fido gets muddy. You get a clean dog without leaving the house or risking a backache.

Patio

Outdoor Living Area: Considering how many mild weather days we have in N. Texas, more and more homeowners are increasing the square footage of their patios and turning them into another living area. Popular layouts include room for seating area, dining and cooking station.

Automatic drop down shade screens: As seen in our Colleyville Model Home, these automated drop-down shades can decrease the amount of sunlight in your porch – perfect for west-facing homes- and keep the bugs out so you can enjoy your dinner al fresco. This feature works best if decided before framing stage.

As you can see the possibilities are endless when you build a Providential Custom Home. Call us today at 817-724-7777 and let’s discuss your Wish List!

Benefits of a Total Home Makeover

You love where you live. You have great neighbors. The kids don’t want to change schools. You have an amazing lot. Your same house new would cost twice what you are paying.

Yet, your house feels dated. Pinterest and HGTV are not much help because let’s face it, while remodeling a bathroom here and another room there sounds more economical the prospect of having to live in a construction zone for months is not at all appealing.

If this sounds familiar, a Complete Home Makeover might be right for you.

What is a Complete Home Makeover?

Also known as Whole House Renovation, it’s the term used when you add, change or remodel 50 percent or more of your living space under one remodeling agreement – as opposed to several remodeling agreements for different projects over a longer span of time.

Providential Custom Homes specializes in larger, un-occupied and more all-encompassing projects like room additions, interior and exterior major renovations. A Complete Home Makeover has many benefits:

·        CONVENIENCE:

As daunting a task as it sounds, imagine having it all done at once. Imagine not having to live in the chaos. Imagine not having to schedule workers when someone is home. You move out, we take care of everything, you move back into a house that looks and feels brand new.

·        COHESIVE DESIGN:

Practicality is not the only benefit. With a Whole Home remodel, you can ensure design consistency throughout, making the transitions from room to room seamless. While standalone rooms like bedrooms can be independently designed, the main areas of the house usually connect and thus it becomes apparent when one area has had a facelift and the others are waiting for their turn.

·        COST SAVINGS: Sure, overall a whole house renovation will cost more than say, a kitchen remodel. But if you were to quote all the separate projects you want done, chances are you’ll be saving a lot when you do it all at once.

Visit our Model Home at 6116 Legacy Estates Dr. in Colleyville so you can see first hand the potential your current house has.

Building Trends: Multi-generational living, AKA the “In-law suite”

We have been getting more and more requests for “In-law-Suites”. A common occurrence in other countries, Americans have started to see the benefits of being closer to aging parents while being able to oversee their care in a more comfortable and practical way.

 If you are considering multi-generational living, here are some common themes we are seeing throughout the projects we have recently completed:

• Independent living:

More than just a room for Grandma and Grandpa to stay in, the latest requests have incorporated features like a separate living area, kitchenette, large bathrooms and independent entrances, allowing them privacy and a sense of their own space.

• One room living:

One of the benefits of the larger lots Providential currently offers is the possibility of building most – if not all- of your living space in one floor. This helps not only with the livability of the house but with resale as well. Having the “fun” areas of the home on the first floor - like Game and/or Media Rooms - creates an inviting atmosphere where the different generations can gather without obstacles.

• Versatility:

Yet another benefit of an ‘In-Law-Suite’ is that it does not apply only for older parents. Kids who move back after college, guests who need to stay for an extended amount of time or grown children who come to visit for the Holidays with their families might all appreciate the extra privacy and space.

Contact us at 817-724-7777 if you’d like to see what living options we can create for your family