We have a retriever that loves to run around a nearby lake made by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. She especially loves to roll around in the bait and any dead fish left on the banks of the water. The smell…
When we get her home, it’s bath time—no big deal if the temperature’s above 40 degrees—but when it’s cold, we bathe her in one of the bathtubs or showers. Unfortunately, we have a two-story home and all of the tubs and showers are upstairs on the second floor with the bedrooms, which means picking up the stinky, wet, dirty dog and carrying her to an upstairs bathroom. The struggle and the mess!
Oh how I wish we had designed a rear foyer with a pet center, complete with storage for pet food and other supplies AND a doggie shower! What a convenience to have everything right there and not have to traipse through the house. When it comes to pet centers, there are many ways to design. The photo above shows a pet bath, while the photo at left shows a pet shower. With a larger pet, the shower may be more ideal than an elevated shower for getting her in and out. Also, think about storage needs – bathing, brushing, food, treats, leashes, etc.
Keep in mind, a pet center isn’t just designed for a dog, a cat or other pet needs a place for their stuff, too. And, that shower is handy for rinsing off after working in the garage/yard or dirty kids or equipment/toys!
For more on designing with your pet in mind, visit our resources library for “Home Design Dogma, Creating a Pet-Friendly Home.”
Recent studies by the National Association of Realtors® and Zillow reveal about 90% of new home buyers are using the internet in their search process. In fact, the internet has replaced real estate professionals as the #1 source of information for today’s home buyers. Whereas before, new home shoppers talked with family, friends, co-workers, and agents about various home builders as part of their information gathering process, and then visited numerous builders’ model homes – today much of that search happens online.
Now for the bad news. Prospective home buyers are ruling you out based on your website. Like most other builder websites, you probably have some beautiful photos, a portfolio of home plans to review, a list of communities and/or available home sites, a couple testimonials, and an “about us” page. Perhaps something on your website piqued her interest…but how did her visit to your website make her feel about your company?
More specifically, why should she buy from you? “We’re a family-owned custom builder that’s focused on quality and customer satisfaction,” you say. She got the same message from half of the other builder sites she visited. At this preliminary stage, most prospective buyers are simply looking to save time and minimize the risk of choosing the wrong builder – especially with some of the horror stories out there surrounding other home buying experiences.
We suggest something along the lines of a “Customer Bill of Rights” or, as in the following example, a tailored version of The 10 Commandments. For such a large purchase, prospects will take a couple minutes to learn what to expect if she chooses you.
The bottom line: builders tell us this approach works, and we can help you make it work, too. Contact us today!
By focusing on energy efficiency, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, sulfer dioxide, and nitrogen oxides) by thousands of pounds per year. Great strides have been made in insulating walls, window quality, and furnace efficiency. But, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, air duct leakage is the #1 home energy loss.
Aeroseal® manufactures an aerosol sealant that is sprayed into your ductwork to seal leaks from the inside. Safe and nontoxic, Aeroseal has actually been shown to enhance indoor air quality. Improved delivery of conditioned air means rooms that were hard to keep warm in the winter/cool in the summer are usually more comfortable while saving you money every month on your utility bills.
According to Aeroseal, “On average, 30 cents of every $1 you spend on heating and cooling your home or building disappears into thin air due to duct leaks.” With more of the air you paid to heat or cool reaching the registers, you may find yourself actually lowering the thermostat.
Another benefit can be noise reduction—with the furnace and/or air conditioner running less.
“That was a neat couple,” you think to yourself, watching those prospective buyers driving off. You hammer out the last few keystrokes of your first email follow-up/thank you, playing over in your mind their comments about the different builders’ model homes they had visited. What would they remember about you? About your home? Were you noteworthy?
Literally!
With a Promotional License from Design Basics, you receive the rendered elevation and floorplans to use as you see fit in your marketing and promotional efforts. Available for every plan, Promotional Licenses are just $25 each (or FREE, upon request when ordering plans directly from Design Basics). Printing up notecards using the front elevation artwork and writing your personal message is decidedly old-school, yet tremendously impactful! Handwritten notes are rare (someone actually took the time to write it), and repeating back a few key points shows you were listening to these prospects’ needs and desires. The rendering…your message…in the format of a handwritten note sent through the mail…that’s one way to stand above everyone else’s email follow ups!
But don’t limit using Promotional License home plan artwork to just your model home. For $200 you could add eight new home plans to your plan portfolio and attract a wider audience of buyers. And don’t limit your use of Promotional License home plan artwork to just note cards. Those renderings are perfect for brochures, website, social media and blog posts, yard signs, and MLS listings.
Nestled between the Wasatch Mountain Range to the east and the Great Salt Lake to the west, and stretching from Salt Lake City north to Ogden, Utah, Flint Custom Homes builds homes on some of the most picturesque homesites anywhere in the country. This area, known as the Wasatch Front, is home to 80% of Utah’s growing population and has attracted numerous production home builders, whose viability depends on volume of homes built. With a graduate degree in accounting, owner Steve Flint recognized a different business model could work—delivering one-of-a-kind custom homes to home buyers who would not be satisfied with tract housing. According to Flint, “We rarely build the same home twice.”
Those production builders now own or control most of the available land, Flint reported; therefore, Flint usually builds his $500,000-$2,500,000 homes on homesites his clients already own. More recently, that has meant building on the backside of the Wasatch Mountains as well.
A second-generation builder, Flint learned construction firsthand on jobsites from his dad. Then, when he was old enough, he went to work for their framing and finish carpenter. Steve loves construction and is proud of the craftsmanship that shows in every home he builds. That was evident early on, which caught the eye of Scott and Michelle Blain, who purchased one of Flint’s homes that had been built on a “spec” basis. A few years later, the Blains had Flint build them a custom home, which went so well that Michelle went to work for Flint in 2004.
“I’m a walking testimonial for Flint Custom Homes,” Blain said, continuing, “That’s so important in my working with each of our clients.” Blain understands custom home building from the client’s perspective and essentially sees her role as the client’s advocate, educating and guiding buyers through the entire purchase and home building processes. According to Steve, “Michelle’s got their backs.”
The team of Steve Flint and Michelle Blain introduced a Woman-Centric approach to home building along the Wasatch Front. Flint remarked, “Men don’t think like ladies. For example, our sub-contractors are guys and our women clients appreciate a strong female voice that can direct the subs.” Flint Custom Homes embraced Design Basics’ Woman-Centric Matters!® program, which provides keen insights into women’s preferences in the home. “I talk with every one of our clients about our Woman-Centric approach, and our buyers ‘get it,’” said Blain. “For example, I introduce the drop zone idea with its storage and convenience when coming in from the garage, explaining to our prospective buyers that they already have one, but it’s probably their kitchen island!”
Click here for more about Flint Custom Homes and see beautiful photos of their custom designs!
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We have a retriever that loves to run around a nearby lake made by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. She especially loves to roll around in the bait and any dead fish left on the banks of the water. The smell…
Oh how I wish we had designed a rear foyer with a pet center, complete with storage for pet food and other supplies AND a doggie shower! What a convenience to have everything right there and not have to traipse through the house. When it comes to pet centers, there are many ways to design. The photo above shows a pet bath, while the photo at left shows a pet shower. With a larger pet, the shower may be more ideal than an elevated shower for getting her in and out. Also, think about storage needs – bathing, brushing, food, treats, leashes, etc.
Aeroseal® manufactures an aerosol sealant that is sprayed into your ductwork to seal leaks from the inside. Safe and nontoxic, Aeroseal has actually been shown to enhance indoor air quality. Improved delivery of conditioned air means rooms that were hard to keep warm in the winter/cool in the summer are usually more comfortable while saving you money every month on your utility bills.
marketing and promotional efforts. Available for every plan, Promotional Licenses are just $25 each (or FREE, upon request when ordering plans directly from Design Basics). Printing up notecards using the front elevation artwork and writing your personal message is decidedly old-school, yet tremendously impactful! Handwritten notes are rare (someone actually took the time to write it), and repeating back a few key points shows you were listening to these prospects’ needs and desires. The rendering…your message…in the format of a handwritten note sent through the mail…that’s one way to stand above everyone else’s email follow ups!
Nestled between the Wasatch Mountain Range to the east and the Great Salt Lake to the west, and stretching from Salt Lake City north to Ogden, Utah, Flint Custom Homes builds homes on some of the most picturesque homesites anywhere in the country. This area, known as the Wasatch Front, is home to 80% of Utah’s growing population and has attracted numerous production home builders, whose viability depends on volume of homes built. With a graduate degree in accounting, owner Steve Flint recognized a different business model could work—delivering one-of-a-kind custom homes to home buyers who would not be satisfied with tract housing. According to Flint, “We rarely build the same home twice.”
The team of Steve Flint and Michelle Blain introduced a Woman-Centric approach to home building along the Wasatch Front. Flint remarked, “Men don’t think like ladies. For example, our sub-contractors are guys and our women clients appreciate a strong female voice that can direct the subs.” Flint Custom Homes embraced Design Basics’ Woman-Centric Matters!® program, which provides keen insights into women’s preferences in the home. “I talk with every one of our clients about our Woman-Centric approach, and our buyers ‘get it,’” said Blain. “For example, I introduce the drop zone idea with its storage and convenience when coming in from the garage, explaining to our prospective buyers that they already have one, but it’s probably their kitchen island!”