Foyer Design and Decorating Trends for New Homes

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When you open the front door of your new home, the first thing you and your visitors will see is your foyer. As the entryway into your home, the foyer sets the stage for the rest of your home. So as you build on your lot in Aiken, SC, start thinking about how your want your entry way to greet those who come through the door!

Because of the smaller size of most foyers, you have the opportunity to either extend the design from an adjacent room, or design it to be its own space. If you decide to create a unique space, paint or wallpaper one of the walls to accent the room. Don’t add too many furniture pieces to the smaller space, but instead hang pictures or artwork to personalize it. A mirror will also add some depth and “space” to the area.

You should also ensure you have the proper lighting in the foyer. If you build on your lot in Aiken, SC, you can ask the builder to put a dimmer switch in the room. Setting the lighting will enhance the mood of the room. And you can always add a cool lighting fixture or chandelier too. If there’s anywhere you’re going to splurge on a fixture, why not make in the room that makes the first impression! Purchase it while you’re building your new home and the crew at Keystone Build on Your Land will install it.

Also, while you build on your lot in Aiken, SC, check out houzz.com. This site has thousands of pictures of different homes, searchable by room, style, color and feature. It’s a great way to gather your thoughts! You can create your own virtual idea board for how you want your foyer to look and what feelings you want it to evoke.

Fun Apps to Help with Spring Gardening or Landscaping

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If you’re still looking or just purchased a custom home in Aiken, SC, you’re probably itching to dig in and start landscaping your new space. There are some great apps that will help you get your yard growing.

For those building a custom home in Aiken, SC, Dirr’s Tree and Shrub Finder app ($14.99) is a great app to start with. It’s an extremely thorough reference guide for trees, shrubs and vines so it’s perfect for a blank canvas in a newly leveled lot.

Of course, if you want to just get some basic tips and brainstorming ideas, check out the Gardening How To app. It’s a free, digital content pulled from the Gardening How To magazine, a well-known resource for gardening tips and guidance even for a gardening novice. FlowerPedia ($4.99) is another reference for basic details about flowers. It won’t give you ideas for where or how to plant, but at least you’ll know how to ask about the flowers you’re interested in!

On the flip side, the Garden Plan Pro for iPads app ($9.99) allows you to plot out your yard to scale and create your own virtual plan. The app can even help you select appropriate crops or plants for your area; it makes the plan unique to your custom home in Aiken, SC.

Now, if you’re still working on getting your new home from Keystone Build on Your Land but are already envisioning how you want your landscaping to look, check out Eden Garden Designer ($1.99) to build your garden before even breaking ground. Using a picture of your own lot, you can set a plan for what to plant and when to plant it. You can even see how it will all look once everything is established. Talk about watching your garden grow!

Prepare your New Home for Spring and Summer

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Whether you’ve recently moved in or are still looking for your custom home in Augusta, GA, there are plenty of things you can do to get the house ready for the warmer seasons!

If you’ve just purchased your new custom home in Augusta, GA you won’t need to do much maintenance work on the house, but you can do a lot to your décor with some great seasonal decorations. This year bright, vibrant colors are key to a spring-fresh home. You don’t have to go big and paint a room or buy large pieces of furniture to make this work; you can quickly brighten a room with colorful throw pillows, rugs or side tables.  If you nervous about using too many bright colors, or not sure how to mix them in, add some black and white patterns to your décor instead. Even black and white can freshen up the mood of a room.

If Keystone Build on Your Land completed your home in the winter, spring is a great time to check all your fire and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they are in working order.  Even if you’re in a new home, it’s a good idea to get into a pattern of checking these devices at the same time every year.

Also, it’s pretty amazing how quickly grime on the windows can build up over the winter months! Clean the windows – inside and out – to get a nice clear view out to the blooming trees and green grass of spring! Along those same lines, even if you can still smell the fresh paint in your new custom home in Augusta, GA, the spring and summer months is a perfect time to clean out your gutters and eves to ensure they aren’t clogged from our late winter storms.

And after it’s all done—sit outside and enjoy the beautiful Georgia weather!

Create Spring Curb Appeal at your New Home

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Spring is here! And among the bugs that are coming out to enjoy the weather is the bug to clean, to organize… to spruce things up! So let that bug fly and start by adding some curb appeal to your new homes in Augusta, GA!

You may have seen some great landscaping while searching for new homes in Augusta, GA, or perhaps you find yourself taking a detour through the nursery every time you’re at the home improvement store picking up things homeowners need for their new homes in Augusta, GA. In any case, there are a lot of great ways to make your front yard feel more personal and more appealing. The key to doing it successfully though, is having a plan and having a budget. It’s easy to start buying up all the plants you think will look great, but even the $2 ones will quickly add up. And if you’re not educated on your soil, your sun and the products you’re using, it will be a waste of time and money to plant anything!

Envision what you want your yard to “do” when you start your plan. Do you want to put in an inviting walkway or a bench seat for greeting neighbors? Do you want to create a beautiful canopy around your porch to be aesthetically appealing to people walking by, but gives you privacy on your front porch?

You should also determine if you want to add hardscapes or just flower beds to your yard. Well planned selections can create your spring curb appeal year after year; once bushes and perennials are planted, you can maintain them in springs to come instead of having to replant.

If you’ve made the wise decision to work with Keystone Build on Your Land you can build your landscaping into your building budget so you can have it completed before you even move in! You’ll have instant curb appeal the day you walk down your brand new path, lined with your brand new bushes, leading to your brand new front door!

Create a Great Outdoor Living Space at your New Home

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It is pretty amazing to see how far outdoor living spaces have come since plastic patio furniture. Today an outdoor living space can essentially be an extra room in your new home in Augusta, GA! Some of the coolest things on the market now are grills with warming drawers, weatherproof cabinetry and an abundance of lighting choices.

But even if you’re not sure about adding hardscapes just yet to your new home in Augusta, GA, you can quickly customize your yard with plant beds, bush-lined pathways and some (not-so-plastic –looking) patio furniture.

No matter how big you want to go, start with a vision. List out all the ways you see using your new living space: Do you need an area for kids to play, for relaxing in a hammock, and for entertaining guests? Do you want the grill on the deck and do you want space dedicated for a garden?

From there, draw a quick diagram of the yard in your new home in Augusta, GA and start filling in the spaces by stations. Being able to move the stations around like a puzzle will help you create the best flow in the yard, as well as help you itemize your budgets and timing. For example, if you’re going over budget, drop the station at the bottom of your wish list and knock out the cost associated with it. Then next year when you have a fresh budget, you can put that puzzle piece right back where you had it in your master plan!

This can also help you if purchasing landscaping materials. You can map the plants, mulch and stones as well to ensure the pieces work in their own station, but fit together perfectly in the bigger puzzle.

The great part is, you get to create the space that works best for you! Plus, the exciting part about building with Keystone Build on Your Land is you work with land you picked out… and in that case, even the house is a piece of the perfect puzzle!

Spring Decorating Ideas

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Picture this: You wake up on a Saturday morning in your new home in Aiken, SC and head to the kitchen for a cup of joe. You’re ready for some good ol’ fresh air so you open the window and feel: a.) a cold blast of winter, b.) stifling summer heat, c.) a crisp fall chill or, d.) the perfect spring breeze?

That’s right –it’s the perfect spring breeze! And with that spring air always comes the itch to spring clean, spring-organize… and spring decorate!

Whether you just bought your new home in Aiken, SC or are looking to spruce up your home to sell so you can build with Keystone Build on Your Land, spring decorating can be a way to energize a home instantly.

The easiest start is to display spring flowers indoors. Traditional spring flowers such as tulips are always an eye pleaser but you can also add appeal with dogwood or cherry blossom tree branches. Add picture of birds to accent your trees.

Another very important spring accent is color. You don’t have to go all out and paint rooms this season; just adding bright colored (or white!) table runners and placemats, bed skirts or pillows can lighten the mood of a room.

Play up yellow—a classic spring color— throughout the house. Even something as simple as a pitcher of lemons can brighten a kitchen.  If you’re feeling a little daring, repaint an old piece of furniture yellow or light green. Better yet: take advantage of the great weather and hit the antique stores to buy the furniture you’re going to paint! Not only would you enjoy the spring air, you would also get to know the area around your new home in Aiken, SC.

Speaking of the area around your home…spruce up the yard! Add punches of color with outdoor furniture cushions and pillows. And, make yourself a reminder:  in the fall, when you do feel that crisp fall air, plant your tulip and daffodil bulbs at your new home so next spring you can enjoy even more bright touches!

First Time Home Builder Tips

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If you’re a first time home builder, the task of researching home builders in Augusta, GA can be daunting enough… not to mention the thought of picking out your own plan, your own fixtures, your own colors and even your own lot! But if you start with a little knowledge, a checklist and a qualified builder who will help you through the process you can make it through unscathed… and maybe even having fun!

Start by pulling together pictures of homes you like, features you’d love to have and—of course—your budget. Home builders in Augusta, GA can vary in many ways. If you have an idea up front about what you want your finished product to be and how much you want to spend, you help narrow your search.

And speaking of budget, it’s a good idea to talk to a few lenders early on as well. There are different financing programs available for building a home so it might require a little time to find the loan that’s right for you. Of course, if you work with a local builder like Keystone Build on Your Land you can work directly with their preferred lender who will be very familiar with the building process and the builder. This could help you from feeling overwhelmed by an unfamiliar process.

Once you’ve got an idea of what you’ll spend and who you’ll work with, make your checklists of must-have items to be included in the home so you can choose the proper floorplan. Sharing that with home builders in Augusta, GA up front can ensure that the plans you choose will be right for your needs… and, once you’ve started, that no changes you make will compromise those most desired items!

Choosing the Right New Home Builder for You

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Building a new home is no small feat—and it shouldn’t be treated as such! You’re making an exciting, major life decision that will affect your finances, your family dynamic, and even where you’ll put your feet up at the end of the day. Needless to say, you’ll want to start the process out right. You’ll want to find a home builder in Aiken, SC who provides financing packages, floorplans and options that will work for you.  Most importantly, you will want a home builder who will prove to be a trusted and valued partner throughout this detailed and important process.

When you start your search for a home builder in Aiken, SC create a thorough checklist of items important to you. Do you want a home builder who allows you to customize their floorplans?  Can you check out some other homes the builder completed in the area? If you don’t have a preferred lender of your own, does the builder offer financing options or a preferred financing vendor?

Take note at the types of finishes and appliance packages the builders offer and ensure their options fit with your lifestyle, price range and decorating style. You should also compare warranty programs, build times and—perhaps most importantly—see the results! Ask for homeowner references and examples of how the building process works. The builder will be working side by side with you to bring your dream home to reality, so bottom line is, you should feel excited and confident in your choice!

Keystone Build on Your Land is a successful, home builder in Aiken, SC which allows you to choose from a large and customizable list of floorplans to build on your own land. The professional staff builds quality homes at affordable prices—the mix is hard to argue with when looking for the right home builder for you!

Benefits of Build On Your Lot New Home Builders

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If you’re looking at new homes in Aiken, SC, consider building on your own land. When searching neighborhoods you can undoubtedly find a great floorplan or even great amenities, but you could be compromising on the location or even the yard because what you found is the best “prepared option” available. Instead of compromising, give yourself the opportunity to find the perfect location first—whether it’s for proximity, for more space, or maybe for more privacy—then find the perfect home to boot!

And actually, besides finding your perfect location, there are some other great reasons to build on your own land when searching new homes in Aiken, SC.

With your own land, you may not have to abide by strict homeowner association covenants.  Covenants can restrict you to a size or orientation, far beyond what your lot lines might restrict you to. Plus, many developed neighborhoods require you choose from a small list of plans and predetermined lots.  With a builder like Keystone Build on Your Land you have thirthy-five adaptable floorplans to choose from so you can find the plan that fits your needs, fits your style, and fits your land.

If you’re in the midst of comparing options for new homes in Aiken, SC, financing is inevitably a key factor.  Whether you already own land or if you purchase the land of your dreams, you can finance the lot purchase separate from the home construction, which could result in more financing options.

Why Now is a Good Time to Build a New Home

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Without a doubt deciding to build a new home is never an easy decision to make. Even in the best of financial times it’s hard to commit to such a large undertaking —you wonder if it’s better to start in the spring or the fall, or if you should wait until the kids are out of school. But given the recent history of the housing market, you are also wondering if the market is right for building a new home, or if you would be making a bad investment.

Unless, of course, you arm yourself with the facts.

In that case, you would easily agree: now is a good time to build a new home and to start searching for your home builder in Augusta, GA!

The first thing to note is the current, historically low interest rates averaging around 3-4%. Rates can’t get much lower than that and will inevitably increase again before too long. Couple the low rates with the fact that a home is a longer term and useable investment. Because of the low rates, you could essentially pay more towards the cost of your new home and not just interest. Plus you would not be throwing your money away on rent or continuing to pay towards interest on a current higher interest mortgage.

You may also discover that your home builder in Augusta, GA is offering you lower prices than expected. Because of lower material and labor costs, home builders are able to pass the cost savings onto the homebuyers.

Saying yes to building a new home is a hard decision to make and it should be. It’s a life-changing decision and a big investment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. But let your energy be spent selecting the right home builder in Augusta, GA and building the home you love! Be sure to check out Keystone Build on Your Land for great floorplans and financing options that will work for you.