Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or moving into a larger space, you have probably thought about designing your own house. Before you break out the blueprints, though, you should weigh the pros and cons of custom design against purchasing a pre-built home.

Custom Time Factor

Building a custom home is time-consuming and requires you to stay in your current home or find another living arrangement during construction. This is great if you can do this, but sometimes you have to sell your current home to afford the new one. A pre-built home is move-in ready so you won’t have to rent an apartment or stay with friends or family for the duration of construction.

Building Costs

If you custom design your own home, you get to create it to your exact specifications. However, you also pay individually for materials, including the ones needed to ensure the house is up to current environmental and building codes. It could get more expensive if you factor in any changes you make during the process. Companies who design and build new homes “in bulk” usually get a discount on materials, meaning you could see cost savings in the purchase price.

A Sense of Community

If you like the feeling of moving into a well-established community where your kids can ride their bikes with friends or walk to school, a pre-built home will likely have been built in exactly this type of neighborhood. On the other hand, if you like space and want a larger yard or a bit of distance between you and the city, a custom home allows you to purchase as much or as little land as you want and be as far away from city traffic as you’d like.

Whether you choose to design a home to your specifications or to purchase one that is already built but never lived in, each offers its own pros and cons. Either way, be sure to contact a reputable company such as Hamlet Homes to avoid costly mistakes.

Buying a brand new home is an exciting endeavor. When working with a home builder, you have the power of design and style right at your fingertips. You’ll want to make sure your home builder is a good match for all of your new home wants and needs. Knowing which questions to ask yourself before committing to a home builder is a great idea because you’ll find out what you want, and what you want out of your new home builder. Read through our list of questions to help you get started in finding the perfect new home builder for you.

Do your needs match their offerings?

This question will help put together your own list of wants and needs from your home. Gather up all of your must-have list items like budget, building materials, neighborhoods, timelines, building processes, and so forth. Once you have all of this information laid out, you can compare and contrast your list with the home builders in your area. You can quickly cross off some and highlight others based on how well your needs match their offerings.

Does your design aesthetic mesh with theirs?

While there may be some leeway in terms of design, most home builders typically have a specific style and aesthetic design that they stick to from house to house. If your dream home looks like a contemporary modern work of art, then you may need to cross off any home builders who create rustic or traditional homes. Make sure your home builder has work in his or her building portfolio that includes elements of your dream design. That way, there’ll be no surprises down the line when you have a specific design in mind.

Are past home-buyers happy?

The Internet has allowed for easier information finding, and that definitely includes reviews. Search through online directory listings for home builders in your area to see what past customers have to say about the home building process and their experience. Home builder websites also highlight specific testimonials as well, so you can get a feel for what their past customers thought. Many home-builders also offer past home buyer referrals, so you can ask them your own questions. We recommend focusing on past home-buyer’s overall experiences when doing your research.

Are they licensed and insured?

This standard question may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many builders claim to be licensed and insured. Better to be safe than sorry and ask prospective builders about the insurance they carry and any licenses they have. This will ensure that you’re covered from day one of home construction.

Can you tour model homes?

This is the deciding vote for most when searching a home builder. Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a few builders, make sure you can tour past homes that they’ve built. Seeing them in person will enable you to more closely inspect the quality of craftsmanship that goes into the build, as well as the elements of design that you’re after.

Hopefully this list of questions will get you started on the right foot in your search for your new home builder. Every builder will have some pros and cons, so be sure to carefully weigh what matters most to you before making your final decision.

Do you have your dream home already designed in your mind? We know most people do, and there is a lot to think about in terms of what turns a house into a home. Look, style, gated community, neighborhood, schools, and so on; the list is a lengthy one.

Most new home-buyers would rank ‘neighborhood’ as a very important factor when thinking of buying a new home. Some areas may have a few of your items checked off, but not all. Maybe it’s close to great schools and shopping, but the neighborhood is less than ideal. A gated community allows home-buyers great options, safety, and amenities in a way that standard neighborhoods cannot.

Safety in a Gated Community

A gated community lets you live your life at ease because of its many inherent safety features. There is a reduced amount of traffic, so children are free to be themselves and roam the neighborhood without fear of heavy or reckless traffic. The reduced traffic will also allow for a quieter neighborhood, offering more peace and relaxation in your home. The amount of solicitors will also be fewer in a gated community. Because of the gates, solicitors are generally discouraged to enter, so you can live life uninterrupted.

Lifestyle in Mind

Most gated communities have stricter policies that residents must abide by to live there. Similar to HOA regulations, residents typically have to keep their home and surrounding property up to certain standards. This will ensure that your neighborhood looks beautiful and well-kept year round.

Many gated communities also feature golf courses, tennis courts, or other amenities not available in a standard neighborhood. Some offer coordinated activities and clubhouses, so your family can stay active and make new friends in the community.

The Highland Court community in Holladay, Utah features the expansive Murray Park, just three miles from the neighborhood. The park has a large outdoor amphitheater, playing fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, walking trails, picnic tables, and the popular Aquatic Center with a mega-slide. This park also hosts a weekly farmer’s market during the summer months, and multiple golf courses are within a five-mile radius of Highland Court.

Photo Use By Jere Keys

If you want a safe, beautiful, relaxing environment to call home, a gated community might be just the ticket. Hamlet Homes offers a variety of gated neighborhoods in many areas of the Salt Lake Valley. Call us today for more information on your new Utah home!

New homes with ‘green’ features are all the rage these days. Whether it be a solar panel installation or composting in your backyard, many home owners are going eco-friendly to save money and the environment. You’ve probably heard of the most common ways to green-up your new Utah home, but innovation continues to allow for new and exciting ways to help the environment right from your home. These are four innovative ways to make your Utah home eco-friendlier.

Use Rainwater for Outdoor Watering

Garden Gate magazine has proclaimed ‘there’s money falling from the skies!’, and we have to agree. Harnessing the power of rainwater is a great way to go green. You can use this otherwise unused water to irrigate and water your garden. You’ll be saving water, money, and preparing for a possible drought situation. Go you!

Install Smart Surfaces

As noted in the Bob Vila blog, smart surfaces look just like the real thing, but made with eco-friendly products. Surfaces like Paperstone, Sqauk Mountain Stone, Richelite countertops are made with materials from post-consumer recycled materials, and never emit high levels of volatile organic compounds.

Don’t just stop at your countertops though. Eco-friendly butcher blocks, carpets, and wood floors are gaining popularity too, all made from recycled products.

Use Draft Stoppers to Keep Heat or Cool Air Indoors

Don’t let your expensive heating and air drift outside; you work hard to pay those utility bills! An inexpensive solution to this problem is draft stoppers. They come in a variety of colors, patterns and styles, and work hard at keeping your climate control in check. Not only will you be saving energy, but the money saved on utility bills can go towards that new Utah home project you’ve been putting off.

Innovative Smart Insulation

There are new and exciting ‘green’ insulation options for every budget and home. These insulation materials are made from recycled materials, and are usually very flame retardant. This new wave eco-friendly insulation offers supreme moisture and heat resistance, great acoustics, and protection against mold and pests. When designing your new Utah home, see if you can utilize more green building materials to save energy, and money in the long run.

Photo use by Nicolas Raymond and Aqua Mechanical

Everyone who lives in or around the Salt Lake valley knows that Utah is a very special place. With more and more people moving here every year, apparently the secret is getting out. But there are still a few hidden gems in the area that the locals love. From hikes and drives to delicious meals, these are our favorite best kept secrets in Salt Lake City.

The Secret Living Room Hike

If you want to get an all expansive view of the Salt Lake valley, the Living Room Hike is for you. The trail-head is close to the University of Utah, and is a fairly quick hike with moderate difficulty, due to the quick elevation gains. Around .85 miles in, the valley views will start to make an appearance. Around the 1.3-mile mark, you’ll see the fabled Living Room, a slab of sandstone rocks that look strikingly like a cozy bench. Take a friend, or enjoy the views alone. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

Photo use by PilotGirl

Redwood Drive in Theater

There’s nothing more nostalgic than a night at the drive in theater to catch a double feature with friends and family. The secret Redwood Drive In is located in West Valley, and is a great way to unwind and see the latest flicks. Check their website for show times and screenings.

Lake Blanche

The Lake Blanche trail is 6.9 miles out and back, featuring stunning waterfall and peak views that would make a postcard jealous. The secret hike is more on the difficult side, so be prepared to work a little extra to earn those stunning landscape views. The trail is open from June to October, and the blooming wildflowers during the summer months are not to be missed.

Photo use by Owen Xu

Pat’s BBQ

Featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Pat’s BBQ is not to be missed. Their famous dry rub barbeque won Best of State in 2012, and they were named Best Comfort Food by Salt Lake Magazine. Their famous burnt ends are a crowd pleasure, and you can even take home their award winning dry rub so you can relive that tasty barbeque experience. Perfect for families or just a casual meal out with friends, Pat’s BBQ has all the comforting southern flavors you’d expect from a home-town barbeque joint.

Mirror Lake Highway

This is technically not in Salt Lake City, but actually near Kamas, a little town just 40 minutes east of the valley. The Mirror Lake Highway is a secret outdoor gem in the midst of many growing cities, you might think you’re in rural Canada instead of Utah. The highway follows the Provo River and climbs to over 10,000 feet at Bald Mountain Pass.

There’s little to no cell service out there, and that’s one of the reasons it’s so majestic. Connect with nature and drive through the breathtaking surroundings that Utah has to offer. Hiking and overnight camping is also available for a small fee. The highway is typically open June through October depending on snowfall, so check the roads before starting your excursion.

Photo use by Andrey Zharklkh

Em’s Restaurant

If you’re looking for a secret outdoor dining this spring and summer, don’t miss Em’s Restaurant. Em’s is located in a restored old brick building, with character and charm to go with the farm-to-table dining they are famous for. This eatery is a local favorite in the Capital Hill neighborhood, with a constantly changing menu depending on what’s in season locally. Listed as one of USA Today’s 10 Best outdoor dining options in Salt Lake City, Em’s is perfect for Sunday brunch, a casual family lunch, or a romantic dinner.

There are a lot of options available when it comes to mixing textures and styling your new Utah home. From paint colors and carpeting to furniture and décor, the combinations are virtually endless. It’s easy to get carried away with color and design, and before you know it, your house looks like something out of a Dr. Sues story. To keep things simple, elegant, and tasteful, review our tips on the best ways to mix textures and patterns in your new Utah home.

Texture Patterned Rug

A creative patterned rug can act as the perfect focal point for any room in your home. Firstly, choose a rug that coexists with the dominate colors in the room of choice. It’s best to choose a rug that contains at least one or two of these room colors, so they will harmonize more easily. If your room has a lot of boldness already, like a vibrant paint color, you can still bring some new texture to the room with a rug, without making it compete for color. Try finding a neutral colored rug with a large graphic displayed, to tie a whole room together with ease and style.

Unique Elements of Architecture

If you’re designing your new Utah home from scratch, you’ll be able to choose what kind of architecture will go into your home. Unique and eye catching architectural elements can add more texture to your living space in a subtle way. A defined entryway with textured trim can add visual appeal and a beautiful entrance to any room. You can also get creative with your walls and design decorative molding. Design the molding to look similar to picture frames on the wall, where you can highlight artwork, photos, or molding itself.

Window Dressings

Your windows can do more than just let the breeze in. Thoughtfully chosen drapes or curtains can add great style to your home. If you want to add some subtle dimension to a room, a small and more neutral print like tiny dots or symbols works great. For a louder statement, particularly if the rest of the room is more on the neutral side, a brightly colored curtain or a large graphic print could be the visually stunning focal point you’re looking for. If the room has any patterns on the bedding or furniture, consider sticking with a solid colored window dressing, so as not to cause any color or pattern clashes.

Moderation is Key

Erica Islas, owner of EMI Interior Design in Los Angeles, gave the Chicago Tribune a few tricks to decorating a home with texture. The one point she emphasized over and over again? Avoid mixing too much texture with too much pattern. You may feel the urge to go wild and include every print and color you’ve fallen in love with, but be sure to keep a strong editing eye when selecting your textures and patterns. A few carefully chosen patterns mixed in with a mostly neutral room will add eye catching dimension and will give your home a finished look. Just make sure the room’s patterns aren’t competing with each other.

Spring has just about sprung in Utah, and the days of letting the snow take over our front yards are over. Any Salt Lake City home can have a great sense of curb appeal with just a few tweaks and projects. These five simple tips will have your home’s exterior looking more welcoming, intriguing, and attractive in no time.

Dress Up the Front Door

Your front door is the first greeting for any guest or passerby. If properly utilized, it can act as the main focal point for your curb appeal project. Easy tasks like cleaning dirty spots off the door and the fixtures can add visible brightness to your home’s exterior look. Get even more appeal with a fresh coat of paint, beautiful plants, and a clean swept front entryway.

Replace Old Hardware

Take a day and inspect the hardware around your home. How do your address numbers look? Is your front porch light in need of replacing or cleaning? Are your door fixtures out of date, or just not matching the rest of your home’s style? Make sure all of your pieces match in a collective kind of fashion (not too matchy-matchy though). If your home is more traditional, try using bronze finished fixtures. If your home is more on the contemporary or modern side, nickel fixtures work well.

Outdoor Lighting Appeal

The cold nights of the Utah winter are coming to an end, and soon everyone will be able to enjoy the outdoors again. Installing new outdoor lighting can up the curb appeal of any Salt Lake City home. You can arrange your lighting to follow a pathway so your visitors can walk safely at night, and you can do so in a fashionable and appealing way. Certain fixtures can add a remarkable accent to your home’s appeal while lighting surrounding trees and paths. If you don’t want the hassle of wiring, pick up some solar powered lights and let the sun take care of the rest.

Makeover Your Mailbox

Your mailbox doesn’t have to just be your mail receptacle. It can express your home’s aesthetic too. If you’re feeling creative, you can give your mailbox and fresh coat of paint and some new house numbers. Or, you can buy a brand new one at your local hardware store. You can also freshen up your mail area by planting fresh flowers or a planter around it, to give it that something extra.

Perfect Symmetry

The human eye is drawn to symmetry; it’s just the way our brains work. You can create symmetry with light fixtures, potted plants, a door mat, a hanging decoration on the door, and even with your front door’s design. Take it a step further with a symmetrical walkway leading up to your home, symmetrical flower beds, fences, hedges, or any other feature you’d like to highlight.

4 Things to Look for in a New Home Builder

When you’re thinking about buying a home, you have two choices: purchase an existing home that someone currently lives in and is trying to sell, or purchase a brand new home from a home-builder. There are benefits to each, but for many the idea of owning a brand new home and having the ability to choose some personal touches during construction are enough to swing the pendulum in favor of new construction.

Since the overall quality, safety, and aesthetic appeal of your future home rests so heavily on the builder, there are four things you need to look for before you sign a contract for a new home.

1: Location, Location, Location

Not all builders offer new homes in the places you want to live, and not all places you might want to live will have builders offering new construction. If you have a builder in mind, carefully review their available neighborhood locations, visit the neighborhoods where they are planning to build, and also check to make sure they offer a floorplan that you would like in that neighborhood. If you’re thinking about a specific area, you can search online to find out if there are new home builders offering construction in the vicinity, or visit the neighborhood and check to see if there are any builders’ signs.

If you’re planning to purchase in a neighborhood that has not been built yet, or in a partially-finished neighborhood, make sure you do a little research on the area first (will it be the same builder or another one, how many lots are sold and how many still vacant, are there any parks or open spaces planned, etc.)

2: Compare Builder Construction Quality

Before you settle on any builder, make sure you take some time to compare the quality of construction. You can look at model homes, but keep in mind that model homes often include optional upgrades, so you may also ask to see a home that is closer to what you plan to build to make the best decision.

3: Understand Your Options

One of the great benefits of new home construction is that you often have the chance to customize some parts of the home and make it uniquely yours. Many builders will offer a “base” model with specific materials for flooring, paint, counters, cabinets, and more, then allow homeowners to upgrade if they would like something different. They may also offer the ability to make some limited changes to the floor plan, but before you buy, make sure you understand how much you can customize, and what parts of your home are going to be customizable as well as any things that cannot be changed.

4: Learn More About Financing

New home construction is unique when it comes to financing because there are actually two things that must be financed by a lender—the construction and the finished home. Some builders will cover the construction loan and you will only need to get a mortgage for the finished project, while others might require that you take out a construction loan before the home is finished. If you don’t fully understand the process, make sure to talk to a lender who can explain it to you so you know what your obligations will be.

Once you know what you want and find the homebuilder who has available homes in the neighborhood that you want, the next step is to make sure you get it all in a written and signed contract so you can be on your way to getting your dream home.

When you start thinking about purchasing a home, there are a lot of factors involved in the decision making process. Where do you want to live? How big should your home be? What kind of design and feel do you want? Is the neighborhood family friendly? It can start to get overwhelming very fast. And hunting for a home that’s already on the market can only add to the stress.

With Hamlet Homes, we take the stress and uneasiness out of the home search experience. You choose the design, floorplan, and community, and we take care of the rest. These are some of the advantages to buying a new home with your own design in mind.

Define your home’s style

When you buy a used home that’s already on the market, you’re going to have to make compromises. So rarely can you find a home that matches all of your style wants and needs, in the community and price range that you’re comfortable with. When you have the opportunity to design the entire interior of the home, all of your home wishes can be granted.

Instead of tearing apart an existing home to remodel and make it your own, you can skip that step and go straight to designing your dream home. We show you a variety of floor plans in your community of choice, and you take the reins from there. Hamlet Homes offers buyers the chance to design their own unique and beautiful home in Salt Lake City, at an affordable cost.

Quality and function, suited to your needs

While you might find a close-to perfect home already on the market, the quality of the home’s materials may be less than supreme. When you work on designing your own home, you have the power to choose the quality of materials that go into the build. On top of quality, you want to be able to choose items that provide maximum functionality, so your life gets easier and more organized. With Hamlet Homes, you can take advantage of these opportunities, so your family can enjoy a beautiful well-made home, that functions just the way you want it to.

Nothing beats brand new

From appliances to paint and flooring, you’ll never move into a Hamlet Homes community that’s been lived in before. New appliances last longer, new floors stay beautiful, and your personally chosen paint colors and fixtures will truly reflect the unique design and feel of your new home. You can have the peace of mind that your home is yours and yours alone, at a cost you can feel good about.

Buy Existing Home or Build a New Home? Tips to Help You Decide

The idea of moving to a new Salt Lake City home is exciting, but before you start packing up your home and scheduling a mover, you need to decide if you are going to build a home (new construction) or buy something that is already built. Many homeowners don’t really know if there are advantages or disadvantages to each, so here are a few tips to help you decide which is best for you.

Timing

Building a new home will take longer than buying a home that is already built—it’s not good or bad, necessarily, it’s just the reality of new construction. Most new homes will take a few months, while an existing home will take only the time required to put in an offer, get it approved, and for the sellers to move. There are a few options that provide the best of both worlds—new construction plus a short move-in timeline—but these quick move-in homes are not guaranteed to be available in the style and neighborhood and from the new home builder that you want.

Budget for Existing or Building

Building a new home can be more expensive than purchasing an existing home, especially if raw material prices are high at the time, or if you want to build during peak season (spring and summer) when contractors are busy. You may also decide that you want to include upgrades from the base model offered by the builder, which can increase your final purchase price.

Customization

Perhaps the number one reason that most people want to build their own home is the ability to customize it so the finished product is exactly what you want. You can choose from different floorplans, pick out carpet colors, cabinets, flooring, and more so the layout, designs, and décor fit your style. To customize an existing home you would have to purchase it and then pay for remodeling with a home equity loan, credit cards, or cash.

Warranties

Brand new homes come with brand new things, including appliances, wiring, plumbing, and more. They are thoroughly inspected during the process so you get a safe home with items that are likely to still work—and if they don’t, quality new home builders will offer a warranty to fix it within the first few months or years.

Additional Costs

Finally, building a new home may also come with some additional costs that won’t be built into the mortgage, such as landscaping or window coverings. Be sure you budget for these things so you don’t find out that you have a wonderful new home, but you cannot afford to create the aesthetic that you want.

There is no right or wrong choice, it depends on your needs, but it’s important to understand the tradeoffs between the two so you can figure out which home option is best for your situation.