New Home Features Archives

New Home Features

When building there are so many new home features to choose from – though it’s exciting, some can find the amount of choices a bit daunting. It’s inevitable that you will be met with options that you hadn’t even considered. We’re here to share our knowledge so you can get a jump on the building process – it will make you feel more confident going into the design phase.

Must Read Articles About New Home Features :

Exterior of a home with a tan colored entry doro

5 Essential Front Door Color Ideas to Choose From

The color you choose for your front door ultimately defines your house in terms of class, style, and taste. There are several front door color ideas that you can choose from — however, they should fit in with the overall palette of your home. Choosing your front door color will depend on the color of your house, your preferences, and how you’ve decorated. Here are five bold front door colors and tips on how to pick them.

exterior of a two story home with a garage and deck

10 Popular Custom Home Customizations

Customizations take a new home from typical to tailor-made. So, if personalization is what you crave, why settle for ordinary when it comes to your dream home? Here are 10 popular customizations you might love in your new home.

Everything You Need to Know About Ranch Homes

Learn why the one-story, open layout has made a comeback. The common saying, “as American as baseball and apple pie” could easily add “ranch homes.” A study released by the National Association of Home Builders shows two-thirds of home buyers (64%) would like a single-story home. To better understand the demand, here are some reasons the single story structure is popular again.

Closeup of Quartz Countertops in a kitchen

Quartz Versus Granite Countertops

Designing a house opens the doors to tons of options. Picking out the countertops in a new home for your food preparation and eating areas might be one of the most enjoyable aspects of your building project. Quartz and granite offer their pros and cons, so it’s important to have a baseline understanding of each before you make your final selection.

Recent New Home Features Articles:

Location, Location, Location

Do you wish doing laundry wasn't such a "chore"? Lugging laundry baskets around the house, up and down the stairs? It's time to take laundry into the 21st century and rethink the laundry room location! More and more we're being asked for a personal laundry center within the primary suite and locating the main laundry near the other bedrooms. The Wakefield home plan provides a laundry location on the main floor and a laundry room on the second floor. In a traditional two-story home with ... [Read More]

Have it Your Way

Have it Your Way! A fast food restaurant used that in an advertising campaign to convey you could choose the toppings for your sandwich. With a new home, you can choose how you want to use a room and have it designed to reflect your lifestyle. The primary bathroom is more personal space and one of the most important rooms to consider modifying to meet your needs. The multiple bathroom layouts illustrate some of the more common changes and uses. Layout #1 Expanded dual bowl vani... [Read More]

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Storage is one of the factors to consider on determining how a home will “live”. Pantry closets are becoming more important with many of our home designs featuring a walk-in or corner pantry closet with generous space. But often we think of closets as just that – storage. They can be much more. An electrical outlet could be added to the closet for charging a cordless vacuum or drill. A pantry closet is a discreet yet handy location. Adding an outlet while building is a negligible cost. Ano... [Read More]

The Circle of Life – Aging in Place

I’m reminded of the theme of the popular Disney movie, The Lion King, as my wife and I will soon become empty nesters after raising three children. We started our journey of home ownership together with building our first home, a bi-level, in 1976. Now 40 years later and 2 new two-story homes we are looking to down size from 2600 square foot to a smaller ranch style home. Not only are we interested in reducing the size of the home to save time cleaning and reduce utility cost, but we also ... [Read More]

3 Bedroom Ranch Home Plan A Big Hit with Empty Nesters

Fine Line Homes’ is in the process of finishing the building of its second Austin 3 bedroom ranch home plan in our Harrisburg community of Autumn Ridge. Both homes have been built for the ‘empty nester.’ The floor plan debuted back in 2012 and a number of happy Fine Line Homes Buyers are living in this exciting new plan! A Buyer’s first impression usually centers on ‘how cute it looks’ with its ‘fresh cottage design.’ The front porch and cottage-style shingles on the front gab... [Read More]

Inspiration Space

One constant the last few years we have seen in home design is for an open floor plan that flows into flexible use space. These modern home plan designs can adapt to your changing lifestyle and needs. The Arlington two story home design illustrates this. On the main floor there is a den/office that can serve as a guest bedroom or a bedroom for family members who wish to avoid the stairs. The flex room can be used as you imagine… exercise room, inspiration room? The second floor shows 4 bed... [Read More]

Garage to Basement Stairs More Than Merely Convenient

As you plan your home’s design, you may want to consider adding stairs from the garage to the basement level. Stairs directly down from the garage will make moving large bulky items in and out of the lower level much easier especially if the home plan has an “L” or “U” interior staircase. Another benefit is maintaining a cleaner interior of your home and not tracking dirt and debris through the house to and from the basement door. [Read More]

Boomerang Child/Teen Suite

Many parents of college students feel that even with student loan repayment, their children should learn the economic realities of housing and rent. If enrolled locally, the bedroom suite can be a less expensive option over dorm life. Or, a recent graduate could move back home, softening the blow of post-graduation costs. A 2010 CNN survey conducted by Twentysomething Inc., found that 85% of college seniors planned to move back home with their parents after graduation! For those parents th... [Read More]

The Forgotten 5th Wall

When reviewing home designs, the kitchen and locations of the bedrooms are typically near the top of the list. But ceilings are often forgotten or ignored. Cathedral, and sloped ceilings add volume and drama to the room and can turn a predictable room into something special. The Brookville two story home plan features a vaulted ceiling in the family room with an overlook from the second floor providing a unique perspective. Other plans include the Chesterfield with cathedral ceiling in the... [Read More]

What Is A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter? (GFCI)

Many of our prospective Homebuyers here at Fine Line Homes have heard about ‘safe’ electric outlets called GFI’s. They sooner or later come around to asking “what are they” as we take a prospective Buyer through the process of floor plan review and finalization of electrical outlet locations. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters or GFCIs are inexpensive electrical safety devices that are designed to reduce the risk of serious electrical shock and/or injury. They are typically installed i... [Read More]