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Custom home builders offer a lot of upgrades to the custom homes they build in Vancouver WA. In the final installment of our three-part series, we look at a few more upgrades you might want to seriously think about adding to your custom home.

Custom Mud Room

Mud rooms are great if you have kids and/or you like to be outside in inclement weather. They are, however, much easier to add before your custom home is built than afterwards.

Skylights

Yes, you can add these via a future remodeling project, but experts recommend you have your custom home builder install them during the initial construction. That way you’ll have the builder’s guarantee that they won’t leak.

Extra Electrical Outlets

You can never have too many electrical outlets, especially outside. What about electrical outlets that make plugging in your outdoor Christmas lights safe and convenient?

Audio/Visual Wiring

Audio/visual wiring is very easy to install… when there are no walls. You’ll have to plan, but consider upgrading your wiring for stuff like surround sound, audio speakers, or cable/satellite television.

Higher Rated Insulation

Higher rated insulation (than what is standard) can possibly save you money on heating and cooling. It’s an especially good idea for builders to upgrade your insulation for your custom home in Vancouver WA if you plan on staying there for a long time.

To read part one of this three-part series, click here.

To read part two, click here.

To contact Tuscany Homes, click here.

Builders offer a lot of upgrades to the custom homes they build in Clark County WA.

In part two of this three-part series, we look at more upgrades you might want to seriously consider adding to your custom home.

Radiant Floor Heating in Bathroom

Who doesn’t want a warm bathroom floor? It feels good on one’s feet, especially in the morning. This upgrade is difficult to do later unless you’re also adding a new bathroom floor.

Adding a Shower or Tub

Do you want nothing but showers in your home? Perhaps you want every bathroom to have a shower and a tub? Make your bathing decisions before your home is built. That way the plumber can install the right pipes and do so in the right places.

Bricks and Stones

If you’d rather have bricks or stones on the exterior of your home, and not siding, you should tell your builder as soon as possible. It’s very expensive to change the outside of your home down the road.

Upgraded Front Door

Many owners of custom homes in Clark County WA prefer a front door with a little pizzazz. Again, it’s one of those upgrade that’s cheaper to add during construction rather than later.

To read part one of this three-part series, click here.

To read part three, click here.

To contact Tuscany Homes, click here.

Home builders offer a lot of upgrades to custom homes in Clark County. Below, are some you might want to seriously consider adding to your custom home.

Structural Changes

Adding an extra bathroom, enlarging a closet, or opting for raised ceilings is much more difficult and costly to do after your home has been built. Also, adding these upgrades means you can enjoy them right away.

Larger and Additional Kitchen Cabinets

Do you host a lot of dinner parties? Do you anticipate your home being Thanksgiving and Christmas central? If so, you may want to upgrade to larger, and maybe even additional, kitchen cabinets. The extra storage will come in handy during your hosting duties.

Upgrade Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Opening and closing drawers and cupboards everyday will eventually take its toll. To get the most out of your cupboards, consider soft close hinges and premium drawer slides. This is a relatively inexpensive upgrade but it will help your kitchen cabinets last.

Add a Trash Compactor and a Recycling Drawer

This will save you time from constantly having to take your trash out. It will also conserve space and is good for the environment. That’s why more and more home builders in Clark County are encouraging owners to pull the trigger on this upgrade.

To read part two of this three-part series, click here.

To read part three, click here.

To contact Tuscany Homes, click here.

Tuscany Homes, one of the top home builders in Vancouver WA, continues its glossary of different home styles. In the second and final installment of this series, we are going to define bungalow, cabin, cottage, rambler, and villa style homes.

Bungalow: Originating in South Asia, bungalow homes are small, single-level detached dwellings that usually have verandahs and gardens. They became popular in the United States beginning in the early 1900s.

Cabin: A cabin is a bucolic dwelling usually made from logs. You’ll find cabins in rural areas and they are greatly associated with resorts. Cabins are usually a second home and not a main residence.

Cottage: A small home located in a rural area although you’ll find them in more populated areas too. Regardless of where they are located, cottages are diminutive, charming, and cozy.

Rambler: This style of home is an “L” shaped or rectangle-shaped single level dwelling that lacks exterior decorative detailing. Inside, a rambler uses minimal walls to maximize living space.

Villa: The term “villa” has a long history. For most of its history it has meant a luxurious country home. Today, the term is used to describe homes in nearly every price range. So, when you hear it, expect just about anything.

To read part one of this two-part series, click here.

To contact Tuscany Homes, one of the most experienced home builders in Vancouver WA, contact here.

Tuscany Homes, a leading custom home builder in Vancouver WA, presents a glossary of different home styles. In part one of our two-part series, we are going to tell you the difference between a zero-lot-line home and a patio home.

Single-Family Home: You hear this term a lot but what does it mean? It’s basically your common, run-of-the-mill home. To get technical, it’s a single, freestanding, unattached dwelling, usually constructed on a lot larger than the structure, and the area surrounding the house is called a yard.

Zero-Lot-Line Home: This is a home built as close as possible to a property line. The home is built this way because the lot is small and the placement allows for a yard. Usually, the side of the home built close to the property line is sans windows.

Patio Home: This term most commonly refers to a single-story, single-family dwelling that is built on a lot not much bigger than itself. These homes are generally treated like condominiums and usually involve some sort of homeowners association.

Multi-Family Housing Product: This is a broad term that refers to everything from apartments to townhouses. Generally, the term refers to dwellings that share a common wall, ceiling, and/or floor.

To read part two of this series, click here.

To contact Tuscany Homes, a venerated home builder in Vancouver WA, click here.

What advice does a custom home builder in Vancouver WA have for prospective owners deciding between a single level or multi-level house?

Tuscany Homes has little advice to give except for this: don’t be the only single level home in a neighborhood of multi-level homes.

Beyond that, it’s all up to you. Location is far more important than the amount of levels that comprise your home.

Nonetheless, when comparing a single-level to a multi-level home there are three main factors to consider.

Stairs can be inconvenient and dangerous. Obviously, stairs are the big factor when it comes to multi-level homes. If you’re getting up there in age, stairs may be difficult to traverse. Even if you’re young, stairs can be an inconvenience.

Single-level homes may have smaller yards. It depends on several factors, but it’s common for single level homes to take up more of the lot therefore cutting down on the amount of yard that is available.

Sound might travel between floors. If a bedroom is over the living room than anyone trying to sleep in the former may hear the television blaring in the latter. Again, it depends on your floor plan and your lifestyle, but sounds traveling through the ceiling is a consideration.

Ultimately, deciding between a one level or a multi-level home comes down to personal preference.

To contact Tuscany Homes, a prominent custom home builder in Vancouver WA, click here.

 

Custom home builders in Vancouver WA will help you buy appliances for your home, but they probably won’t help you buy a television.  That decision is all up to you.

You have a brand new, shiny custom home.  Now, you want a brand new, shiny television.  What type of set do you buy?

First, answer this question, “What kind of relationship do I want with my television?”

If you have historically thought of your televisions as your “babies,” then you should plan on not only reading this article, but several more.  You’ll be doing tons of research and probably spending a bunch of money.

If you just want a nice set that works when you turn it on, then after you’re done reading this article, go to your local big box store.  They’ll set you up and do so within your budget.

Most of you though, probably fall somewhere in between. You don’t need the latest and greatest technology, but you do want something with a few bells and whistles.

To start, know which type of television you want.

• Plasma – Big screens with high quality images
• LEC – Liquid crystal displays are cheap but have good color
• LED – More expensive than LECs but use less energy and have better viewing angles
• OLED – Organic light emitting diode generally use less energy than the other three types but are very expensiv

To learn more about home theaters, click here.

To learn if you’re a media room or home theater person, click here.

To learn more about Tuscany Homes, one of the most respected custom home builders in Vancouver WA, click here.

Media rooms and home theaters are popular additions to custom homes in Clark County WA.

Yet, what is the difference between a media room and a home theater?

In our last post, we discussed adding a home theater to your custom home. You can read that article by clicking here.

In this entry, we’re going to help you decide which option is best for you. To start, let’s define the two terms.

A media room is a place where you, your family, and guests can congregate to not only enjoy movies, but watch television, listen to music, and play video games.

A home theater is dedicated to one purpose only and that’s watching movies. That doesn’t mean you can’t hang out there, but it’s aim is to provide users with a cinematic experience.

So, which space is right for you?

• Do you want options when it comes to media?
• Do you want flexibility?
• Do you want a place to socialize?

If you answered yes to all three questions, then a media room might be for you.

• Do you want a place to watch movies?
• Do you want to mimic the cinematic experience you get at your local movie theater?
• Do you already have a place to listen to music and play video games?

If you answered yes to those three questions, then you might want to consider a home theater.

To learn more about custom homes in Clark County WA, contact Tuscany Homes by clicking here.

Home theaters are popular features for custom homes in Vancouver WA. Many home owners desire a dedicated space where they can watch movies.

It is recommended that your home theater be between 20’ x 13’ and 20’ x 15’. Of course, you can use part of a basement or a bedroom. It all depends on your floor plan.

Ideally, you’d like to place your home theater out of the way. You don’t want people cutting through your theater to get to the other side of your house.

After you’ve determined where your home theater is going, you’ll need to make sure it is lit well and is soundproofed. You’ll probably want recesses lighting on a dimmer and R30 insulation for the floors, ceiling, and walls.

Next, you’ll need to know what type of video and audio equipment you’re going to use. Do you want a television or a video projector? Typically, home theaters use 7.1 surround sound.

Make sure your builder, Tuscany Homes, knows what type of video and sound equipment you’re going to use so they can wire the room. You’ll want the room wired after its been framed but before the drywall is hung.

To learn more about custom homes in Vancouver WA, contact Tuscany Homes by clicking here.

Tuscany Homes, one of the top builders in Clark County, wants you to consider several important factors before you buy land to build your custom home.

In the first two parts of this three-part series, Tuscany discussed location, utilities, resource rights, zoning, and restrictions.

In part three, Tuscany Homes is going to detail the neighborhood, maintenance, and those dreaded setbacks.

Try to imagine what the property will look like in two, five, and even ten years in the future? Not asking this question is a big mistake a lot of buyers make. No one can predict the future, but try to make educated guesses.

• Is there a chance that the quiet road will become a busy street?
• Will someone build next to your property and eliminate your view?
• What are the chances that the trees behind your lot get cut down?

Who is responsible for maintenance? Some neighborhoods have community areas that need yearly upkeep.

Try to learn if your property comes with any maintenance obligations involving the surrounding neighborhood.

What kind of setbacks does your property have? By setbacks, we don’t mean the bank lost your paperwork. We mean “setback” as in how close you can build to the edge of your property.

This can affect where you place your custom home as well as the size of your home.

To read part one of this series, click here.

To read part two of this series, click here.

Tuscany Homes, one of the top home builders in Clark County, can be contacted by clicking here.