6 Secrets to Creating the Ideal Home in Which to Raise Your Kids

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One of the most important decisions parents can make is choosing which home and neighborhood they would like to live in. Fortunately, Don Mills Builders has numerous custom home lots in Greensboro and surrounding areas to choose from.

Here are six tips for creating the ideal home for you and your kids:

  1. Make sure the home is located in a favorable area with little crime. Often times, homeowners are so enamored with a house they forget to research whether the area is safe. This includes checking the neighborhood crime statistics to make sure your children are safe.

    If you already have a floor plan chosen, then of course the price will be a factor. There may be some alterations necessary to make your favorite features work within your budget.

  2. Check the quality of the schools in the area. One of the most important aspects of your children’s development is the education they receive. Thus, it is of the utmost importance to verify the schools in the area have a rigorous curriculum and a high standard of excellence to ensure your child receives nothing but the best education.
  3. Look to see that there is a recreational area or nearby park space. Children need to have fun, right? Make sure your custom home lot in Greensboro or the surrounding region is located in an area where your children will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves outside and participate in safe and fun activities.
  4. There are other children. Sometimes homeowners are surprised to find that what looks like a very kid friendly neighborhood is actually full of empty nesters. You want to make sure your child is able to enjoy the company of other kids close to their age. Look at the demographics of the area and speak with your builder.
  5. Ask your child what they think about the area you’re moving to. Children are almost never informed about a location or asked to give their candid opinion. While children do not often move the needle in these situations, it is always good to seek their feedback. It also helps with the “buy-in” that is so necessary for a child to get the most out of a new neighborhood.
  6. Evaluate whether you feel the town is a good fit for children of all ages. Your children will not be the same age forever. If they are toddlers now, ask yourself if the area will also be good to raise a teenager in one day.

Don Mills Builders has decades of experience in creating homes for triad residents. The process begins with a consultation so that the Don Mills team can find out exactly what you are looking for and prioritize your needs.

Top 4 Questions to Ask Greensboro Builders on Home Construction

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You can get a lot of information about Greensboro builders on their websites. So you should be able to find out about their licensing, experience and maybe even see photos of their home building work.

However, there is a lot more important information you will need before signing a contract. Unfortunately, all of the right questions don’t always occur to you at the time, so it’s helpful to assemble a list beforehand. You can just jot them down as you think of them. Here are some things you won’t want to forget.

Basic Questions You Should Remember to Ask Greensboro Builders

You probably won’t forget to ask the price or how soon you can move in. But you will want to dig a little deeper into both of those.

  1. What floor plan best suits my family needs and lifestyle? This is a big one. The best Greensboro builders will closely question you about your daily routines and what features you will most want to incorporate. It is an enormous help if you already have a floor plan or two in mind to start with.

    If you already have a floor plan chosen, then of course the price will be a factor. There may be some alterations necessary to make your favorite features work within your budget.

  2. Many contractors have a selection of standard features from which you can choose, and more that you can pay extra for. In this case, you will also want to know what the standard offerings are, in the event you might prefer to upgrade.
  3. After the price is determined, you will need to know what the down payment will be.
  4. In order to meet the estimated completion date, when do you have to notify the builder of your selections?

Don Mills Builders Will Answer Your Questions and Put Your Mind at Ease

There will be a lot more questions that pop up during the process of building a home, but these are a good place to start. Don Mills Builders has built a reputation for quality and satisfaction over 27 years. To find out how you can have a fantastic home, without a stressful building experience, call (336) 662-9299 today.

The Advantages of Custom Building Your Next Home

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Are you and your family ready to upgrade to a bigger and better home? If so, you are faced with two basic options:

  1. Search for existing homes in your area in an attempt to find one you like that also meets your needs, or…
  2. Have a home custom designed and built to meet all of your wants and needs.

Which option sounds more satisfying? Obviously, there is a greater chance of success with option two. More and more homebuyers are choosing to have a custom home built on a lot of their choice. There are many reasons why.

Advantages of Custom Homes in Greensboro:

  • Your home your way. Your home is where you live every day and sleep every night. It should be a place you can relax and feel happy, where you can live your life the way you want. Custom building gives you the freedom to design a home to fit the way you do things, rather than changing the way you do things to fit your home. Every feature down to the décor will reflect your wants and needs and that of your family members. Don’t waste time looking all over town for a home and failing to find one that suits you or settling for a home that’s only good enough, but not exactly right.
  • Choose your own lot. Besides the home itself, the land it sits on matters too. If you enjoy spending time outdoors gardening, grilling, entertaining, etc., you will need the right type of yard. If you want the kids to have room to play, space for the dog to run, and the liberty to develop the land over time, you will need a piece of land that will allow for that. When searching existing homes you may find the right house that just happens to be situated on the wrong land. Custom building eliminates that problem.
  • Brand new, never lived in before. There’s just something special about being the first one to live in a brand new home. Everything is shiny and clean and there are no unfortunate surprises.
  • Latest technology features. Home building is an ever-changing industry. New technological advances are made every day when it comes to features, building materials, green options, and more. When you have a custom home built, you have the opportunity to incorporate the latest trends.

Have Your New Home Built by Premier Greensboro Builder Don Mills

Are you ready to have a new custom home designed and built just for you and your family? Don Mills builds custom homes in Greensboro in many of the most desired new neighborhoods in the area. Ready-to-build lots are available now in Knights Landing, Birkhaven, Linville Ridge, and more. Don’t waste time looking for the right home when Don Mills can design and build your dream home to exceed your expectations. Call (336)362-1777 to start building your dreams today.

Best Ways to Find the Right Building Contractor in Greensboro

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There are numerous building contractors in Greensboro, so you may find the choices bewildering. Where do you even begin? Here are a few things you will want to consider in trying to decide which one is right for you.

Do You Want a Brand New Build or an Existing Home?

If you don’t want to move into a home that has already been lived in, consider a custom build by one of the best building contractors in Greensboro: Don Mills Builders. You will be able to choose details from floor plan to flooring, and tailor your home to your lifestyle.

Different Builders in Greensboro Offer Different Upgrade Options.

You might be surprised at the difference among various builders between what it is offered as standard and what is considered an upgrade. So it can be difficult to make sure you are not trying to compare apples and oranges. If there is a large discrepancy between quotes from builders for similar floor plans, this may be a sign that you need to inquire more closely into what is included.

Try to get brand names and details about lighting and plumbing fixtures, flooring, countertops and more. You may even want to ask if it is possible to go and look at the choices in person.

Choose One of the Most Trustworthy Building Contractors in Greensboro

Building a house can sometimes be a stressful process, so you want to be able to rely on your building contractor. Word of mouth is naturally a great way to get recommendations, but that is not always possible, especially if you are new to an area.

However, you can check to see how long the company has been in business, and look closely at what is being praised on any testimonials displayed on the website. This is particularly important if you will be building an entire home from scratch. Just using these few practices will make finding the right contractor a lot easier.

Don Mills Builders, Inc. has been in business for over 27 years. The company makes quality, honesty, trust and satisfaction top priorities, and offers homes with standard features that other builders consider upgrades. Call (336) 662-9299 to find out about homes and lots for sale, or how you can build the home of your dreams.

How to Downsize Your Home After Retiring

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You’re sitting at the kitchen table drinking your morning cup of coffee when it suddenly hits you. Retirement is just around the corner and your house that once seemed too small now feels more like an airport hangar. This is a good time to consider downsizing and talking to the right custom home builders in Greensboro, NC, about building a smaller retirement home for you.

The thing is, once the kids have all grown up and gone on with their lives, you really don’t need the huge family house. Not only is it expensive to maintain, keeping it cool all summer long and warm in the winter keeps putting a big ding in your bank account. On top of all this, you no longer want to have to deal with keeping it clean. Here are 5 ways you can make the most of downsizing your home once you retire.

Stage Your Home for Sale

If the last time you moved was right before your children were born, chances are good your home is filled with clutter. Time to clean out the junk, make the necessary small repairs, replace old carpets, paint and wallpaper the walls, and generally clean up the whole house. The idea is to ready the house for viewings as you try to sell it. You may find hiring a professional stager will help as they have no personal interest in the things in your home and are likely to help you get rid of more.

Will Downsizing Save You Money?

Just because you are planning to move into a smaller house doesn’t necessarily mean doing so will save you money in the long run. In fact, this is one of the most popular misconceptions that come with the idea of downsizing. Depending on your current mortgage payments and other bills, having a new custom home built could end up costing you more money than renovating your current home and improving its overall energy efficiency.

Move to the Right Neighborhood

This also follows along the same lines as not saving any money having a new home built. Choose your custom home lot very carefully. Look for areas where costs like utilities, taxes, and so forth are equal to or less than your current ones. This is a great way to lock in long-term savings. Try to avoid areas where these costs are higher, even if the cost of building or buying your next home is a little less.

Get Rid of Stuff

As stated above, if you have been living in your home for a number of years, you have probably collected enough stuff for several garage sales. The last thing you want to do is take all of this stuff with you to your new home and clutter it up. Try eBay, Craigslist, and of course garage sales to get rid of it all. Anything that doesn’t sell can be donated, recycled, or sent to the landfill. Not only will this save you money on the cost of hiring a moving company, but you could end up with a tidy sum in your pocket that can be added to your retirement fund or used as part of the down payment on your new home.

To learn more about downsizing your home after retirement, contact the experts at Don Mills Builders. They can be reached at (336) 362-1777 and can help you with this and with designing and building your new retirement home.

6 Tips for Choosing a Location for Your New Home

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So you’ve made the big decision to build a new custom home. This is an exciting time with so many choices ahead of you. The first, and quite possibly the most important, is choosing a location. There are so many things to consider, but don’t let it become overwhelming. With the help of your new home builder in Summerfield and these six tips, you’ll be able to choose an excellent home site on which to build your dreams.

  1. Check out the neighborhood. Do you want to build on a lot in a development? If so, find one that meets all of your criteria such as amenities, size, homeowners association, etc. Find out the future plans for the neighborhood as well so you’ll know what the finished development will be like. If you’re looking for a stand-alone lot, look into the properties that surround the land to see how they are and will be used.
  2. Research the community. Beyond your neighborhood, you will want to make sure your home is situated in a community you will be happy with. Look at schools in the area, businesses, utilities (including cable, internet, and phone), and recreational opportunities. You don’t want to build the home of your dreams only to find out that it’s too far away from the things that are important to you.
  3. Survey the lay of the land. Whether your lot is level or sloping will have a bearing on the design of the home to be built. Discuss the land with your builder to determine what (if any) limitations the grade of the land may have on your future home.
  4. Think about the direction your home will face. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The direction your home faces will make a big difference on a daily basis. The layout of the rooms in your home and the window design will all depend on the direction your home will face. Where the lot is situated among the other lots in the neighborhood will also dictate the direction your home should face.
  5. Soil and foundation go hand in hand. The type of soil on a potential home site has a bearing on the type of foundation your home will need. The soil can affect whether it is built on a slab or with a basement or crawl space. Soil can’t always be predicted before the breaking of ground, but if your builder has built on multiple lots in the same neighborhood, he will probably have a good idea of what to expect from the soil.
  6. Consider the pros and cons of developed and undeveloped land. Established housing developments typically have ready-to-build-on lots that have water, sewer, electricity, gas, cable, phone, and internet ready to hook up. This is very convenient but will only suit you if that is the kind of neighborhood you’re looking for. If you want something a little more rustic, you might look for undeveloped land. However, be prepared to pay the extra fees associated with having utilities brought out to the land for the first time.

New Home Builder in Summerfield, Don Mills, Can Build Your Dream Home on Your Choice of Lot

Whatever type of home site you’re looking for, Don Mills will design and build your custom home to suit the land. Ready-to-build-on lots are available now in Knights Landing, Birkhaven, and Linville Ridge. If you have land already in mind, Don will work with you to build on your lot. Contact Don Mills today at (336)362-1777 to discuss all the incredible possibilities.