The exterior of your home greets all that passes through the threshold your home. Having curb appeal is welcoming as well as gives you a sense of pride in your home. It is also likely that making good decisions will increase your homes value when it comes to its resale. That is why it is important to think about the details of your exterior prior to build.
First of all you must consider the fundamentals of the design. What type of home best lends itself your lifestyle in the coming years? This decision mostly involves what stage in life you and your family are in. Does your lifestyle lean more towards a Ranch home which is on one level, a Cape Cod home which is considered a story and a half home or a Two-Story home? If your family is in a growth phase a two-story home might be up your alley whereas if you’re an empty nester a ranch home might be more appropriate.
What style of home most appeals to you? Are you attracted to Traditional, Contemporary, Transitional, French Country, and Victorian or Colonial styles? The decision is totally up to you. Most builders do have a varied repertoire and can build in a variety of building styles. Ask your builder lots of questions, bring examples of what you have in mind, and evaluate for yourself if he or she is up to the job! Do not feel pressured to accept a design that you may not be happy with in the long run and may be for the builder’s convenience. Choose the plan that is right for you.
You might wonder how my floor plan can impact the exterior of my home and how it appears on the outside. The answer is simple. Your floor plan is basically the layout of your home, which is obviously important as details what is inside your home effects the outside. Pay close attention to those details to not just its functionality but in its relationship to the inside of the home but also how it might look on the exterior or the home. This can be seen in window configurations, porches and decks etc. Your builder should also provide you with exterior elevations that should show all the sides of your home.
An essential decision that must be made up-front is what finish you want to be on the exterior of your home. The options are numerous and include everything from brick to vinyl siding to composite board and many more options. In addition you can also mix and match finishes as in brick and siding as well as incorporate accent siding or finishes. Obviously these decisions greatly impact your homes look, feel and costs. Again decide in your heart what you want versus what you can live with and make your decisions from there. It is important to note in modular construction the majority of vinyl siding is installed in the production facility and all other exterior finishes are accomplished on the job site.
Pitch, Rooflines, Gables and Dormers greatly affect the look of your home. Adding these elements can turn a “Plain Jane” exterior into an exciting one. The pitch is the angle or steepness of a slope of a roof. Roof lines pertain to how various roof pitches are combined in a home. For purposes of brevity in this blog I am not going to go into a large explanation regarding defining all of these elements. If you are unfamiliar with these basic terms I encourage you to do some research and go online and simply do a web search and or visit Google images https://images.google.com/ and see photos.
The style and configuration of windows figure in prominently in the exterior design of a home. Again in this category your choices are numerous and often relate to the overall look, style and function of the home. Dynamic effect can be accomplished by style and window combination that you choose. As well transoms or other specialty windows can be added according to ceiling height and open areas inside the home.
Your exterior door welcomes and leaves and can leave an impression with all that enter your home. Doors can be statements in effect. Exterior doors can come in a myriad of styles and materials. Rochester Homes offers quality made fiberglass front exterior doors. Fiberglass doors are sturdy and will not warp and come in simulated wood textures and colors. Doors can come with decorative windows and detailing. They may also be accompanied by sidelights and transoms. As well decorative locksets may come with handles and in popular finishes such as Rustic Bronze or Brushed Nickel.
It is obvious that a home’s exterior lighting provides illumination so that you can see as you slip your key into the lockset at night. Its intent and is be functional and should be placed in areas where it is needed but can add much to a home in terms of mood and warmth. Again there are almost limitless options and your choices should be dictated by the style of your home.
In most circumstances your builder will accomplish decks on site whereas porches can be built integrally into your home by Rochester Homes. Porches provide cover and serves to shelter people from the weather when entering your home. Porches and decks can actually extend the perceivable living area of your home and provide a place to relax and entertain. Columns are common on porches and also factor into the look of a porch and there may be many types i.e. round colonial, tapered craftsman etc. Most likely the plan that you choose will dictate the columns you receive. In any case when you are in the midst of designing your home do not forget about integrating a porch or deck into it. You’ll be happy that you did.
This blog was not meant to be comprehensive but to serve as a starting point. Our best recommendation is to do you research, consult with your builder and ask lots of questions. As mentioned many times in the blog you are the best judge of your wants and needs when it comes to your homes exterior. To assist you selection your builder should also have in supply a Rochester Homes’ Product Guides to help you make your decision making process easier.