Choosing to build your new construction home is a major decision.  Here are three mistakes to avoid should you decide to make your dream home a reality. new homes for sale


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1. Building too big. Around the world, Americans are known for their belief that, ‘Bigger is better.’  As reported in a CNN article, homes between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet comprised 21.7% of new homes in 2014, compared to 15.6% a decade earlier.  Today, huge homes—4,000 square feet and up, are all the rage.  Before you choose the best model home for your family, consider your true needs for space.  Outline which rooms will be used for which purposes keeping in mind if any can be multi-purpose.

Is a 5,000 square foot home really better?  Probably not, especially since maintenance, utilities and other costs are commensurate with the home’s total square footage.  The median size of a new single-family home sold in 2015 was 2,520 square feet.  According to the National Association of Home Builders, a home costs an average of $105 per square foot to build. By eliminating even 500 square feet in a home, you’ll save over $50,000.”  Asses your needs to determine if it’s better to select a layout that is perhaps between 2,000 to 3,000 feet so as not to build too big.

On May 17th, the U.S. Commerce Department announced that housing starts climbed 6.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.17 million units.  Since there are fewer existing homes currently listed for sale compared to the last few years, and given that the economy continues to improve, demand for new construction homes continues to grow.  In fact, ground breakings for single-family houses are running ahead of last year’s pace.

Despite the recent rebound, the U.S. residential market still hasn’t fully recovered from the crash caused by the subprime mortgage flood that occurred almost a decade ago.  New home construction remains below its annual pace of approx. 1.5 million during the 1990s which is due in part to higher housing costs and the aftermath of the recession.

Looks can be deceiving.  You may enter a beautiful model home and assume it is energy code compliant, but is it?

At Echelon Home Builders, we take into account the energy efficiency and eco-friendliness of materials and systems we use at each step of the construction process.  When you walk through one of our model homes, you can rest assured that it has been built to comply with energy efficiency standards, including minimizing air leakage.

What is air leakage and why is it important?
Air leakage is caused when outside air enters a home and conditioned air escapes through cracks and openings.  Air leakage can cause moisture issues that may adversely affect the health of the home’s occupants, and the durability of the structure itself.  Openings can cause pipes to freeze and create uncomfortable drafts.  Minimizing the amount of air leakage in and out of homes is a cost-effective way to decrease heating and cooling costs.  Additionally, it helps sustain the overall structure and create a healthier indoor environment.

The most recent Annual Builder Practices Survey, conducted by Home Innovation, offers insights on which building materials are trending in the new-home construction market. Home Innovation’s annual survey and reports have tracked market shares of building material categories for over three decades.

Here are five findings from the latest survey worth considering if you are planning to build your dream home.

1. Appliances– The heat is on cooktop and wall oven combinations as their popularity grows. These combos account for 24% of the market compared to traditional freestanding ovens at 45%. As foodies demand more high-temperature cooking options, there has been a growing demand for induction cooking. This form of heating uses strong magnets to heat pots in a matter of seconds. Author and chef, Jan D’Atri, commented regarding induction stoves, “I don’t think the technology was there before. Now it is, and it’s a great option.” She also anticipates that more high-end consumers will demand combi ovens which roll steam and convection into one, instead of the common, second oven.

Side-by-side refrigerators that experienced immense growth in recent years have fallen to 28% of the market share. This is due to the growing popularity of freezer-on-bottom refrigerators which had 19% of the market share when the survey was conducted. Traditional freezer-on-top models bottomed out at 13%.

If you’ve been on the fence about building your dream home, here are three reasons to break ground on a new construction home this year.

1. Prices of existing southeast Michigan homes bounced back at least 20% in the last six years. An analysis of sales data for existing homes from 2009 through most of 2015 performed by the Detroit Free Press shows that housing prices have finally returned to pre-recession 2007 levels across most of Southeast Michigan. Gains were greatest in pockets of Livingston County such as Howell and Gregory.

Real estate experts believe that the increase in the region’s home prices are a result of the state’s improving economy, better consumer confidence, still-low mortgage rates and somewhat tight inventories of move-in-ready homes. This means that if you’ve been hoping to build a new home, but were concerned about maximizing the sale of your existing Southeast Michigan home, there is a high probability that you will sell it for much more today than you could have a few years ago—making the possibility of building of your dream home more within reach than in previous years.

Last week, we presented the top five home design trends for 2016. This week, we continue with the last five trends to keep top of mind as you build, or decorate, your dream home.

1. Pendant lights outshine chandeliers and recessed lighting. Pendant lighting demand is growing because of the deep selection of styles and the flexibility they offer. Using one or multiple pendant lights in specific spaces, e.g. above an island for food preparation or a chaise lounge for reading, makes it easier to accomplish tasks at home. Recessed lighting was ideal for illuminating task areas in the past, however the aesthetic appeal of pendant lighting is now preferred. Some designs are inspired from the past and others are completely contemporary. For an intimate atmosphere, perhaps in the dining room, bowl and drum pendants work best because they shine silhouettes.

Whether you are planning to break ground on your dream home in the New Year or are already in the process of selecting finishes, keep these top design trends in mind.







​1. Painted and dark finishes trump oak for cabinets. If decorating or watching HGTV show marathons is a hobby for you, you’ve already seen how simply painting cabinets can make a huge impact. Dream home builders are also opting for painted cabinets given the wide range of color options. Dark finishes are the other top choice for cabinets in the New Year. You will see less natural oak and cherry cabinets, and more contemporary paints and stains, so keep this in mind when selecting cabinets.

Which light bulbs are best for kitchens?

Making amazing meals and performing daily kitchen tasks is best done under light bulbs with a high CRI (Color Rendering Index).  Compact fluorescent light bulbs are ideal because of the variety of color temperatures and CRIs above 80 (natural sunlight has a CRI of 100). Specialty incandescent light bulbs with a high CRI are best for ovens.

People who love to cook tend to choose compact fluorescent light bulbs with a color temperature of 5000K because it shines a neutral light and they can still easily see the ingredients and food they are preparing. The temperature near stoves naturally heats up when it is in use, so using compact fluorescent light bulbs are ideal because they are energy efficient and therefore do not emit a lot of heat. LED light bulbs are also a good option since, like compact fluorescent light bulbs, they are available in a variety of color temperatures.

One of the best benefits of building your dream home is the ability to make it yours; to design it around your family’s lifestyle. The most popular place in the home for families to congregate is the kitchen. Every morning kicks off in it as coffee brews and most evenings end with the final flick of the switch of the light above the kitchen sink or stove.
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Strategically placing lights in work vs. entertaining areas has a huge impact on a kitchen’s flow, feel and function. At Echelon Homes, we pride ourselves on supporting you as we construct the home of your dreams, so we decided to shine a light on kitchen lighting.