Your Building Blog for the Rochester Area

Location is one of those things you can’t change about your home. It’s easy to add additional bedrooms or enlarge your kitchen, but there’s nothing you can do about a poor location. Fortunately, you can avoid buyer’s regret by thoroughly researching the neighborhoods on your list of possible home sites. In the Rochester/Finger Lakes areas, these areas are particularly popular with homeowners.

Size isn’t the only consideration when choosing a home. Sometimes, larger homes actually feel less spacious than smaller ones due to an inefficient floor plan. If you expect your family to grow, one of these floor plans may be perfect for you.

Finding the ideal lot is one of the most exciting parts of the new home building process. Whether you want a quiet, wooded lot or one close to town, you’ll find plenty of places to choose from in the Finger Lakes area.  One of these four lots just may be the perfect spot to build your new home.

One choice you’ll face when choosing a floor plan for your new Rochester-area home is how many stories your home will have. You can chose from a wide variety of different floor plans that include one-story, two-story, and one-and-a-half-story homes. In addition to impacting your lifestyle now and potentially in the future, the number of stories your house has can impact the cost of your home.

The availability of prime building spots is one of the many advantages of living in the Greater Rochester/Finger Lakes Area. Whether you want a smaller suburban plot close to stores and highways or a sprawling, multi-acre spread deep in the woods, you’re bound to find the perfect lot. Buying undeveloped land is a little more complicated than purchasing an existing home or a house in a new home community and involves a few extra steps, including:

Mountain breezes, scenic lakes, quaint small towns, and excellent schools make the Finger Lakes region the perfect place to put down roots or build a summer cottage. Demand for land is particularly strong, as home buyers search for the perfect spot to build their dream homes. If you’ve got some extra land you no longer need or have inherited a few acres, you can make some extra money selling your property.

One great thing about building a new custom home is that you don’t have to settle for standard features and finishes. Creating a home that’s uniquely yours is what makes a custom home special. As you’re planning your home, you’re likely to come across certain features that you know you want to include in the plan. It’s not because these things are trendy or ostentatious. It’s because they deliver the kind of comfort and convenience you really want. With that in mind, let’s look at 15 “must-have” features for your custom home that you’ll probably want to consider.

Building a new home in the Rochester area is a fun and exciting experience, but it also can be a little overwhelming at times. Decisions about lots and floor plans aren’t so easy to make when you have so many options. Do you want a large lot in a secluded location or a slightly smaller lot within walking distance of town? What about bedrooms? The optimum floor plan will provide enough space for your entire family and include the features and amenities you want and need. (If you’ve been having trouble narrowing your choices, check out these tips for choosing a floor plan.)

Years ago, families used to gather around their television sets to watch “The Waltons,” a popular show that explored family life in rural Virginia during the Great Depression. Three generations of the Walton family shared a home, a custom that seemed a little strange to 1970s viewers but wasn’t unusual back in the 1930s.

With winter weather now behind us, it's time to concentrate on getting your home ready for spring. Our list of spring maintenance and cleaning tasks will help you ensure that your Finger Lakes/Rochester home and yard are in perfect condition for the warmer months ahead.