Your Building Blog for the Rochester Area

If you’re considering building a new home in the Rochester area, you’ve no doubt heard the real estate mantra: “Location, location, location!” Where you build your home is as important as the style of home you build and choosing the right floor plan. But there’s much more to choosing your home’s location than just the physical coordinates on a map. Finding a community that feels like home is a big factor for many homeowners. So how do you find great new home communities in the Rochester, NY area?

What Makes a Great Rochester area Community?

When we at Gerber choose the locations in which we’d develop communities, we looked for towns and areas that would enhance the lives of the people living there. We chose locations that show a promising future for growth and development. Here’s a post that talks a bit more about the importance of a good community.

A Few Examples

Here are a few examples of local areas we reviewed before deciding that they were great candidates for developing communities.

• Webster, NY has a vibrant Chamber of Commerce that carefully invites businesses that they feel will enhance the quality of life of the overall community. In addition, they created Town Center shopping as a place for the community to come together. Visitors from as far away as Toronto, Canada stop by Town Center on the bus to shop while on their way to the Finger Lakes region. But the townsfolk of Webster didn't stop there. The town earned the rank of Sports Town USA, boasting more ball fields per capita than any town around.  The addition of their Aquatic Center, Hockey Rink, Marching Band, and proximity to water recreation makes Webster a fun and inviting place to live. 

• Canandaigua, NY and Victor, NY both offer so much to new residents.  They are both vibrant, growing communities that are close to businesses and shopping opportunities.  That eliminates long commutes—a real plus for quality of life.  And when it’s time for residents to relax, they have easy access to great areas such as Canandaigua Lake and the Wine Region not far from their doorsteps.

At Gerber Homes, we have been building new homes for more than 50 years.  But we do more than just construction. We study trends and patterns so that we have a pretty good idea where a new community will really blossom.  Among other things, we look for communities where people can:

• Have the easiest commute to work
• Live in a home that is tailor-made to fit their needs
• Enjoy their leisure time with great access to outdoor activities and the amenities that make life comfortable and enjoyable

That’s why we’ve built in great New York communities such as:

Click here for more information about these communities and for individual home sites.  You can also click here to take a look at just some of the floor plans that are available in these communities—whether you’re looking for a Colonial style home; a home with a first floor Master Bedroom; a patio home, or a home that features an in-law suite. Or, if you prefer, simply pick up the phone and call us at (888) 437-2373 with any questions you have.

Where you choose to live is important. And with Gerber, you have plenty of options regarding which community—and which kind of floor plan best fits your needs.

Most of us know that when you’re looking at an iceberg, what’s below the surface matters more than what you see above the surface. It’s the hidden danger that presents the real problems.  The same principle holds true when you’re planning a new home in Canandaigua. Sometimes little things can have a big impact on your building experience—and on your enjoyment of your new home.

Let’s take a look at three things that may not seem that big at first, but which can have pretty serious ramifications down the road.

1. Setting an Unrealistic Budget.Setting a budget for your new home may not be the most fun part about building a new home in Canandaigua, but there’s no denying its importance. The thing is, there are actually two ways this small choice can have a big impact. If you plan on more home than you can really afford, it can cause a lot of stress. Some of that can come during the building process when you want to make some relatively minor modifications that would make your home more comfortable. If you’re maxed out to the last dime you won’t be able to make adaptations. Or you may not be able to handle unexpected expenses that come up. On the other hand, if you try to cut corners on a home (when you can realistically afford it) you may get the “bargain” you were after, but you’ll very likely be unhappy with the features of the home. And if you make changes later (to get what you really wanted) it will actually cost you more.

2. Selecting a Floor Plan That Doesn’t Fit: Make sue the floor plan you choose really fits your lifestyle—and will continue to meet your lifestyle for years to come. As you look at plans (and we have plenty of options from which to choose) take into consideration how you like to entertain. Think about how your family may change in five years or so. And keep in mind that it’s not just the amount of square footage that matters, but how the rooms are configured. If you want a home that offers you the option for main level living down the road, plan ahead for that now.

3. Settling for the Wrong Builder.Not all floor plans are created the same and not all builders are the same. You want to deal with a builder that has experience, a good reputation, and who has built the kind of home you want. Perhaps the most important thing you want to look for is a builder you can trust. Obviously, you’ll want to see examples of what your prospective builder has done and you’ll want to check references. But trust is built on more than that. In many ways, trust is built by knowing that you have a builder that will listen to you and take your ideas, dreams, and questions to heart. Here’s a helpful post that talks about the importance of finding a builder who will earn your trust by listening to you.

Those three things may not seem monumental when you’re beginning to plan your new Canandaigua home, but ignoring them can have a huge impact on the home you’re planning to live in for years to come.