Blog

It’s starting, you know. It began when you put that jack-o’-lantern on your front porch, and it’s going to start speeding up from there. Happy holidays!

C’mon, that’s not such a bad thing. Is this the first Thanksgiving you’ll spend in your new Rainey home? Imagine preparing a feast in your new gourmet kitchen.

If you start now, imagine the holiday get-togethers you can plan. You might invite old neighbors to raise a glass to the coming year.

Here are a few tips to keep sane during the coming weeks:

• Recycle. If you don’t carve your pumpkins, you can use them again at Thanksgiving. Surround them with ears of Indian corn, add some colorful leaves and let them anchor your holiday décor. And if you later puree them, you’ll have the makings of a Christmas pumpkin pie in your freezer.
• Invest in some good doormats. That’s just one of many steps you can take to prepare your home for a sudden rush of visitors. Stow some extra rolls of toilet paper in the linen closet. Do the same in the pantry. Stock up on guest towels, cookie platters and the necessary dinnerware for a holiday buffet.
• Most importantly, plan ahead so you can enjoy the moment with your guests. A little holiday music playing through the home entertainment system will set the mood. A crackling fire warms the heart. And how about turning the buffet into a potluck? Ask your guests to bring their favorite dish to pass around. It will leave you with time to put finishing touches on your holiday décor and to start making plans for next year’s festivities.

One of the main reasons people turn to a custom home builder is to have a house made to suit their needs and lifestyle exactly. But you can add even more value and a personal touch to any home built by a custom home builder by focusing on something relatively inexpensive: landscaping.

Creating specialized landscaping makes your investment—a house built by a custom home builder—more meaningful. With some good planning and the right approach, it can have a big impact.

Before you start digging up your lawn, planting trees or pouring concrete, though, you need to make a plan. And that starts by answering one question: What will you do in your yard?

Find your style

It might seem too simple, but you should consider what your needs will be in the outdoor space you are designing. Do you have small children who need room to run around and play? Do you want playground equipment such as a swing set or slide? Where will these features go?

If you plan a pool in the backyard, you’ll need a fence if your custom home builder did not install one. The pool decision will also dictate other features such as the surface material of the surrounding deck. If you install a pool, you’ll need to select a product that does not become slippery when wet.

What about a backyard grill or fire pit? You have a lot of attractive and creative options beyond the old-fashioned barbecue. If you want to dine al fresco—outdoors—you might consider a covered or uncovered deck or patio.

If you have a green thumb, you might opt for a vegetable, herb or flower garden. And if you’re handy, how about a workshop?

Select the site

Once you’ve decided what you want from the outdoor space surrounding your house from a custom home builder, look at where the sunlight falls. You don’t want to set up your outdoor dining area where the sun beats down at mealtime. You should also consider wind breaks, such as a hedge or trellis. Walk around to find wind tunnels, which are surrounding buildings and other structures that funnel wind no matter which way it’s blowing.

With this information, create a focal point for your front yard and backyard—a feature that draws the eye and around which all your other landscaping naturally flows. It could be a water feature, such as a fountain or a bird bath, or a flower bed showing off your gardening skills.

When it comes to gardening, consider plants carefully. Local native species will grow best because they are adapted to Utah’s dry climate. Also think about whether flowers, trees and bushes will shed flower petals or seeds. For example, maples and beeches are notorious for leaving seeds behind. Do you want more clean-up work?

If you’re considering hardscaping such as a patio or paved walk, choose materials and colors that match those used by the custom home builder. And also consider overall style. If your custom home is ultramodern, a traditional French garden style of landscaping will look out of place.

Don’t forget to check to make sure your plans don’t clash with local bylaws and neighborhood design standards.

Enjoy a return on your investment

Good landscaping adds more curb appeal—the phrase real estate agents use to describe how attractive a house looks on first impression from the street. And it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Although you’ve bought your custom-built home for the long term, if and when you do decide to sell, that added curb appeal could translate into a higher selling price and a shorter selling period.

Good landscaping also has practical cost-saving benefits. For example, many people cover their flower beds with a colorful mulch. It adds visual appeal, but it also helps keep weeds down and helps the soil retain water. In a climate like Utah’s, that’s important.

A fence, high hedges and trees also increase privacy in your property, and good arrangement can even deter break-ins, increasing your safety and security. In short, good landscaping is a practical investment that pays off.

The most important reason, though, is that attractive landscaping adds to your enjoyment of your house designed by Rainey Homes, your trusted custom home builder in North Salt Lake Utah.

You’re settled into your Rainey dream house, the kids are happily enrolled in school and—take a deep breath—you finally have the time to take in this new place you’re calling home.

Let the fun begin!

Autumn is right around the corner, and along with it are great opportunities to enjoy all Utah offers. Here are a few activities you’ll want to work into your schedule:

• Visit one of the farmers’ markets throughout the region. Although you might have moved in too late to plant your own garden (or simply don’t have the interest), you can still tap into the bountiful harvest from the state’s agricultural community. If you’re really ambitious, get your family to help you preserve some of your great finds, such as those heirloom tomatoes! Consider creating a planter of fall blooms to spruce up your curb appeal, too.
• Head for Central Utah Gardens between noon and 6 p.m. Oct. 29 for its annual Pumpkin Walk. Admission is free, and there’s so much more than just carved jack-o-lanterns waiting for you. If you’re into award-winning pumpkin carvings, you might want to enter your own creation in the event’s annual competition. Go to centralutahgardens.org for more details.
• Feel like sticking around home? Move the action outdoors to your backyard fire pit! There’s something soul-stirring about spending time around a warm campfire under a starry sky. Make it even sweeter with this great recipe for the ultimate s’mores!

There’s so much more to explore as summer gives way to fall. That’s just the beginning, as ski season won’t be far behind. Most of all, use the time to enjoy the family moments Rainey Homes hopes to nurture in every house it builds.

Can a custom home builder make your dreams come true? Building a home to your own design and specifications can be not only inspiring but also scary. Acting as your own builder can mean all the decisions come down to you, along with the risks. That’s why it’s important to choose a custom home builder with the reputation and knowledge to give you the house of your dreams.

If you have to finance the building of a custom home, you’ll have to get a construction loan or construction mortgage. Be aware not all lenders offer these. You’ll need an excellent credit rating and a 20 to 25 percent down payment for the land (unless you already own a lot) and construction costs. If you buy the materials yourself, you might end up paying more than a custom home builder, who can buy them in bulk.

Choose the location for your custom home builder

Location, location, location—that’s what Realtors will tell you. You might want a home that’s well away from any neighbors, or you might want your custom home to be part of a vibrant and established community. Not every custom home builder can build wherever you like, so be clear about your desires for location.

Your custom home also needs to match the landscape, rather than the other way around. Match the design and the layout to meet the lay of the land.

If you own a property on which you want to build a home, you can start looking for a custom home builder. Check references and visit other homes the builder has constructed to ensure the business is capable of delivering the kind of home you dream of.

Decide on your needs

What kind of home do you need? How many bedrooms? Bathrooms? A custom home builder needs to understand what you require and want in a home to deliver a great final product.

You also need to communicate the features that will make your custom-built home your dream. Such options might include the size of your garage, balconies, hobby rooms, space for a workshop and in-law apartments.

Get to know the basic floor plans

You could hire an architect, or you can work with a builder who provides you with a range of realistic, fully customizable basic home layouts.

Rainey Homes has 76 variations in custom home layouts. These are starting points for your custom-built home. Our basic layouts have models with two, three, four or five bedrooms in a range of styles that fit into the Daybreak communities, for example, and others that truly stand out and reflect owners’ unique tastes.

Rainey’s homes also range in size from 1,500 to over 4,700 finished square feet. That range affords a lot of different options and features to accommodate many variations in family size and needs.

Sustainable building

For many homeowners today, it’s important their homes be built with environmentally sustainable materials and practices. To a quality builder, energy efficiency and green building practices mean a more durable, energy efficient and livable home.

For example, the choice of windows can make a huge difference in a home. Energy efficient windows and doors save a homeowner money over the long term in heating and air-conditioning costs.

Durable roofing materials that last 40 or 50 years reduce long-term maintenance and repair costs for homeowners, and using recycled materials for decks means they’ll never need to be repainted or stained again.

Environmentally conscious choices in flooring and paints can reduce emissions of potentially harmful chemicals in the interior of a home over time, making it more livable.

Get to know the finishes

Often, it’s the final choices that make the difference in a home: factors such as hardwood floors, granite countertops, paints, baseboards and other finishing touches.

Before you choose a custom home builder in North Salt Lake Utah, take a careful look at the builder’s existing homes and talk to the owners. Then choose a builder such as Rainey Homes that will help make your home ownership dream come true.

Why are you building a custom home?

The answer seems rather obvious: You want a home specific to your needs that is constructed according to your plans. When finished, it will be a long-held dream come true.

But unless your builder is a mind-reader, it will be your communication skills that leave you with no regrets when the project is over. That’s not to say there aren’t some compromises to make along the way to come within budget and fit the confines of your location and local building codes.

What you might not anticipate is the flood of options suddenly open to you. All of these choices might cause you to rethink a few of the things you thought were cut-and-dry choices. If you’re working with good builders, they’ll be willing and eager to follow your lead. Here are some ways you can get on the same page with your building team:

• Establish an open line of communication. Ask if there is a specific person you should contact throughout the process, and get on a first-name basis before ground is broken. Make sure that you feel comfortable voicing your ideas and that your questions are answered thoroughly and promptly.
• Stay connected. Go through the plans with your builders, and don’t hesitate to ask questions or suggest new ideas. Particularly in structural matters, you’ll want to make changes early in the process to save time and money. Ask for guided tours of the grounds throughout the building process. Good builders will schedule walk-throughs at critical points in the construction to make sure that electrical outlets are located where you want them, for example, or that windows open on the right view.
• Find out what sort of follow-up actions are available once the home is built. Are there warranties in place? What about a paint color that just doesn’t work once you’re living with it every day?

The saddest thing to hear at the end of a project is that a homeowner didn’t get what he or she wanted. Take steps now, from working with proven builders such as Rainey Homes to openly voicing your needs, to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

Real estate in Bountiful, Utah, is some of the most beautiful and desirable in the U.S., and its pool of custom home builder expertise is among the most innovative. So why should you turn to a custom home builder as you plan your new home?

Building your own custom home can be the most exciting and rewarding adventure you ever undertake. Imagine creating a home that suits your own individual lifestyle, needs and desires, and that matches your taste in style, color and fashion. Then imagine a quality and professional custom home builder turning it into reality with quality that will last.

Choose the right real estate

It’s something you’ve heard many times: location, location, location. The perfect home starts with the right location. Real estate is the one thing about a custom home you cannot change.

Consider your needs as you visit with your custom home builder. If you have a young family, for example, you will probably want to be near schools, recreational activities and shopping. If you commute to work daily, you’ll want to keep an eye out for real estate near public transportation systems.

Check to see whether there are any local or neighborhood restrictions on home design. In many newer communities, new homes must fit into an overall design or look. A custom home builder will be able to help you navigate any existing rules on construction.

Even if you want the kind of home that’s very private and situated away from neighbors, or one that features an unobstructed view, consider whether the lot is serviced by electricity, water, sewer, telephone and Internet connections. If not, you might face a high price for investing in these services.

Before you build on remote real estate, you might also have to pay for environmental evaluation or rezoning fees. Consider the natural lay of the land, as well. If you’re thinking of a lot with many trees, you can incorporate them into the landscape design, saving the cost of clearing them.

Make a budget

To avoid nasty surprises after construction is finished, make a budget beforehand. Consider how much money you have and how much you want to borrow, and talk to your architect and custom home builder, setting out the design, features, schedule and costs. Remember that changes to the design or features added after construction begins usually cost more.

Green building can save you money

Going green isn’t just about being trendy or nature-friendly. Green home-building practices don’t usually cost more than traditional approaches, and environmentally friendly choices reduce energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. Such practices include:

• placing windows to capture maximum daylight
• installing quality insulation in ceilings and around windows
• employing efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning
• upgrading to low-flow toilets, faucets and shower heads,as well as low-emitting paint, caulk, sealers and flooring that are energy-efficient
• using recycled materials in broadloom, siding and driveways.

Choose a floor plan that suits you

The questions you’ll want to discuss with your custom home builder are numerous: How big is your family? How many vehicles do you need? What about space for sports equipment or even a home gym? Do you like to cook? Do you often entertain overnight guests?

With a budget and real estate in mind, you can choose a design for your home that meets your needs, including the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, living and storage space. Beyond the floor plan, a color and design scheme that you love will make activities such as cooking that much more enjoyable.

You can adapt a preset floor plan to take advantage of your lot’s topography, capitalizing on the views and other natural beauty.

Work with a quality builder

Creating your dream home requires planning as well as dreaming, plus a quality custom home builder who pays attention to detail and cares about quality. Contact us at Rainey Homes to make the best of your real estate in Bountiful Utah.

As a company, we've always prided ourselves on green construction practices. As a custom home builder, the steps we take help reduce the environmental footprint, or potentially harmful impacts, of any project on the natural environment. But once a home is built, there are still many simple things homeowners can do to reduce that footprint even further.

As a custom home builder, we choose construction materials that are recycled, recyclable or both. This includes driveway and other paving materials that incorporate recycled materials. It also includes building materials such as paints, sealers and flooring materials that have lower emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. This is not only better for the environment, it’s healthier for the people who will live in the house, as well. A high-quality custom home builder wants the very best for you and your family.

Better insulation in and around windows and doors reduce the energy demands of the building over the long-term, whether for heating or air-conditioning.

One important aspect of a green custom home builder is that the materials and resulting structure are more durable than before. Durable roofing materials can have warranties up to 40 or 50 years. Decks made from materials including recycled plastic mixed with waste wood fibers can last up to five times longer than wood decks, and they never need to be treated, stained or painted.

These practices and materials add to the value of a home. By reducing maintenance requirements, environmental impact declines alongside ongoing maintenance costs for the homeowner.

Newer and more efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems save money for the custom home builder as well as the home owner. They reduce energy consumption, further saving money, and maintain a more comfortable temperature for the entire home.

Using the latest techniques in insulation and ventilation with help from your custom home builder also reduces or even eliminates the possibility of mold growth. Mold may cause a range of significant health issues.

What homeowners can do to make their home more green

Environmentally friendly landscaping can go a long way toward reducing water consumption. Choose drought-resistant grasses and plants, preferably those native to your local area, which are adapted to local climate conditions.

Reduce water consumption by installing rain barrels under downspouts and gutters. This allows you to capture excess rainwater and use it to water your plants and gardens when you need it.

Cut back on energy consumption. You can get solar-powered outdoor lighting fairly cheaply and readily these days. There are even solar-powered water heaters for pools.

Use timers and motion sensors to control outdoor lights, as these can also reduce the amount of energy you consume. Inside your house, you can choose LED light bulbs as well as timers and motion sensors to ensure lights are out when no one is in the room.

When it comes to appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, washers and driers, look for Energy Star-certified choices. The amount of energy savings they provide really adds up over the year. It's better for the local power utility as well as your budget.

Programmable thermostats and air-conditioning controls can also reduce your energy consumption while keeping the house comfortable.

Higher-efficiency washers also reduce water consumption and costs. Reduce waste by installing a composter, or simply start a compost pile in your back yard. You’ll reduce the amount of trash you have to take to the curb by as much as two-thirds, and you'll produce wonderful fertilizer for your plants and gardens at the same time.

Also consider items in your home that you can reduce and recycle. You’d be surprised at the ways you can reuse plastic containers, dryer sheets and more.

Trust Rainey Homes, your custom home builder in North Salt Lake Utah. We believe in protecting our natural world through environmentally smart choices. As an owner of a custom built home, you can embrace the very same values.

Summer is reaching its peak, and you’re probably reaching for the thermostat without thinking each morning. You dread the dragon that will be unleashed when the day hits high noon.

How did we ever live through this heat without air-conditioning? It might pay to remember those times, especially if you can use a few of those tricks of yore to lower your energy bills. See if these tried-and-true moves work for you:

• Set your ceiling fans to run counter-clockwise. This keeps cooler air circulating through the room. If you use table fans, make sure they’re pointed at you. They don’t cool air; they cool YOU through evaporation.
• Turn off the lights. Light bulbs are like little furnaces. While you’re at it, you can save chores such as laundry, cooking and other heat-producing efforts for the cooler part of the day.
• Pull the curtains shut during the day. This blocks hot air from coming through the window glass. At night, open the windows and let the cooler breeze finish the job.
• If you’ve put off insulating your attic, get it done. An R-value of 30 to 40 will greatly affect how cool your home stays in the summer and how warm it is in the winter.

If all else fails, turn on the air-conditioner. It’s there for a reason. Just make sure the reason isn’t habit!

One of the main reasons people turn to a custom home builder is to have a house made to suit their needs and lifestyle exactly. But you can add even more value and a personal touch to any home built by a custom home builder by focusing on something relatively inexpensive: landscaping.

Creating specialized landscaping makes your investment—a house built by a custom home builder—more meaningful. With some good planning and the right approach, it can have a big impact.

Before you start digging up your lawn, planting trees or pouring concrete, though, you need to make a plan. And that starts by answering one question: What will you do in your yard?

Find your style

It might seem too simple, but you should consider what your needs will be in the outdoor space you are designing. Do you have small children who need room to run around and play? Do you want playground equipment such as a swing set or slide? Where will these features go?

If you plan a pool in the backyard, you’ll need a fence if your custom home builder did not install one. The pool decision will also dictate other features such as the surface material of the surrounding deck. If you install a pool, you'll need to select a product that does not become slippery when wet.

What about a backyard grill or fire pit? You have a lot of attractive and creative options beyond the old-fashioned barbecue. If you want to dine al fresco—outdoors—you might consider a covered or uncovered deck or patio.

If you have a green thumb, you might opt for a vegetable, herb or flower garden. And if you’re handy, how about a workshop?

Select the site

Once you’ve decided what you want from the outdoor space surrounding your house from a custom home builder, look at where the sunlight falls. You don’t want to set up your outdoor dining area where the sun beats down at mealtime. You should also consider wind breaks, such as a hedge or trellis. Walk around to find wind tunnels, which are surrounding buildings and other structures that funnel wind no matter which way it’s blowing.

With this information, create a focal point for your front yard and backyard—a feature that draws the eye and around which all your other landscaping naturally flows. It could be a water feature, such as a fountain or a bird bath, or a flower bed showing off your gardening skills.

When it comes to gardening, consider plants carefully. Local native species will grow best because they are adapted to Utah’s dry climate. Also think about whether flowers, trees and bushes will shed flower petals or seeds. For example, maples and beeches are notorious for leaving seeds behind. Do you want more clean-up work?

If you’re considering hardscaping such as a patio or paved walk, choose materials and colors that match those used by the custom home builder. And also consider overall style. If your custom home is ultramodern, a traditional French garden style of landscaping will look out of place.

Don’t forget to check to make sure your plans don’t clash with local bylaws and neighborhood design standards.

Enjoy a return on your investment

Good landscaping adds more curb appeal—the phrase real estate agents use to describe how attractive a house looks on first impression from the street. And it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Although you’ve bought your custom-built home for the long term, if and when you do decide to sell, that added curb appeal could translate into a higher selling price and a shorter selling period.

Good landscaping also has practical cost-saving benefits. For example, many people cover their flower beds with a colorful mulch. It adds visual appeal, but it also helps keep weeds down and helps the soil retain water. In a climate like Utah’s, that’s important.

A fence, high hedges and trees also increase privacy in your property, and good arrangement can even deter break-ins, increasing your safety and security. In short, good landscaping is a practical investment that pays off.

The most important reason, though, is that attractive landscaping adds to your enjoyment of your house designed by Rainey Homes, your trusted custom home builder in North Salt Lake Utah.

The wait is over, the emotional rollercoaster is slowing down and you’re ready for a fresh start in your new Rainey Home.

It’s often said that a journey begins with a single step, and in this case, your first move should be sorting through the accumulated baggage at your old homestead and leaving behind what doesn’t fit in the new picture.

Go in knowing it’s not going to be easy. Here are some tips that will help you have a positive attitude about the process—it will go far in paring down your household.

• Rather than moving from room to room, sort your belongings by category. Look at your accumulated sports equipment, for example, and focus on what you want to keep. It’s easier to set the skateboard aside when your mind is still wrapping around the cross-country skis you’ll put to good use at the nearby state forest. And there’s no problem saying “adieu” to the six also-rans when you’re beside yourself rediscovering that super-deluxe slowcooker long buried in your pantry.
• What makes your heart sing? Be touchy-feeling with everything; you’ll feel the joy of the pieces that play an important part in your life. The ones that make you think “What if?” go into a different pile. With few exceptions—flashlights come to mind—most of what you’re holding onto “just in case” isn’t worth wasting the space.
• Bid a fond farewell to the pieces you’re leaving behind. Don’t wait until you’re gone to pass along heirlooms to your family and close friends. Be charitable. Pass along the plastic dinnerware that carried you through your salad days to a thrift shop. Or throw a yard sale. Price it right, and you’ll have plenty of reason to celebrate your freedom from clutter.

You probably feel better already! Make the effort. You won’t regret it.