Blog

Five Tips for Building a Home in Metro Atlanta

Five Tips for Building a Home in Metro Atlanta

Metro Atlanta spans nearly 8,500 square miles, encompassing 28 counties and 140 municipalities. At its heart is the City of Atlanta – The ATL, The Big Peach, Empire City of the South. Finding your place in all of that and staking a claim on a plot of land you can call your own is a dream that many share. Building a house worthy of that dream can seem overwhelming at times, but the payoff could equate to your very own interpretation of “home sweet home.” To try and help make the process of building a home in Metro Atlanta a little less daunting, the team at Highlight Homes has broken it down into five simple steps…

Determine Whether You Want to Buy a Home to Renovate or Build from the Ground Up

There are plusses and minuses to both options. Buying a home in a desirable part of town to renovate may be a more realistic option – depending on the neighborhood and your budget. Or finding a new construction home or building one of your own may be a better path in a suburb of town that is either up-and-coming or relatively undiscovered. If you opt for the first, you’ll want to make sure the construction of the original home is sound and determine any “fixer-upper” issues that might eat into your budget – potentially giving the boot to some of the fun stuff you’d like to do. Building from the ground up can be great – it’s ALL NEW, after all – but your builder may not be as willing to work within your vision, unless you opt to go the custom construction route. Ultimately, it all comes down to your personality – do you prefer shiny and new over something that may have a little more history and character (and loads of mature landscaping)? You may believe one thing, but when you get out there and really start looking – you might just change your tune. The takeaway from this step… be flexible.

Set a Realistic Budget

This step will comprise a visit to the bank to determine the size of loan for which you qualify. Discuss building renovations into the loan if you’re leaning towards that route. Bear in mind that just because you QUALIFY for a certain size loan, you may not want to bump up against the ceiling. No one wants to be house poor. After all, you’re going to need funds to furnish your home properly AND throw an open house once completed to invite your friends and family. Instead, determine a house payment range that you can be comfortable with and still manage to have a life both inside and outside of that home. If your budget and your vision don’t see eye to eye, the prudent move may be to be patient and save your pennies a little while longer.

Find a Neighborhood or Suburb of Atlanta You Love

Once you have a fairly good idea of WHAT you’re looking for in a home (resale or new) and how much home you can afford, start exploring. Metro Atlanta is jam-packed with amazing, one-of-a-kind communities like the walkable nature and intown convenience of the City of Brookhaven, the kitschy uniqueness that is the City of Decatur or the resort town feel of Peachtree City. With a staggering 140 municipalities from which to choose, you may want to begin your search online – reading reviews and learning about the cities and neighborhoods that appeal most to you. If you have a growing family, you’ll want to consider the local schools. If you like to shop and dine out, you’ll want to take the local scene into consideration. If walkability or mass transit is important to you, that’s another item to look for. Is the commute to work relatively easy? How about access to local parks? Make a list of the things that are most important to you in a community and use that list every time you research a new part of town. Once you’ve narrowed your list of prospective cities, suburbs and neighborhoods down, check them out firsthand.

Find a Builder who Builds in that Neighborhood and Offers Design-Build Services

Once you’ve got a general idea of WHAT part of Metro Atlanta you’d like to live, it’s time to research builders and/or renovation firms that serve that area. Whether you plan to build from the ground up or renovate a resale, it may be wise to make your builder part of the research and acquisition process. They can help you find the ideal plot of land or home to renovate. Your vision may be hindered by your knowledge of construction, but – as long as you’re able to communicate your vision to them clearly – your builder can help you find the best place to make that vision a reality. Of course, if you opt to go with a new construction community – you may be a bit limited by your builder’s floor plans, but you can look to available options – like a screened porch or additional bedroom – to get it a bit closer to the home you were envisioning. If you ultimately decide to go with a custom builder or renovation company, it may be in your best interest to hire one with design-build capabilities. Otherwise, they might be able to find and purchase a pre-designed floor plan and elevation that fits your vision.

Work Closely with your Builder to Infuse as Much YOU into the Home as Possible

By now, you should know EXACTLY where you’re building, have a floor plan or renovation plan of attack in mind and have purchased the resale or land on which to build your new home. As construction gets underway, encourage communication with your builder so you know where you are in the process. Plan days – preferably with your builder – to shop for appliances, fixtures, flooring, wall treatments, paint colors and more as the vision comes together. All those touches will make the home uniquely YOU. Have this plotted out in your mind ahead of time so that the elements work together beautifully. If you don’t have an eye for these things, you may want to rely on the assistance of an interior designer or trust your builder to carry out your vision to its full potential. To help them see that vision as clearly as possible, pull together a dream book that contains images of design elements you like.

Atlanta-based Highlight Homes has served as BOTH a custom builder and a renovation firm for countless home buyers. We’ve done everything from renovating an existing home – INCLUDING popping the roof off and adding a new story – to building a custom home on land where the former home had been razed to building from the ground up on raw land. We welcome the chance to help you build the home of your dreams. Our service area primarily includes Atlanta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and Peachtree City, but we are happy to consider other suburbs and cities – depending on the size and scope of the project. To learn more about us and our capabilities, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. If you’d like to schedule a no-obligation consultation, please call us at 678-873-9234 or email us at info@highlighthomesga.com.

Mind Your Millennial Manors

Mind Your Millennial Manors

The Latest Craze in Housing from the Trendiest Generation to Ever Wield a Sledgehammer

Millennials are on the move. This generation represents roughly 75 million people – making it the largest generation currently living in the U.S., which is why they command so much attention from marketers, small business owners, large corporations and home builders. Defined by Pew Research as the generation born between 1981 and 1996, that puts them at 23 to 38-years-old in 2019 – prime renting and first-time homebuying ages. According to REthority – the Authority on all Things Real Estate, the median age of a first-time homebuyer is 32. While production builders continue to build “cookie cutter” homes at price points that millennials may find attractive, more and more millennials are seeking homes that are customized to their unique tastes and needs in some of the trendiest neighborhoods they can afford. And with the average age of first-time moms being 26 and first-time dads being 27, family-friendly floor plans also rank high on their wish lists. Some millennials may look at a new home as a future investment opportunity – one they can rent out at a later time for some added income. With that investment in mind, they also consider factors like walkability, convenience to mass transit and desirable school systems.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) indicates that millennials accounted for 36 percent of all home purchases nationwide in 2017 – with 65% of them being first-time homes. The 2018 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study also illustrates that only 15% of millennials bought in urban areas, with the majority seeking homes in the suburbs. Niche lists Decatur, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Berkeley Lake, Vinings, Peachtree Corners, Milton, Suwanee, Druid Hills, Roswell, Smyrna, Duluth and Tyrone among the best suburbs in Metro Atlanta to live. According to The Balance, popular styles and ages of resale homes for millennials include: Pre-WWII – featuring everything from Arts & Crafts bungalows and colonials to English Tudors and Victorian-inspired homes; Mid-Century – built between 1945 and 1965, these homes tend to weigh heavily on the Frank Lloyd Wright influences; and Mediterranean – enjoying an earlier rein in the late 1920’s, this style of home boasts stucco exteriors, tile roofs, Spanish or Italian details and grand entrances.

Bear in mind that this generation also grew up on reality TV, which may explain a growing trend towards finding a great deal on a home and renovating it – either by going it alone or by enlisting the aid of a professional. Since that first option could lead to some costly mistakes, it’s the wise choice for millennials to partner with a company that will listen to their ideas and may even let them swing a sledgehammer and aid in the demolition. At Highlight Homes, we’ve had a great deal of success reimagining the exterior and interior of older resale homes by adding many of the on-trend additions today’s homebuyers are seeking. Included among them are open concepts, eat-in kitchens with large islands, farmhouse influences like shiplap walls and sliding barn doors, and so much more. If you’re a millennial seeking a resale home with the intention of renovating it to fit your vision, you may want to partner with the Highlight Homes team to help you find the ideal home in one of Atlanta’s up-and-coming neighborhoods. We can even help you find the right financing to include the price of the home and any renovations you have planned.

To learn more about Highlight Homes and take a peek at our gallery of past projects, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. Once you’re ready to get started, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com. We welcome the opportunity to help you create a home that is uniquely YOU – your very own “Millennial Manor”!

Sources: https://rethority.com/2019-real-estate-statistics/

https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf

https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-suburbs/m/atlanta-metro-area/

https://www.thebalance.com/trends-for-home-buyers-1798348

https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/home-buyer-and-seller-generational-trends

Creating the Ideal Spaces for Your Love Story

Creating the Ideal Spaces for Your Love Story

They say that love makes a house a home. In celebration of Romance Awareness Month, Atlanta Custom Home Builder and Luxury Renovation Company – Highlight Homes wishes to reveal a number of ways that you can add an air of romance to your renovation or custom home construction. By incorporating one or more of these suggestions to your blueprints, you will be creating the ideal spaces in which your own special love story will unfold…

  • Master Bedroom: Well, this one is fairly obvious. The bedroom is the place where you will spend more than 2,500 hours a year – and only some of that will be spent sleeping. To create a sense of comfort blended with a slightly sultry suggestiveness, textures, colors and décor will play a major role. Design to fit your blended tastes and shared memories. For instance, if you share a particularly special memory of a vacation to the beach, you may want to incorporate nautically themed elements. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to place a cheesy conch shell lamp on each bedside table. You can achieve the FEELING of a seaside sophistication through use of color, artwork and linens. If you’re looking for a more mainstream theme, colors like red, pink and white are often associated with romance and can appear as pops of color as an accent wall, in throw pillows, in an area rug, in your bed top linens – just to name a few. Satin, velvet and Egyptian cotton linens are also often associated with romance. The theory of Feng Shui suggests decorating in pairs to suggest harmony. Add a little mood lighting with a gorgeous chandelier hung directly over the bed or a handsome pair of pendant lights hung over your nightstands. You may want to incorporate a dimmer switch to soften the light. Lastly, floor-length curtains on each of the windows enhance the sense of romance.
  • Master Bathroom: The overall feel should be one of luxury. From a large claw-footed soaking tub to a super-sized walk-in shower, the suggestion here is that you make room for two. Flowers and candles will add a little romance to the air. This is another space where a dimmable switch may prove useful. Dual vanities are important for keeping the peace, as are his and her walk-in closets – so you may want to consider incorporating these in your custom master bathroom or bathroom remodel.
  • Kitchen: If you and your loved one LOVE to cook, your kitchen should be designed to support the two of you working side-by-side. Incorporating a large kitchen island that equally suited for food prep as it is for seating means that – for those couples who DON’T share a love of cooking – one can sit and chat while the other works their magic on the stove.
  • Family Room: The focal point of your family room should be the fireplace. Create a cozy setting around the mantle – no matter the weather outside – where you can enjoy cuddling with the one you love. Surround yourself with some of your favorite photos from different chapters of your love story together. Again, candles and floor length window treatments will serve to enhance the air of romance in this space.
  • Outdoor Living Spaces: What’s more romantic than a night spent in front of a crackling fire out under the stars. A firepit or built-in outdoor hearth can be your focal point, surrounding by cozy outdoor seating that’s ideal for cuddling. String lights above to add to the enchantment of this space. Imagine enjoying cocktails and sharing stories with the love of your life here for years to come.

The best news of all is that Highlight Homes can help you begin incorporating all of this and more in either a renovation of your existing home or the construction of a custom home. To learn more about Highlight Homes and our signature design-build method, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. Once you’re ready to get started, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com. We’d love to have a hand in creating a beautiful backdrop for your happily ever after!

Five Must-Have Enhancements to Your Custom Home

Five Must-Have Enhancements to Your Custom Home

Even though humans have been building homes for hundreds of years, we’re still constantly learning how to make them better – structurally, aesthetically, technologically and more. When building a custom home, it’s easy to consider all the special elements you’ve always dreamed of incorporating. But thanks to the ever-evolving world of architecture and construction, it’s also wise to consider integrating elements that time and experience have taught us are clever additions. While these additions can potentially number in the hundreds, Atlanta custom homebuilder and luxury renovation company – Highlight Homes – has narrowed down that list to our top five must-have enhancements to your custom home…

  1. Open Concept Floor Plan with Minimalist Design: Instead of breaking the interior of your home into well-defined rooms, one of the newest trends in home design is to create a seamless flow between main living spaces. This enhances the sense of spaciousness – making your home ideal for entertaining and encouraging a connection between family members who occupy those spaces. Your kitchen island may serve as the perfect vantage point to the dining room and family room – truly making your kitchen the living, breathing heart of the home. By adding a minimalist design to the equation, you also augment the feel of timelessness. When adhering to a specific design style – while it may be one of the hottest trends on the market – you could be dating your home over time. By going a safer route through minimalist design, you can still introduce furnishings and décor that suggest a hot design trend that can easily be altered over time to take advantage of the NEXT hot design trend.
  2. Smart Home Technology: From HVAC and lighting controls to a sound system designed to play the soundtrack to your life to a whole home security system, technology is playing a larger role in home design than ever before. Not only is technology designed to make your life easier, but the right combination of tools could also save you money in the long run, in power bills and innovative security measures. In addition to Smart Home Technology, you can also incorporate technologically smart elements like outlets tucked inside bathroom drawers to help eliminate clutter, as well as outdoor outlets and media connections to help make your exterior living spaces as fully functioning as your interior spaces.
  3. A Blend of Natural Elements and Artistic Flair: Bringing the outdoors in is a trend that has steadily gained steam in home design in recent years, from stacked stone fireplaces with heavy timber mantle to hardwood floors to stone countertops. You can also bring artisanal elements in to add a little bit of your family’s collective personality or design taste to the forefront through distinctive lighting choices, woodwork and more. Industrial-themed lighting or farmhouse-inspired shiplap walls can coexist harmoniously with natural elements and lend a little character to any room.
  4. Unification of Interior and Exterior Living Spaces: Just as the incorporation of natural elements in your interior design continues to grow in popularity, so does the unification of indoor and outdoor living spaces. One simple and beautiful way to accomplish this is through the addition of well-designed windows to extend the view outdoors and let loads of natural light indoors. Another way to achieve a fusion of indoor and outdoor living spaces is through placement and décor. Placement of an outdoor patio or covered porch or deck just off of a main living space encourages flow from the inside to the outside. And by having a clear design style/color theme throughout the interior and exterior of the home, you’ll be tying your living spaces together – rather than making them feel like separate parts of the same whole.
  5. Signature Spaces: Of course, one of the best things about building a custom home is the opportunity to make it your OWN. As a custom home builder, we encourage our clients to create signature spaces that are true to their family’s unique interests and wishes. For those who love movies, a dedicated home theater is likely a must. For families who love to entertain and celebrate the outdoors, a pool with tiki bar and outdoor kitchen may be the perfect addition that makes this home truly their own. There is no limit to the ways you can make a custom home truly YOURS. Make a wish list of the ways you would like to infuse parts of your family into your home, and a good custom home builder – like Highlight Homes – will find ways to make them happen.

Atlanta-based Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help you realize the custom home of your dreams. To get started, simply call us at 678-873-9234, email us at info@highlighthomesga.com or fill out our convenient online contact form and someone will be in touch with you shortly!  To learn more about Highlight Homes and view our online gallery of work, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

Rightsizing – What’s the Ideal Home Size for Your Family?

Rightsizing – What’s the Ideal Home Size for Your Family?

It’s likely that you’ve heard of upsizing and downsizing in homebuying, but have you heard of “rightsizing”?  The act of rightsizing is basically just what it sounds like – building a home that’s the right size for your family or reconfiguring your current home to make the best use of your existing space. There are several factors to consider when determining the ideal house size for your family…

Household Composition

There was a time when the general thinking was that the perfect house size for a household of four was a four-bedroom home. A bedroom for Mom and Dad, a bedroom each for the kids and a spare room for when company came to visit. But with more and more multi-generational families coming into the mix and a greater number of parents seeking the privacy that a master-on-main affords them, traditional thinking has given way to more innovative home designs that include things like dual master bedrooms, a large bedroom devoted to more than one child with built-in bunkbeds or an entire floor devoted as a guest or teen suite. If building a custom home, talk about your current family’s composition, but remain forward-thinking. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average length of time a family stays in a home is 10 years. A lot can change regarding your family composition over the course of a decade – from adding new family members to inviting an aging parent to move in to college-bound children moving out.

Collective Personality

Does your family love its together time, or does everyone crave their own quiet space in the home? Are you a family who loves to entertain guests, host friends and family overnight or do you prefer to keep to yourselves? Your answers to both of those questions can impact your ideal home size. You may be that family who loves its together time but doesn’t really entertain others – meaning you could probably get away with a smaller home. However, you could fall into the other end of the spectrum – a family who appreciates space, but also loves to entertain – meaning you’ll need more room to spread out. For families who like together time and regularly invite others to join in the fun, an open concept design on the main level might be the ideal move for you.

Family Interests

This is another area where entertainment plays a major role. For one, if you like to entertain – chances are you’ve shared that “gene” with your offspring. If you have teenagers who like to host their friends at your house (the COOL house), you may want a dedicated space for them where they can watch YouTube or play video games on the big screen. This could be an upstairs bonus room, a space in the basement or a room you’ve never even imagined. A family of movie buffs may benefit more from a media room or home theater than they would a formal dining room. A health-conscious family may prefer an upstairs gym not far from their bedrooms for early morning workouts or a room in the basement where it’s quiet. If your household is full of family members who like to pamper themselves, you may want to put more of an emphasis on number of bathrooms and bathroom space. And if you have a home full of aspiring chefs, kitchen space and configuration is a major consideration.

Existing Property or Starting from Scratch

You’ll also want to determine whether It’s time to move or if you plan to stay in your existing home and simply “reimagine” it. Starting from scratch with a set of blueprints to your dream house can be exciting – allowing you a rare opportunity to create the interior and exterior of your new home with a custom builder using things like family composition, collective personality and family interests as your guide. However, that endeavor can be expensive and time-consuming. If you love your current neighborhood, your kids have lots of friends there, it’s a short commute to work and the schools are good, why move? A great renovation company can help you redesign the exterior and interior of your home to fit many of the same specifications outlined above. Live on a slab in a one-story home? That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re limited to existing space. Pop-the-top renovations are growing in popularity, where the roof is removed, and a second story is added to create TWICE the amount of space that existed before. This will require you to live off-site while the renovation is ongoing, but – if done properly – it’s well-worth the hassle.

Budget

Last but certainly not least comes the amount of budget you have to work with to get your custom home or renovation project off the ground. You may want to speak with your lender first to get a general idea to how much money you can access, then speak with a custom builder or renovation company to discuss your vision and hear their ideas. They can pull together a proposal that will give you a better idea of what your vision will cost. OR you can share your budget with them first and they can tell you what is doable and what may have to wait. If a custom home just isn’t in the cards, make a list of the things you want in your next home and explore up and coming communities to see who can get close to your vision AND budget. More and more builders are incorporating “flex spaces” into their floor plans – allowing you the flexibility to use spaces the way they’ll see the most use. If your family is small and doesn’t really entertain, do you even have a need for a formal dining room?

Long story short, no one knows better than you what’s the best size for your “home sweet home.” Working closely with a custom home builder (like Highlight Homes) or skilled renovation company (also Highlight Homes) is a great way to determine not only the appropriate size of your home, but also the most beneficial uses of your living spaces. The Highlight Homes’ team welcomes the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the home of your dreams – whether that’s a brand-new custom home or a complete renovation of your existing home. We can design to your specifications, offer our own suggestions or find an existing plan that’s the ideal fit for your needs and wishes. To learn more about Highlight Homes and our signature design-build method, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. Once you’re ready to get started, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com.

Highlight Homes Makes a SPLASH in Brookhaven

Highlight Homes Makes a SPLASH in Brookhaven

Custom Builder and Renovator Unveils Latest Pool and Pool House Additions

At Highlight Homes, exceeding the desires of our clients is always our number one goal. In addition to the rewards that come from seeing the tears shine in their eyes and the broad smiles that light up their faces when their completed renovation or custom home is revealed, making them happy means that they’ll refer us to others and – sometimes – they’ll even call us back for a new project. That was the case for the Buie Family – who purchased one of our custom-designed renovated homes in Brookhaven just last year. They hoped to extend their gathering spaces outdoor and called upon the Highlight Homes’ team to completely reimagine their existing rear yard by creating a luxury retreat just outside their backdoor. The result was a stunning pool and pool house addition – just in time for summer!

Their new lounge pool comes complete with a lap lane and hot tub with stunning tile surround. The adjacent pool house offers a kitchenette with full size fridge/freezer combo for poolside refreshments, space for seating or dining, a flat-screened TV and full bathroom where bathers can shower off and change out of their wet swimsuits. The pool house – fashioned to reflect the same farmhouse-inspired design of the main house both inside and out – also features an extended covered front porch, perfect for the placement of several tables, cozy outdoor seating and/or a grill. Flooring and accent wall in the main space inside the pool house give the appearance of reclaimed wood, while the bathroom features a gorgeous blend of Moroccan mosaic tiles and shiny subway tiles in a show stopping black and white color story.

From a tropical poolside oasis with an intown address to an Italian villa-inspired outdoor kitchen and dining pavilion in the suburbs (and everything in between), the Highlight Homes design-build team welcomes the chance to help you up the WOW! factor on your outdoor living spaces. To schedule a no-obligation consultation and have a Highlight Homes representative assess your outdoor living space options, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com. To learn more about Highlight Homes, our signature design-build method and our award-winning custom home/renovation capabilities, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

We do interiors, too!  Take a peek inside both our Interiors AND our Exteriors Galleries!  And keep checking back as we continue to add exciting new projects!

Things are Looking Up: Pop-the-Top Renovations

Things are Looking Up: Pop-the-Top Renovations

We’re sure you’ve heard the phrase: “We’ve got nowhere to go but up!” That concept certainly rings true with homeowners who own structures that don’t allow for expansion beyond their home’s existing footprint. To grow the current size of their home, there truly is no other option but to go UP. Therein lies the inspiration behind a growing trend in pop-the-top-renovations, which – in the simplest terms – involve the removal of the roof on a one- or two-story home and the incorporation of an additional floor.

Three Great Reasons to Consider a Pop-the-Top Renovation:

  1. Add Square Footage to Your Existing Home: Are the kids getting too old to share a bedroom? Tired of hearing family members fight over who gets to take the next shower? Not enough room to comfortably entertain guests? Just imagine what adding an extra floor could do! You could add a couple of bedrooms with dedicated bathrooms, flanking a large central media room where everyone can gather together to watch movies or play video games. If the master bedroom is on the first floor, moving the kids to an upper floor may provide you with the privacy you didn’t know you were missing. Giving everyone a dedicated space and more room to spread out can do wonders for family harmony.
  2. Reimagine Your Home’s Interior: Not only can a pop-the-top renovation add some much-needed square footage to a home, but it can also provide an opportunity for the complete reimagining of your home’s interior layout. In certain areas of Metro Atlanta that are experiencing a resurgence in popularity – such as Chamblee, Brookhaven and Decatur, just to name a few – there are more than their fair share of mid-century ranch-style homes. What was a popular layout in the 1950s and 1960s may not work as well for modern families. You can turn cramped spaces on the main level into an open concept design, convert a galley kitchen into a gourmet showplace with large kitchen island, combine two existing bedrooms for a sprawling master on main and so much more!
  3. Transform Your Home’s Exterior: With the addition of an entirely new floor to your home, it goes without saying that the look of your home’s exterior is going to change. Take advantage of this opportunity and change the façade to something that not only appeals to you, but that will add major curb appeal when and if you ever decide to sell. Add elements of a craftsman home, infuse some European components, jump on the farmhouse craze or take it in a more traditional direction – just to name a few. The possibilities are virtually endless – giving you a rare chance to completely transform the home you know into something that you LOVE!

A pop-the-top renovation is next level remodeling and involves many structural engineering elements. It must first be determined that your home is a good candidate for a pop-the-top renovation. It must have a solid foundation and strong “bones” upon which to build an entirely new level. If new load-bearing walls must be incorporated for additional support, it’s vital that you’re working with a renovation company that specializes in both structural engineering and architecture. Atlanta’s premier custom home builder and award-winning renovation company – Highlight Homes – is proud to offer both of these specialties in our extensive list of services.

We’ve seen a number of pop-the-top renovations from concept to completion – always with stunning results. We welcome the opportunity to add your home to our list of gorgeous pop-the-top renovations. If your existing home is located in Metro Atlanta and you’d like to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our team members to determine whether or not a pop-the-top renovation is a viable option for you, please contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com. To learn more about Highlight Homes and view our gallery of custom homes and luxury renovations, visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

 

 

Homeowners Showing Serious Inclinations Towards Renovations

Homeowners Showing Serious Inclinations Towards Renovations

“I LOVE MOVING” …said no one ever. While the excitement that comes with making a new house your own and the enjoyment of that “new house smell” are both powerful forces, there is a growing trend in home ownership that points in a very different direction. More and more homeowners in the U.S. are making the choice to simply stay put in their current homes and RENOVATE. As a matter of fact, according to the most recent Zillow® Housing Aspirations Report, a whopping 76% of homeowners would rather spend their money on a home renovation than as a down payment on a new home. Those statistics jump to 86% for homeowners who are 55+ and to 91% for retirees.

But why stay put when there could be a bright and shiny new home in your future? In addition to a clear dislike of the hassle of moving, the 2018 Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends indicates that 83% of homeowners surveyed simply love their current home. Furthermore, 63% have no plans of selling in the near future. For those who DO plan to move at some point, a well-planned and beautifully executed renovation is a terrific way to make their home more enjoyable in the present and more attractive to buyers in the future.

As far as the need for renovations go, the 2018 Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends also indicates that – with the average homeowner spending 16 years in their home – 60% believe their homes are in need of some updates. After all, styles change – as often do the taste levels of owners as they mature over the course of more than a decade and a half. As a matter of fact, 16% believe major renovations are in order and 4% feel a complete overhaul is needed. Of those homeowners who opt to renovate, 17 percent spend between $5,000 and $10,000; 11 percent spend between $10,000 and $20,000; and 8 percent spend $20,000 or more.

With the vast majority of homeowners paying cash for their home renovations – to the tune of 45% – return on investment is a very important factor. Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value report outlines which home renovations will yield the best returns in 2019. Included among them are garage door replacement (recoup 97.5% of cost), manufactured stone veneer (recoup 94.9% of cost), minor kitchen remodel of about $22K (recoup 80.5% of cost), wood deck addition and siding replacement come in neck and neck (recoup 75.6% of cost), entry door replacement (recoup 74.9% of cost), window replacement (recoup 73.4% of cost), roofing replacement (recoup 68.2% of cost) and minor bathroom remodel of about $20K (recoup 67.2% of cost). Also on the list for recouping between 50-67% of the cost on average are major kitchen remodel, bathroom addition, major bathroom remodel, backyard patio and master suite addition.

In addition to being one of Atlanta’s premier custom home builders, Highlight Homes has a rich history of designing and realizing stunning luxury renovations. And with our solid background in architecture and structural engineering, we could virtually reimagine the layout of your home to fit your vision. If you’re among the 76% of homeowners who would opt for a home renovation above a down payment on a new home, we welcome the chance to talk to you! To schedule a no-obligation consultation, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com. You can also elect to complete our convenient online contact form. To view our work and learn more about our other capabilities, we encourage you to visit www.highlighthomes.com.

Sources: Zillow Media Room – Press Release “Americans Would Rather Renovate than Buy a New Home
2018 Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends
Remodeling Magazine's annual Cost vs. Value report

Unifying the Interior and Exterior of Your Home

Unifying the Interior and Exterior of Your Home

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is Home.” ~ Gary Snyder

With Spring just around the corner, the promise of the return of green leaves to the trees and flowers to flower beds fuels the desire to get outside and play. No matter the time of year, there is a growing trend among homeowners and home buyers to infuse elements in their homes that create an undeniable connectivity between the great indoors and the Great Outdoors. Premier Atlanta builder and renovation company, Highlight Homes, is pleased to present a list of ways you can do just that in the design of your custom-built home or the renovation of your current home.

“Time to Spare” Room

Why merely add a new room to your home or integrate a flex space to the design of your custom home when you COULD create a space that’s all about relaxation, reflection and reverence of the space beyond the walls of your home. From a screened porch that allows for three-season enjoyment to a sunroom that provides a space to enjoy the outdoors all year round. This is a space where you can drink your morning coffee while watching the birds play in the birdbath or enjoy a nightcap while counting the stars.

Windows of Opportunity

Windows aren’t merely intended to let the light shine into your home or be opened to let the fresh air in. They can be reimagined as veritable works of art where the world beyond your windows serves as the palette. If you have a private backyard that serves as a particularly pleasing backdrop, you can open the frame a bit by creating a wall of windows – blurring the line between where the inside ends and the outside begins.

Feathering Your Nest

Another way to bring the outdoors in is to infuse elements of the natural world throughout your interior design. Use lots of interesting houseplants throughout at a variety of levels. Incorporate wood in your flooring, timber beams, accent walls and interesting furniture pieces. Include stone in your countertops and fireplace surround. Then enhance the sense of nature by adding wall art, throw pillows, rugs and décor that fit your color and design themes, but are inspired by the natural world. These might include birds, butterflies, dragonflies, horses, flowers, the ocean and so much more. Choose something personal to you as your central theme so it has real staying power and holds meaning.

Outside Looking In

Of course, the BEST way to extend your living spaces outdoors is to ADD an outdoor living space that could very well become your favorite “room” of the home. This might include a covered patio or deck with an outdoor hearth, pool with a cabana, outdoor kitchen with inviting seating, an old-fashioned playhouse with swing set, and so much more! Just imagine creating a space where you feel comfortable telling the kids to go outside and play, but “be home by dark” (‘cause they’re already home)! The memories you can make together in this space are virtually limitless, so whatever you create, make sure it’s the right fit for your family.

Highlight Homes welcomes the chance to help you incorporate one or all of these outdoor-focused enhancements in your new custom home or luxury renovation. To learn more about Highlight Homes and our signature design-build method, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. Once you’re ready to get started, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com.

19 Design and Construction Trends for 2019

19 Design and Construction Trends for 2019

It’s a new year full of new possibilities! As one of Atlanta’s premier custom homebuilders and renovation firms, Highlight Homes places an emphasis on staying on top of the latest design and construction trends – and occasionally setting a few trends of our own! With 2019 now underway, we take pride in “highlighting” the top 19 Design and Construction Trends for the new year…

  1. Green Construction – As a company that places a HUGE focus on environmental-friendliness (and always has), we’re particularly happy about this trend. From smart homes to a focus on energy efficiency in appliances, windows, doors and more, we don’t see this trend going anywhere but UP!
  2. Waste Reduction – Going hand-in-hand with Highlight Homes’ focus on Green Construction, we – and now many of our friends within the industry – are placing a greater emphasis on waste reduction by streamlining processes and recycling. It’s good for everyone involved – the builder, the client AND the planet.
  3. Project Management Solutions – Highlight Homes is pleased to partner with Co-Construct, a secure, easy-to-use online service that allows our clients to make selection decisions, approve change orders, reply to messages, check progress information, review project files, and more. Communication is key to a smooth project!
  4. Sunrooms and Outdoor Living Spaces – Homebuyers and home owners are showing an ever-increasing desire to infuse a connectivity with the outdoors in their homes through exterior living spaces and the addition of sunrooms.
  5. Open Kitchens – Creating a sense of “dinner theatre,” more and more kitchens are opening up to the family room. Not only does it emphasize the home’s spaciousness and seamless flow of the floor plan, but it also encourages interactions between the inhabitants of those two often occupied living spaces.
  6. Home Office – With the growing popularity of remote workers/telecommuters, the concept of a home office or study is seeing a resurgence. Just imagine closing the office for the day and only commuting a few steps before spending the rest of the evening with your family as opposed to an hour or more on the interstate each day.
  7. “Pop the Top” Renovations – This is one of our personal favorites, when a ranch home is converted to a two-story by simply removing the existing roof and creating an entirely new level – virtually transforming the look and layout of the home to fit the needs of the family who lives there (or will live there).
  8. Two-Tone Cabinets in the Kitchen – Designers are becoming increasingly more daring in their color schemes – often selecting a different color for the island than what is featured on the walls. There is also a trend towards using one color ABOVE and another color BELOW the counter.
  9. Multi-Purpose Kitchen Islands – From storage and seating to meal prep and service, there are a number of very good functions for this mainstay of the modern kitchen. Don’t merely settle for a permanent fixture with a countertop – consider all of the great ways you could use that space. Love wine? Consider adding a wine cooler underneath next to a wine rack. Enjoy catching up on the day’s events while preparing a meal? Extend the countertop out so there’s plenty of space for seating underneath so family members and guests can pull up a stool while you work your magic.
  10. Focus on Minimalism – Clean lines rule the day in 2019, along with uncluttered spaces and smart use of space. Get rid of what you don’t need or stow it away out of sight for a simple yet sophisticated look.
  11. Accessories that Make a Statement – However, when you DO add an accessory or two to a space, make it count. It should be eye-catching – like an accent colored end table or a bold piece of artwork.
  12. Eye-catching Lighting – More than merely serving a purpose, your light fixtures are another way to really make a statement and draw the eye. Great lighting that adds to the appeal of a room is a smart investment.
  13. Open Shelving in the Bathroom and Kitchen – With a movement towards minimalism, there’s a growing trend towards open shelving among the cabinets found in bathrooms and kitchens. Be careful to keep these shelves uncluttered for a more appealing appearance.
  14. Eclectic Blends – More and more designers are enjoying a “no rules” leaning towards the concept of interior design. We’re seeing a lot of eclectic blending of styles including BoHo, Modern, Industrial, Farmhouse Chic, Traditional, Rustic, European-influences and more.
  15. Mixed Metals – Just as décor is seeing a blend of different styles, there is also a growing trend towards the mixing of different metals. Rather than merely seeing nickel door knobs, drawer pulls and faucets throughout the home, we’re starting to see a blend of gold, copper, bronze, silver, brass and industrial-inspired metals like matte black steel and more burnished metals.
  16. Tasteful Textures – In order to keep a minimalistic look from being boring, many designers are adding texture in upholstery, rugs, accents and even walls.
  17. It’s All in Black and White – Shades of white on walls and trim juxtaposed against bold black kitchen cabinets are witnessing a rising popularity. Not only do these two colors work well together, they also invite POPS of color in artwork, accessories and accent pieces. Jewel tones are increasingly popular and work beautifully against both black and white.
  18. Comfort Cavalcade – It’s all too easy for a minimalistic look to seem uninviting. That’s why there’s an emphasis on including comfy, cozy and inviting furniture for your living spaces. It’s entirely possible to provide seating that looks refined but also communicates “relaxation.” Don’t merely purchase furniture for its visual appeal, give it a test run and try to imagine spending long binge-watching sessions there.
  19. Pantone Color of the Year: Living Coral – Pantone – THE authority on color for the fashion and décor industries – has announced its color of the year for 2019. Drum roll, please…. It’s Living Coral (Pantone 16-1546). The company describes it as “An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.” It’s a great addition as an accent color in accessories for the home and plays beautifully against white walls, as well as greys, greens, blues and other warm pastels.

Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help you incorporate one or more of the trends listed above in your next renovation project or custom home. We invite the opportunity to start a discussion with you and can be reached at 678-873-9234, info@highlighthomesga.com or via our convenient online contact form.  To learn more about us and take a peek inside past Highlight Homes’ projects, please visit us at www.highlighthomesga.com.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!