Did you know that, under perfect conditions, it usually takes between 8 and 10 months to build a house from start to finish? That’s under perfect conditions, with no changes being made in the field and with an experienced contractor leading the team. If you add in any complications, you are looking at more than a year before you can move into your new home. The best time for a professional builder to start a project is in the late spring and early summer. But there is a lot to do before your bui

Christmas isn’t the only holiday that we decorate for. I actually can’t think of one that we don’t decorate for, but Christmas is the big one. The kids just get so excited about it. Even if we didn’t have a deep love for this particular holiday, I think that we would be drawn into their excitement. And really why shouldn’t we? It only comes once a year and its that magical time of year where the kids are being extra well behaved and everyone is being super nice. Did I mention that the kids were

Christmas in our house is a pretty big deal. We put up the tree as soon as it is socially acceptable and only take it down right before January 1st. We buy way too many gifts for the girls and tend to overspend on each other. This is one of those times of the year when happiness and joy at the simple things is not only accepted but is encouraged. But if there is one thing that I wish I didn’t have to do; it would be the actual decorating and undecorating of the tree. It tends to be a headache ev

We’ve been in the business of house plans for over 35 years. In that time, we have seen trends come and go. Some things with the home design business remain the same. House plans are made for families. Small families, large families, traditional families, blended families; they all need the same things. You need a home where you know your family is going to be comfortable. You want a home where you know you and yours are going to thrive. So, we may be in the business of house plans and home desi

As I grow older, I find myself becoming attached to certain things and wanting things to be a certain way. I remember when I was younger that I didn’t care how my towels were folded, for example. Now I fold all the laundry just to make sure they are done the right way. Its not just towels that I have found myself becoming senselessly upset over. I find that there are things that I just will not compromise on any longer. Finding your dream home is the same way. You know what you are looking for a

Searching for the perfect house plan can be hard sometimes, especially if this is your first one. There are literally thousands of things to consider when you are looking for your dream home and I’m sure you find yourself scrolling through site after site and picture after picture of home designs trying to find the one that fits you and your family the best. We get it. We understand. One of the things that we want to make sure of for our customers is that your house plan fits you like your favor

My dad always told me not to use the word “hate". He said that it was too strong of a word for anyone to use lightly. But I’ll use it now. I hate being cold. Luckily, I live in the South and we don’t usually get very cold. And winter seems to start later in this area than it does in other parts of the country. We are just now getting to the point where we are having to break out the big coats, scarves, gloves and winter boots. Those poor folks over in Montana have already been seeing snow for we

One thing that you can always count on with mother nature is that the weather is never going to stay the same way for very long. I read a sign the other day on a plant nursery that has made me giggle every time I’ve thought about it. The sign read, “Autumn was definitely my favorite day this year." The reason it made me laugh so hard was because its so true! One day it was a nice balmy day, then the next day it was cooler, and the leaves started turning and it seemed like the very next day we ha

Can you believe that it is December already? Time seems to have just flown by! Now that it’s December, its time to start thinking about getting everything ready for the winter. (Unless you happen to live in the Southern Hemisphere and in that case, “Welcome Summer!".) Old man winter is never a kind fellow to deal with and he tends to have some pretty rowdy moods. To help you and yours get through my least favorite season, we are going to look at some fabulous house plans that will make you feel

One of the things that is so stressful to me this time of year is traveling back and forth to relatives’ houses. I hardly ever host Thanksgiving dinner at my house because, well, my house is a bit too small for everyone to be crowding into. Usually we end up at my aunt’s or my mom’s which are both over an hour away from where we live. The best part of the drive is listening to the kids try to sing the songs that come over the radio. The littlest one hasn’t quite figured out how to pronounce a l

One of the things that is so stressful to me this time of year is traveling back and forth to relatives’ houses. I hardly ever host Thanksgiving dinner at my house because, well, my house is a bit too small for everyone to be crowding into. Usually we end up at my aunt’s or my mom’s which are both over an hour away from where we live. The best part of the drive is listening to the kids try to sing the songs that come over the radio. The littlest one hasn’t quite figured out how to pronounce a l

Thanksgiving is that time of year where we get together and spend time with our loved ones. We get the best recipes out of the old recipe books and make sure that everything is done just the way it always has been. Thanksgiving is also the time of year where we get to see family and friends that we may not get to see very often. And we all know what happens when we see people we haven’t seen in a while. It’s time to catch up and see what’s new with everyone. In the true spirit of the holiday, le

Welcome November! We all know what this month brings. Turkeys, Christmas Carols and people losing their minds the day after Thanksgiving. Well, that and figuring out what makes you thankful. I feel like people have lost sight of what this part of the season is really about. New Years is about new beginnings and letting go of the past. Christmas is about family and love. Halloween is for the kids. Thanksgiving is getting a bad rap in my mind. So, while you are prepping the turkey and getting the

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that sneaks up on me every year. Every year I tell myself that I am not going to get caught by surprise. That I’m going to have the turkey bought and the dressing ready to go. I keep telling myself this and now its only two weeks away and I haven’t gotten anything ready. I don’t have the turkey bought. I don’t know what kinds of pies I’m going to bake. Should I do candied sweet potatoes or mashed white potatoes? Should I brine the turkey this year or should

Thanksgiving. The idea of the traditional American Thanksgiving always makes me think of a couple of things. Stuffing myself until I can’t move and all I want to do is take a nap, watching the Macy’s parade on TV and spending time with family. We usually did Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house. She had the formal dining room and the large living room, and she was the best cook in the family. Of course, I think I’m the best cook in the family now, but our house is too small for all of that. So