May 2015 | Custom Home Features
By: Amita Jain, Co-Owner, Classic Homes of Maryland
I’ve been in sales at Classic since the day they opened doors in Maryland nearly 10 years ago. And over the years I’ve come to learn about some really cool features to consider when building a custom home. I’d like to share these with you for your next construction project:
Hidden Pantry / Prep Kitchen. This is one of the greatest concepts I’ve seen in several of our custom homes. We built it for the first time in 2009 and since then people have seen it, loved it, and built it in their homes. It’s basically a prep kitchen that has cabinet doors for entry. So when you’re standing in the kitchen, it looks like cabinetry, but when you open the cabinet doors, you walk into a 100 sq ft kitchen area. All your messy food prep goes on back here, keeping your new kitchen looking spotless with pretty hors d’oeuvres and flowers. I love it!
Separate His and Hers Toilets. I grew up with 2 messy brothers. I had only one request growing up as a teen: “Please, please, Mom and Dad, don’t make me share their bathroom!” When I eventually parted with them, using the bathroom was bliss. Then…I got married. Though my husband was far neater than my brothers, it was still tough to make the transition to sharing again. This is an inexpensive option that can give you years of tension-free toilet use.
Outdoor Shower. On my honeymoon in Hawaii, one of the small cottages we stayed in had an outdoor shower. It was an amazing experience to bathe under the stars! Recently, one of our clients added this to their Master Bedroom balcony. Can you imagine stepping outside, in total privacy, to shower up and then relax with an iced tea on your very own balcony, away from kids and noise?? How awesome!
4′ Garage Extension. If your floor plan comes with a two-car garage, extra space is a must for your bikes and lawn tools and space for the kids (and you) to remove dirty shoes neatly. Also great for storing pet stuff. If you’re opting for a three-car garage, and you’ll actually be parking 3 cars inside, consider this very convenient feature. Again, not costly, and will give you years of return.
Automated Stuff. Nowadays everything can be automated and controlled right from your smartphone: security, lighting, temperature control, music…heck, you can even start your afternoon coffee and have it ready before you get home. This stuff is costly. But if you decide to invest in just one automation…go for the auto door locks. You can lock and unlock your door from anywhere. No more leaving keys for people. No more of Mom waiting on the door step in extreme cold because she forgot her key. And, hey, Grandpa arrived a bit early…so why not let him in and prepare his cup of coffee.
