Salt City Home Designs is happy to announce that one of our home designs will be featured in the 2011 Utah Valley Parade of Homes.

Pepperdign homes; (one of our long time partners) is building and entering a home designed by us, in this year’s parade.

Stefanie Josephson (Owner of Homestyl Interior Design) is working closely with us and together we hope to achieve an award winning home.

Check out the Utah Valley Parade of Homes Website and stay tuned for more information….

Utah Valley Parade of Homes

We found this AWESOME article on MSN Real-estate this morning, talking about why a new home may be better than a resale for some people! (Article by Luke Mullins)
Check it out: “To help consumers understand the advantages of buying a new home, U.S. News spoke with a handful of experts and compiled a list of nine reasons to choose a new home over a resale.

1. Customization: Many homebuilders allow buyers to help design the property, which helps create a living space tailored to the consumer’s tastes. New-home buyers, for example, can often decide where their bathroom might go, choose their favorite flooring or pick the exterior paint color. Buyers moving into a subdivision can sometimes pick the lot they like best. “There is a lot of flexibility for [new-home buyers] to kind of put their personal signature on the product,” says Patrick Costello, president of Forty West Builders, based in Ellicott City, Md. “Those kind of things you can’t do with a used house — it’s just not possible.”

4. Fewer repairs: The features of new homes should also hold up better than those of existing homes, which may have experienced years of wear and tear, says Evan Gilligan of Mandrin Homes, which has offices in Maryland and Delaware. People will buy [previously owned] houses, and then the carpet needs to be replaced or it needs to be repainted or it needs new appliances or the flooring is shot,” Gilligan says. “When they buy a new home in today’s market, it really is new.”

As always check out the full story and let us know what you think!!

9 reasons to choose a new home over a resale

As anyone who follows my blogs know…I read MSN Real-Estate nearly every day… Well today I cam across this wonderful article about a project in California where they are taking a 747 apart to make a home from its pieces.

(From the article)

Architect David Hertz likens the reuse of the plane’s 4.5 million parts to recycling a “big aluminum can.”

A 50-foot long section of the upper fuselage will be the roof of an art studio on the property. Another section of the fuselage, along with the upper first-class cabin, will become the guest-house roof.

Specially rigged flatbed trucks hauled the pieces to Camarillo, Calif. From there, the 125-foot wings, too long for trucking up winding roads, were dropped in by a Chinook helicopter.

Check out the full article and give us your feedback!!

MSN Real-Estate Dream Home From a Jumbo Jet

The May spotlight home is a truly one of a kind custom home! We really enjoy working with each client…..however homes like this only come around once every year or two. This home was a challenge to design, but the finished product makes us proud to be a part of residential design community. This home has a lovely exterior but the most stunning items are waiting on the inside.

When you first walk through the eight foot double doors into the grand entry you are greeted by a breathtaking circular staircase which is complimented by beautiful tile work as well as an awe inspiring domed ceiling.

The archways leading into the great room are flanked by two story windows allowing the homeowner a picturesque view of the Utah mountain range. The kitchen has exquisite tile work and the custom cabinetry really shows off the home.

A huge kitchen does not always mean a “better” kitchen. We have designed some small, but very functional and attractive kitchens for space conscience buyers. Remember the function triangle when laying out your kitchen. The sink, stove, and refrigerator should be in a triangular position making kitchen prep easier.

This is a great example of a small but very functional (and beautiful kitchen). We designed this home for one of our clients who did not have a very big lot, so we had to keep things tight. Notice that size did not dictate style and quality. This is a very lovely kitchen and the client is happy with the outcome. (And so are we).

I found a great article (on MSN real-estate, entitled “10 Tips for adding value”) the article talks about 10 things you should look for when remodeling a home. The very first item talks about having a good strategy in place before you begin in order to get good results. This is a topic that we have discussed before in a number of blog entries. Part of having a good strategy is having a good, solid set of plans. If you want your contractor to give you a solid bid….he needs a set of solid plans.

“Many people want to build it cheap and fast,”……. “They want an estimate before they even have a plan.” A solid strategy will ensure that the homeowner and the builder are on the same page, saving both parties time and money.” (Quote directly from article)

The article goes on to list a number of other good ideas (I think it would help anyone looking to remodel to take just a few minutes and read this article).

MSN Article – 10 Tips For Adding Value

In this months client spot light, Salt City Home Designs is pleased to feature one of our custom homes nearing completion. This home is a beautiful rambler nestled in a historic section on the east side of Salt Lake City.  Working with the homeowners on this plan was such a rewarding experience. We were able to overcome a years worth of hurdles and in that time make some good friends.

The kitchen in this home was a major focal point of the design….and I must say it turned out to be exquisite.  The general contractor did a wonderful job in capturing both the designs essence as well as the homeowners vision for this space.

The box beam ceiling and the open floor plan lend themselves to be an entertaining highlight. My clients believe family to be very important and so they were looking for a space that would include everyone in the meal time process.

The high ceilings and warm colors give this home a grand and open feel. The arched doorways and wonderful master bedroom suite are truly enticing.  

I am always pleased to see a home come together so well. I am happy to see a client grow as the design and building process unfolds. These homeowners have been wonderful to work with, and I wish them the very best in their new home!!

I am often asked the question; Do I need to get a permit if I’m just finishing my basement? The answer is almost always YES….there are a number of reasons why you should get a permit for a finished basement the first being, most cities require it.

The first thing to do when considering finishing your basement is to contact your local building department and find out what they require. Some cities don’t require a permit if you are finishing a space under a certain square footage. Others require it no matter what you are doing. SOOOOO to play it safe I always tell clients to ask the city before we begin.

I am also asked…Do I really need drawings for my basement? The answer to that is also YES. Most contractors and subcontractors will not give you a bid without a complete set of plans. With a complete set of plans they can figure square footage costs, number of fixtures, framing configurations, etc. A complete set of plans also helps you commit to the design. Without plans its to easy to get discouraged and feel lost during the renovation.