Building a New Home

Investing in a home is typically the largest investment you will ever make. You’re sure to have many questions while making a decision. Is it cheaper to buy or build a house? If I build – How do I choose the right builder? Where should the rooms be located? Is this still in style? Don’t worry – that’s normal. We’re here to help you make better-informed decisions concerning your dream home. Check out some of our articles below to find some of the answers to your questions!

Recent Building a New Home Articles:

 
Bellefonte

Historic Bellefonte, PA

Thinking about building a new home in Centre County, PA?  We have just the right property for you located near Historic Bellefonte. The Centre County seat, Bellefonte, is 10 miles northeast of Penn State’s University Park Campus.  It was named in honor of the town’s central spring “la belle fonte” meaning “Beautiful Fountain” by the French statesman Talleyrand, Bellefonte has been home to seven governors from three states. Bellefonte proudly proclaims to be “Central Pennsylvan... [Read More]
Bellefonte

 
Bird's eye view of a housing community

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. Reserving a Lot for Your New Home

Sometimes it seems like there are too many decisions to make when building a home. Picking a neighborhood, selecting a lot, choosing a floor plan, customizing, deciding on colors, etc.  So as to not overwhelm our customers, Fine Line Homes encourages visitors to take it step by step, and we provide guidance and time to go through each step so customers do not feel rushed or pressured. Think about it, building your home is a significant event in anyone’s lifetime and you don’t want ... [Read More]
Bird's eye view of a housing community

 
Contractors looking at house

Checklist for selecting a Home Builder

The National Association of Home Builders suggest using a checklist and doing your research up front so you have a more successful home building experience. The following is a summary of the recommended list: Confirm the Builder is a member of the Builders Association The builder should have a permanent location and a good reputation with past customers lenders and material suppliers. How long has the builder been in business? It usually takes about 5 years to get established. C... [Read More]
Contractors looking at house

 
Trading money for a house

One Stop Shopping

Due to the fact that today's home buyers want a variety of choices to meet their individual tastes and lifestyles, every Fine Line Homes sales office has an on-site Design Center. It showcases select products with multiple choices so that a client can choose the best materials for their home without ever leaving the design center. Such options on display enable home buyers to see and touch more products, gather ideas, and explore the latest selections. Here, home buyers have the ability to... [Read More]
Trading money for a house

 
Construction Worker

The Face of Safety is changing in Residential Construction Part 3

The last phase of our OSHA compliance training is the additional 20 hours to complete and receive the 30 Hour Masters level of certification. This process digs deeper into the different types of Construction Hazards that are out there such as Silicosis, Noise, Hand & Power Tool Equipment, Flagging, Fire Protection, Ergonomics, Scaffolds, Stair & Ladder Safety, as well as Material Handling. In these final training sessions we also looked as several actual case studies of accidents t... [Read More]
Construction Worker

 
House Exterior

Learning From an Expensive Mistake

[caption id="attachment_18064" align="alignleft" width="250"] Meridian with 16’ and 9’ garage doors[/caption] A few months ago I was cleaning our van at home. I had backed it out of the garage to clean both the exterior and the interior. While recuperating inside from the strenuous work, a thunderstorm quickly appeared and it began raining. It was then I remembered the van was left outside with the doors and windows open. I hurried to the van and  after closing the doors and windows o... [Read More]
House Exterior

 
construction worker at work

Sub-Contractors

The value of having good subcontractors that work for you is of the utmost importance when running a great “new home construction business”. Key factors in this; the longer the relationship between Sub-Contractor and General Contractor the smoother the job will run and the quality standards will be maintained. The Sub-Contractor already knows what is to be expected which in turn makes a smooth transition from one aspect of the building process to another. Fine Line Homes has many Contracto... [Read More]
construction worker at work

 
Home Construction

The Face of Safety is changing in Residential Construction Part 2

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved training classes that help the building industry to gain knowledge of the requirements and regulations of Safety that OSHA is looking for on job sites and at facilities. First is the 10 hour Construction Health and Safety training course is an overview of the OSHA requirements to help people understand and become aware of the potential hazards that are out there on the job site. The 10 hour class mainly deals with four t... [Read More]
Home Construction

 
kitchen

KITCHEN COUNTERTOP SELECTION

With today’s technology, home builders have an improved selection of countertops available. You can view many styles, colors, shapes, and textures in our Display Centers. Price range is an important consideration when choosing a countertop. The selection may dictate the color of your cabinets and flooring used in the kitchen. Formica is the most economical countertop and has really advanced in the past few years. There are many new color selections with high definition that looks like real... [Read More]
kitchen

 
Allowance

New Home Building Allowances…. Buyer Beware!!!!

Hi, my name is Janet and I would like to share a story with you about my daughter and her husband.  She and her husband recently began the search for a home to purchase.  They fell upon a market home, (a home built by a builder with the intention to sell), with which they fell in love. The home was 80 percent complete and written into the contract were allowances for the remaining items. The choosing began…..  First, there was the granite kitchen countertops. They wanted a b... [Read More]
Allowance