Home Building

What features do buyers want in today’s custom homes? In an age where personalization is paramount, from customized smartphones to tailor-made search results and curated television ads, custom homes have transitioned from an exception to a standard. Homebuyers are increasingly drawn to collaborating with a home builder to handpick features that align seamlessly with their lifestyles. At Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc., we excel in building custom homes from the ground up, ensuring that every detail reflects the homeowner’s vision. Recently, we’ve observed a surge in requests for these home features that encapsulate modern living. Here are 7 features buyers want in a custom home today.

1. Open Layout Kitchen & Dining

According to Fixr, 90% of homebuyers want an open floor plan. Once a utilitarian realm, the kitchen has become the epicenter of home life—a space for entertaining friends, assisting with homework, and sharing precious family moments. Embracing an open layout between the kitchen and dining area enhances these experiences, allowing seamless interaction among family members engaged in diverse activities. Some homeowners opt for a fully open design, eliminating any division between rooms, while others prefer to restrict spaces with a peninsula or the ever-popular kitchen island, artfully connecting the two areas.

2. Custom Laundry Room

The humble laundry room, often overlooked until recently, has undergone a remarkable transformation. Today, convenience, functionality, and the strategic placement of a laundry room are pivotal considerations for many families. Beyond the practicalities, homeowners are infusing style and design into their dedicated laundry room. Think of built-in storage solutions, captivating, patterned floor tiles, elegant quartz countertops, and more—transforming an often-forgotten room into another stunning facet of the home.

3. Modern Custom Kitchen

For many households, the kitchen reigns as the heart of the home. A coveted feature is the kitchen island, a versatile and family-friendly addition. Ample built-in extra storage, including a walk-in pantry, remains in constant demand. Contemporary designs favor clean lines and neutral tones, allowing homeowners to inject their personality through custom cabinetry, countertops, backsplashes, flooring, lighting, and more.

4. Neutral Colors

Today’s discerning homebuyers gravitate toward a predominantly neutral color palette. Timeless shades such as white, off-white, an array of grays, beige, select browns, and even black find favor. While most homes boast bright and light color schemes, occasional darker shades may appear, lending character to floors or serving as accent colors against white or light gray backgrounds. This restrained color palette simplifies the addition of vibrant splashes through rugs, pillows, and upholstery without overwhelming the space.

5. Built-In Technology

As a growing number of first-time homeowners hail from the Digital Native generation, they expect their smart homes to align with their tech-savvy lifestyles. Wireless controls for lighting, smart thermostats, door locks, and home appliances stand at the forefront of home automation and smart technology. Planning for these integrations during the design phase is key to avoiding cumbersome retrofits once construction is underway.

6. Function & Flexibility

Today’s discerning homeowners demand functionality and adaptability from every feature in their custom home design. Spacious closets with ample shelves, cubbies for extra storage, and hanging space are highly sought-after in master bedrooms, capable of evolving alongside changing lifestyles and wardrobe needs. Bathrooms and dedicated laundry rooms must offer abundant storage solutions for towels, linens, beauty products, and cleaning supplies. The preference for versatile spaces that serve multiple purposes is a growing trend among homebuyers.

7. Energy Efficiency

The call for energy efficiency resounds among 90% of homebuyers. Eco-friendly HVAC systems are prized for their utility cost-saving benefits. Smart thermostats and energy-efficient appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, and washers/dryers, earn their place in custom homes by optimizing water and energy usage. Energy Star-approved windows also feature prominently, reducing heating and cooling costs by nearly 12%.

For those considering building a custom home, inquire about the Home Energy Rating System (HERS Score), an industry-standard energy efficiency measure. A lower score signifies superior energy efficiency, and the U.S. Department of Energy attests that a typical new home is 30% more energy efficient than a resale house.

We’ll keep tracking features buyers want in a custom home and let you know as trends shift!

Your York County, PA Custom Home Builder

At Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc., we take pride in being a leading custom home builder and remodeler in York County, PA, attuned to the evolving desires of today’s homebuyers. Craftsmanship and design excellence define our approach to every home project. Contact us today to share your vision and embark on the journey of bringing your dream home to life.

Looking for inspiration? Check out some of our new custom homes and remodeled homes!

An open floor plan has become a popular layout for new homes over the last few decades. Often referred to as “open concept,” we get many requests for open floor plans when building custom homes in York County, PA.

So, what is an open floor plan? The open floor plan typically refers to the home’s main living areas. For example, the living room, dining, and kitchen areas are one grand open area, rather than having barriers dividing them into individual, more closed-off spaces. Wondering if an open floor plan is right for you? Here are some things to consider.

Pros of an Open Floor Plan

Better Traffic Flow – With fewer walls and doors in the way, it can be easier to carry a heavy load of groceries or reposition furniture. Love to entertain? An open floor plan is ideal for hosting guests – they can easily move about. An open floor plan is also especially beneficial for people with disabilities and aging generations to navigate around the main living areas.

Improved Sightlines – Parents love open floor plans for kitchen and living spaces because it allows for easier multitasking. You can be in the kitchen preparing dinner or cleaning dishes while also keeping an eye on the kids as they play or watch TV nearby.

Makes Your Home Feel Larger and Brighter – Along with a more modern feel, fewer walls and doors help to make your common areas feel spacious. Additionally, an open floor plan optimizes the natural lighting since all your space benefits from the windows on the exterior walls.

Cons of an Open Floor Plan

It May Feel Too Large – If you prefer small, cozy spaces, an open concept living area may seem too big – especially if these areas take up a good amount of square footage.

Lack of Privacy – Just as open sightlines allow for easier multitasking, they can also make you feel as if you are never alone. If you like to listen to music while working in the kitchen, keep in mind that it may compete with a TV in the family room. That goes the other way as well! While watching TV, you may also hear sounds from the kitchen – like the dishwasher, blender, etc.

Obvious Clutter – Without separating walls that often provide nooks and crannies, there are not as many obvious places for storage and organization to hide the clutter of everyday life in open concept living. Maybe you prefer to keep your kitchen messy. With an open floor plan, your messy kitchen is always on display.

Have Something in Mind for Your York County Custom Home?

Share your ideas with us and get inspired to create your dream custom home in York County, PA, with Jeffrey L. Henry Inc. We’ll discuss your needs and preferences to design a floor plan that works for your life now and in the future.  Reach out to us online or call 717-246-5509 for an appointment.

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An energy efficient home has become an important priority for new home buyers today. There are many reasons for wanting to increase the energy efficiency in a home. Not only does it help keep your utility costs down, but an energy efficient home can also earn you more when it comes time to sell. Not to mention, less energy consumption is much better for the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the home’s carbon footprint. Here are six areas that make a real impact on a home’s energy efficiency.

1. Air Sealing

To reduce drafts, you’ll want to ensure a tight seal around all doors, windows, outlets, and vents. Along the same lines, your ductwork may be leaking if you feel that some rooms are too hot or cold compared to others. Keeping these areas sealed up tight saves energy costs and keeps must, mold, and allergens out.

2. Windows

Not only is a tight seal around your windows vital for energy efficiency, the type of windows you purchase can have a big impact as well. Look for double-pane, low-e windows when building your new custom home. They reduce drafts and heating and cooling costs and limit the amount of outside noise.

3. Lighting

Light bulbs are one of history’s greatest inventions, but they haven’t always been very eco-friendly. Instead of choosing traditional incandescent bulbs, opt for more energy efficient CFL bulbs or even LED lighting choices. These can help reduce your new home’s energy use by 50-75% over existing homes.

4. Equipment

One of the most important areas for energy efficiency is the equipment you use every day without even thinking about it. Your furnace and air conditioning system, as well as the water heater, can reduce your monthly utility bills if they are newer, high-performing models. Look for high-efficiency equipment and a thankless water heater.

5. Insulation

Insulation helps to keep the warm or cool air you’re paying for from the HVAC system inside your house, instead of escaping to the outdoors with all your hard-earned cash. It also helps to block excess noise from the street from entering, so you can enjoy a quieter, more comfortable home.

6. Appliances

One of the most common ways to impact a home’s energy efficiency is with your appliances. Look for Energy Star models of washer and dryer combos, refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers when building your new home. These can help reduce your energy use by half, even over models that are only 10 years old.

ENERGY STAR Standards for New Homes

At Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc. we are a builder participant in the Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program. This means we must calculate the performance score of each qualifying home. The same ENERGY STAR® label that indicates efficiency for home appliances is also used to certify new homes. A home only receives the ENERGY STAR label after passing a series of stringent inspections and performance testing. Homes built to ENERGY STAR standards typically achieve energy savings of 20-30%.

Ensure your next custom home building project is a success. Contact us online today or call 717-246-5509 to start talking about your custom energy efficient home in York County, PA.

In 2019, the Jeffrey L. Henry, Inc. team won the York Builders Association’s PEAK Achievement Award for Best Green Home in the Energy Efficiency/Sustainability category sponsored by the Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program. Learn more about that here.

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