News on Builder News
Austin Luxury Home Builder is Heating Up
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Heating element installed in outdoor living area
As the premier Austin luxury home builder, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our clients’ experience and satisfaction. Sometimes during the building process, our clients come to us with new ideas and concepts to include in their homes. We are able to incorporate these items through various allowances we provide in the budget of the home.
We are currently finishing up a home in which we have designed an elaborate outdoor living space, complete with pool and spa, disappearing glass wall, summer kitchen, fireplace, and lounge area. Our clients are moving in soon and they want to use their outdoor living space right away. With the cooler weather coming a little earlier this year, that space will need to be heated. We installed four space heaters in the tongue-and-grove ceiling to provide the outdoor lounge area with radiant heat.
Radiant heating focuses on heating people or objects in a certain area, where as convection heating warms only the air in that same area. Outdoor air constantly moves causing convection heating to be very ineffective. The heating elements we install, as seen in the above image, run on electricity instead of gas which is not only more energy efficient, but much cleaner for the environment, too. Another benefit of the elements being electric is that the panel which controls the heating of the area allows you to set the temperature of the space to a specific degree, giving the home owner the luxury of “controlling the weather.”
Custom Homes Austin TX
When considering different custom home builders in Austin to construct the home of your dreams, you must do your due diligence to make sure all your questions are answered before you choose. The following are some important questions to ask each builder. These questions will help you understand who, and what kind, each builder is.
How long have you been building custom homes?
How did you get into the business?
What’s an “investor-spec” system and have you ever been part of one?
What’s the difference between “fixed-price” and “cost-plus” pricing, and which method do you use?
At Sterling Custom Homes, we will be happy to answer any and all these questions in addition to any other questions you may have for us. We build the best custom homes Austin TX has to offer because we are upfront and honest with our clients. It’s our integrity as a builder that sets us apart.
Sterling installs spray foam insulation in custom homes in Austin TX.
The time is now for custom home builders in Austin to incorporate green methods into the construction of the homes they build. A recent article from Austin Business Journal made it known that Austin Energy is issuing rebates to customers who are making green upgrades to their homes.
These upgrades combined with other suggestions from Austin Energy and Texas Gas Service and the Federal tax credit of $500 for implementing green practices brings savings to almost $2,000. That’s a lot of green for just going green! This rebate program will end on December 31 so act quickly to start saving.
When you choose to build custom homes in Austin TX with Sterling Custom Homes, we present you with the latest energy efficient technologies that we could incorporate into the building of your home. We have two Certified Green Builders on staff who can answer any questions you might have about green initiatives and energy efficient building processes when you meet with us to discuss your custom home plans.
Topography, Trees and more effect the custom home building process.
When you are looking for a lot for custom homes in Austin, there are many things to consider. What do you see when you look at an unimproved lot? You may see some nice trees and a great Hill Country view. For me it’s more complicated than that! Many things go through my head when I first walk a lot…
What are the building setbacks?
What are the deed restrictions?
What utilities are available to this property?
Will we need a well and/or septic system?
If there is a sewer system, how deep are the taps buried?
Will we need a grinder pump?
There are many technical questions to be answered, but aside from that, here’s my thought process when I first step foot on a lot to assess it for my client:
What is the sun orientation? I always identify true west and then northwest so I can understand where the afternoon sun will be located and at what angle it will hit the lot in the hottest part of our summer.
Best Seat in the House!
Only one or two weeks out of the year are all four professional sports leagues playing and broadcasting to custom homes in Austin simultaneously. To the sports fanatic, this is the most exciting time of the year. Although there might be a lockout in the NBA right now, there is still plenty going on in the sports world, especially with the shake up in the Big 12 and other NCAA conferences, making this college football season even more intense. With the opportunity to watch all these sports from the comfort of your own home, you have to make the most out of your media and game room.
If you are a sports enthusiast you have more than likely heard the phrase, “Go big or go home.” Well when you are planning your custom media room with Sterling Custom Homes, we help you “Go big and stay home.” From HD projectors, to multi-screen walls, to wet bars, to in-wall hidden wiring for surround sound, we’ve got you covered and then some. We love sports too and we are always thinking about how we can help you optimize your media and game room for the ultimate fan experience for you and your guests.