You’ve chosen your builder, floor plan and homesite. What’s next? A visit to your builder’s design center where you will be presented with a dizzying array of upgrades. Some upgrades are worth the extra cost as they will add to the value of your home. Which ones? Here are 10 you’ll love:
Focus on the Kitchen
If your upgrade budget is limited, focus on the kitchen. Your family will be spending a lot of time there. If you decide to sell your home, the kitchen is the first thing prospective buyers will look at. Kitchen cabinets should be upgraded as it is time-consuming and expensive to remodel. Opt for taller cabinets that reach to the ceiling for more storage and a finished look. Under-cabinet lighting helps when you want a midnight snack. If an island does not come standard with your home, add it.
Opt for Wood Floors
With most new homes, tile and carpet are standard. Wood floors are easier to keep clean. They add warmth to any room. It’s better to have your builder install them when your home is being built. Doing it afterward often costs as much as upgrading. Homes with wood floors are considered more desirable by homebuyers.
Beautiful Master Baths
Many builders offer alternate master baths. Some include the tub, others remove it. Choose based on your needs. If you are older and plan to age in place, you might remove the tub and extend the shower for ease of use. Tubs and showers are almost impossible to rip out later. If you want a jacuzzi tub or extra shower heads, do it now. Radiant floor heating is a nice-to-have option that needs to be done before tile is installed. If you want your toes warm on winter days, have your builder install it.
Smart Home Technology
Most new homes come with home automation packages including smart thermostats, a front door lock, smart lights and a garage door opener. You can upgrade the package at the design center. Add a video doorbell so you can see who is knocking. Did you know there are smart toilets? These can save you money on your water bill and some even clean themselves. Smart shades can be raised and lowered remotely from your smart phone or tablet.
Think About Electricity
Anything electrical should be done while your home is being built. Add extra outlets to simplify your life. Outlets that exist directly behind your wall-mounted television hide unsightly cords. USB outlets cut out the need for charging stations. Add a back-up generator to keep the lights on.
Energy Efficient Options
Balmoral builders are committed to building “green,” environmentally friendly homes. However, you can upgrade the insulation, add dual-pane windows and more. If offered, consider adding solar panels and put a charging station for electric vehicles in the garage.
Extend Your Patio
If you plan to entertain alfresco, extend your patio. A larger patio can create dining and entertaining spaces. It’s also easier to do it when your house is being built. Nice touches include outdoor kitchens and fireplaces. If you don’t like the look of concrete, your builder often has other choices such as high-quality tile.
Add Storage
You can never have too much storage. Builders can add cabinets and shelves to utility rooms and garages. Ask about built-in shelves and cabinets for the media room, home office and family room. See if you can add an extra closet or turn a regular closet into a walk-in one. Some builders can add extra storage in the attic.
Great Garages
Adding garage bays or hobby areas to the garage is a regularly offered option. Take your builder up on it. You can use the extra square footage for a workshop, office or storage area. When junior gets his license, he won’t be parking on the driveway.
There’s more to Balmoral than beautiful homes, white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. Our community is in Humble, a small town with a big heart and plenty of things to do. What sort of things? Take a look!
Parks and Playgrounds
Free
This 4-acre park opened in 1944. Among its many amenities is a public swimming pool open May through September. Families also come to picnic, play tennis and attend events at the Phillip Cezeaux Recreation Center.
Free
A local favorite, this 24-acre park boasts two miles of trails, an open-air pavilion, picnic shelters, a playground and a half-court basketball area.
Free
A lot of events are held at this scenic park due to the stage in the recreation area. There’s also a playground, picnic areas and a gazebo.
Nature Areas
Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens
Free
Bountiful blooms dot this 393-acre horticultural haven. Visitors enjoy exploring more than 60 acres of beautifully maintained gardens that feature bamboo, color displays, daylilies, endangered species, ferns, gingers, herbs, tropical plants and more. There are also trails to walk, a butterfly house to see, picturesque picnic areas and a cypress swamp.
Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Reserve
Free
Weighing in at 312 acres, this beautiful nature reserve allows you to view wildlife in their native habitat, participate in educational programs and stroll more than eight miles of paved, handicap-friendly pedestrian trails.
Talk With the Animals
$16.80 per person, children under 18 months free
Old McDonald never had a farm like this one. Kids enjoy train rides, petting zoos, pony rides, an Indian village, duck pond and more. A swimming pool is open during the summer and a pumpkin patch in the fall.
Cypress Trails Equestrian Center
Trail rides start at $60, Lunch rides at $95
Ride to adventure on forest trails, taking in Humble beauty at a steady clip-clop. All skill levels are welcome. A popular activity is the lunch ride, which includes a picnic meal. Pony rides, horse boarding and private lessons are also available.
Too Much Fun
Free Admission
When it comes craft beers, this brewery is in a class by itself. The beers are brewed in small batches, so every week brings something new. Some interesting options include Pistachio Baklava Cream Ale, Smarty (Peanut Butter Bramble) and Double Vanilla Double FroYo. The 2,400-square-foot taproom features events such as trivia nights, yoga and craft nights.
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park
$14.99-$23.99 per person
Choose one or all of the many adventures available, including trampolines, climbing walls, a warrior course, tubes playground, a dunk basketball zone, options for kids seven and under and more.
$24.99 per person
Think you can escape the Titanic or entombment in an Egyptian pyramid? Find out at the most realistic escape rooms in Houston. You have an hour to consider the clues and puzzle your way out of your predicament.
It’s Historical
Free
Learn all about the history of Humble and the Lake Houston area. There’s also a research center housing a genealogy library, as well as yearbooks and newspapers from the museum’s collection.
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly home, we’ve got good news for you. Balmoral builders include tons of environmental, sustainable features in their homes. Everything from smart thermostats and Energy Star appliances to LED lightbulbs and kitchen faucets that reduce water usage. Once you move in, you can continue what they’ve started by following these tips for more sustainable living.
Buy Some Bins
Glass, paper, metal and plastic can all be recycled, but you can’t always put everything in one container. Purchase at least three containers to keep your recyclable items separated.
Hit the Thrift Store
Cheap clothes and furniture are good for your wallet but bad for the environment. Thrift stores are the solution. You can find fantastic clothes, books, furniture and more at second-hand stores. Purchasing them reduces waste and often costs less than what you find at big box stores. If you shop at stores run by non-profits, you can do good for your community.
Donate Used Goods
Don’t just shop at thrift stores, donate to them. Donating used items keeps them out of landfills. You can donate almost anything from clothes to cars. Check with your favorite local charity to see if they hold donation drives.
Upcycle
Upcycling is a new word for a time-honored tradition — repurposing items in your home. Anytime you choose to turn old wine bottles into candle holders, old bottles into planters or ice cube trays into snack plates for your toddler you are upcycling. HGTV offers lots of creative ways to get more use out of items you might be thinking of tossing.
Reduce E-waste
Apple, Best Buy and other electronic stores will often give you credit toward new tech if you bring in your old electronics. Best Buy allows you to drop off old electronics for recycling. They will even wipe your old devices for you. When you purchase a new computer, make sure it has an Energy Star label.
Change Your Laundry Practices
Did you know that 90 percent of the energy used by a washer goes toward heating water? Hot water doesn’t always get clothes cleaner either. In fact, it can degrade fabric and dull colors. Switch to cold water to save energy. After washing your clothes, skip the dryer and hang them up to dry.
Use Natural Cleaning Products
Brand-name cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that can be bad for your health. The plastic bottles they come in make up a large portion of landfill waste. The solution is to make your own cleaning products. These can be kept in reusable containers. There are also competitively priced eco-friendly products on your grocery store shelves.
Eat Healthy and Local
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, animal-based agriculture is responsible for approximately 15 percent of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Save the planet by reducing your consumption of meat. For your vegetables, hit the farmers market because eating local reduces the number of trucks on the road.
Leave Your Car in the Garage
Do you need to drive everywhere? Carpool, use public transportation, walk or ride your bike whenever possible. Using alternative transportation reduces carbon dioxide emissions and keeps you fit (bonus!).
Parks and playgrounds aren’t just for children. At Balmoral, Fitness Hub Park is where adults get to play.
Our new park is dedicated to your health and fitness with a variety of opportunities to test your skills and build your strength and coordination all while having fun. What will you find there and how can you use it to improve yourself? Take a look:
The equipment at Fitness Hub is designed to build your muscles, although a circuit or two will get your heart pumping. To further their fitness goals, our residents enjoy walking, jogging and biking to the park. Afterward, they can swim or relax (and show off their muscles) at our Crystal Lagoon.
Fitness Hub is just one of the many exciting amenities you’ll fall in love with when you make your home in Balmoral. Visit us today and see for yourself.
You have a new gorgeous home in Balmoral, so you want to keep it immaculately clean. That’s the dream, anyway. Between the kids and other loved ones living in your home, the mess seems to pile up out of nowhere. Not to mention the messes left behind by entertaining or the boxes of stuff you’ve accumulated over the years and maybe not yet unpacked.
If you’re a busy parent, it may be impossible to simply rid your home of all objects that don’t “spark joy.” So, we’ve found 6 simple solutions for a tidier home.
1. Donate unwanted clothes twice a year
Spring cleaning and back-to-school are great times to rid your closets of unwanted clothes. If your kids have grown out of things, you can clear out their drawers, opening up plenty of space for your kids’ back-to-school clothes or new summer wardrobe. When your kids’ dressers and closets are tidy and they can find what they need, they feel less stressed out. Plus, it gives them the independence to find things on their own.
Check your own closet, too. It may be time to give up that once-favorite outfit that’s no longer super fresh. Don’t hang onto clothes that no longer flatter you or have slipped out of style. Instead, hang onto items that stand the test of time and let the others go. Old ties, blazers, and even shoes can also be donated at your nearest charity drop-off.
2. Join a neighborhood ‘Buy Nothing’ or ‘Free Page’ group on Facebook
Neighborhood “buy nothing” groups are all too happy to take your unwanted clutter to be recycled. This is a great option for those who are not ready to do a big, cleansing purge. You can use these groups to get rid of a little at a time or a lot if you choose. Each group has its own rules, so be sure to read them thoroughly if you join. And use caution when meeting up to exchange items or planning a porch pick-up or drop-off. If you’re more comfortable meeting up at a safe, public space like a strip mall parking lot or a municipal building, then do so.
3. Do a load of laundry every day
While this seems like a lot to ask, it’s not. Believe in the process. Doing a little every day keeps you from having to dig through piles of dirty clothes and then put away clean piles all at once. Think about it — no laundry hanging out of the hamper, no clean laundry chilling in baskets waiting to be put away all week while you’re busy. And no one-day-a-week massive laundry project.
Plus, when you wash more often, your kids will have access to their favorite outfits more often, cutting down on them begging for a certain item to be washed or, even worse, wearing a soiled ensemble.
4. Clear out the mystery boxes
Do you have boxes in your closet or garage that have gone untouched for years? It may be time to take a peek inside. Unless the box is full of treasure — whether it’s sentimental treasure or valuable goods — it may be time to get rid of the stuff inside.
More than likely, that once “cool” jacket isn’t going to come back into style. You probably don’t need all those cords, and you’re definitely never going to use those tangled holiday lights again. And if you’re hanging onto your kids’ old clothes for sentimental reasons, you can have them made into a comfortable quilt to send your kiddo off to college with something special.
5. Make sure everything has its place
Organizing is difficult for some people when they’re in the moment, but there’s a huge payoff for that effort. Organizing your home reduces stress and contributes to a healthier lifestyle. If you don’t have to constantly find things, life is much easier.
Desk organizers, clear bins, and a set of shelves are great tools to get things up off the floor and tidied away neatly. Clearing out the unwanted clutter and starting fresh, you’ll notice which tools you will need to stay organized. That way you don’t overspend on bins and drawer organizers you may not need.
6. Make the bed
Experts aren’t lying when they say that making your bed every day starts your day off right. But why? Because once we’ve tackled the first cleaning task of the day, the rest seem to just fall into place. This one good habit sprouts many others and promotes a tidier home and a healthier mind.