Start Your Custom Home Now and Be In Sooner Than You Think!

They say timing is everything.  And when it comes to building a new, custom home there are many details regarding lot selection, design, technique, building products and finishes that need to be determined pretty soon after the decision to build has been made.  One of the things that many people overlook is a realistic timeframe of when they want to be in their new home.  So, if you’ve got the lot and design, you could theoretically start your custom home now and be in while there’s still time to enjoy the warmer weather at the shore!

Because we specialize in building custom homes at the Jersey Shore, RBA Homes is particularly attuned to construction timeframes and schedules.  We offer modular construction, which can provide a much quicker move-in timeframe than most traditional construction methods.

That’s why it’s extremely important to know that if you are ready to build your shore home  – now is the time to get started.  Most builders constructing homes around the Jersey Shore are providing a 12 to 24 month lead time, which is a long time to wait for your family to have fun in the sun!  RBA Homes can provide about a 6-month build out from permit and that includes some exterior amenities like patios and outdoor kitchens as well. As you can see, it’s critical to get started in these early winter months so that you and your family can start enjoying your new home before next winter sets in.

RBA Homes provides homeowners with all the latest in building materials for shore homes, as well as personalized, hands-on service with our team of construction professionals.  If you are ready to start your new home and are looking for information on building a custom home in Monmouth or Ocean counties, click here for examples of some of our work, or contact us today.

Winter Is Coming: RBA Homes Has Three Good Reasons to Winterize Your Summer Home

With many of the custom homes along the New Jersey shore that we build occupied seasonally, it’s important that when the weather turns cold, our homeowners who batten up the hatches and head south prepare their home for the weather.  So how does one “batten up the hatches” to ensure that the home is properly closed for the colder weather, without worry of the potential freezing or other disasters that can strike an unoccupied home during the cold winter months?  Winter is coming:  RBA Homes has three good reasons to winterize your custom vacation home. 

Reason #1…Homes are not meant to be cold

Homes are like people and need to be kept warm to a certain degree.  Many homeowners turn off their heat before they leave for the season, which is not what we recommend.  By leaving the heat on and turning it down to 50° Fahrenheit you will be keeping the house warm enough to keep it from freezing should the temperature drop to below freezing for a period of time.  Homes are not meant to freeze and keeping your heat on is critical so that it doesn’t sustain damage when the temperatures drop.

Reason #2…Standing water can do immense damage when frozen

Another part of our recommended winterizing process is to drain all the waterlines to prevent ruptures should there be a power failure and the heat does go off for some reason.  This includes waterlines for your clothes washer and dishwasher, as well as your water heater, exterior faucets, toilets, showerheads and spray hoses in sinks.  Don’t forget any other water treatment equipment such as whole house filters, carbon filters, UV light filters, etc.  You may even want to consider a low-heat thermostat, which will help conserve energy when your home is not occupied.

Reason #3…Sheetrock doesn’t like moisture

Not only does sheetrock not respond well to extreme cold, finishes like paint and hardwood flooring are not meant to be exposed to the cold.  Your house has moisture in it naturally from the day-to-day things you do, like taking showers or washing dishes.  The last thing you want to do is let this freeze during the winter, causing damage like buckling of floors and walls.  By keeping your heat set to 50° there is less of a chance that this type of damage will occur during the winter months. 

If you have questions about how to winterize your home for the season, or you are considering building your new custom home in Monmouth or Ocean counties, contact RBA Homes today for details on why we are the builder of choice for custom modular or traditional home construction in New Jersey.