Don’t Miss Another Memorial Day: Outdoor “Must-Haves” for Custom Modular Homes

Memorial Day, the unofficial start to the summer season at beach towns around New Jersey, has come and gone.  Being outdoors, soaking up the sun and having fun is what summer at the Jersey Shore is all about.  Parties and barbeque food for the rest of the summer are “must-dos” on everyone’s list.  For those of you who want to be in your new custom home for next Memorial Day, the time to get started is now. Here’s a list some of our favorite outdoor “must-haves” to include in your new custom modular home to make your summer more spectacular than ever!

Outdoor showers – There’s a lot of room on the ground level of a raised home at the Jersey shore.  Finding the right way to finish it can be challenging for some homeowners, but something many are finding a great use of the space is to build an outdoor shower.  Imagine returning from a day at the beach or on the boat and having a private place to shower off before heading inside.  It’s great for getting all the sand off, or even rinsing off the family dog.  We love the convenience of an outdoor shower and so will you!

Outdoor kitchens- Outdoor kitchens continue to be one of the biggest outdoor trends this year.  It can be as simple as a grill or as elaborate as a fully functional kitchen with a sink, beer station, countertops, pizza oven and refrigerator.  Entertaining in your outdoor kitchen is a breeze and allows the hosts to engage their guests while preparing meals, drinks or snacks.  Be sure that whatever kind of outdoor kitchen you decide on you have plenty of seating away from the heat source (grill, etc.) so that guest are comfortable.  An outdoor kitchen is the perfect way to throw a barbeque from Memorial Day through Labor Day!

Outdoor living rooms and screened porches– going hand in hand with the outdoor kitchen, outdoor living rooms and screened porches are also a big trend for this year.  These extensions of your indoor space think beyond terraces and decks and offer opportunity for better furnishings and can be combined with your fire pit or fireplace to create a warm, cozy relaxing oasis.  Some of our homeowners have even built screened porches with luxuries such as outdoor televisions and entertainment centers!

Garden/Sun Rooms – In areas where there may be limited space on the lot some of our   By reworking the kitchen and/or eating area a bit you can create an oasis to relax and enjoy the warmth of the sun all year long.  Just be sure to check with us on the space requirements, as not all plans and/or lots can accommodate this room. 

homeowners have allocated some space from the back of the house and designed a garden or sun room, which is actually part of the living space in their new home.

These are some of our homeowner favorites for outdoor spaces to enjoy in your new custom home.  With some or all of these features you can have the best summer ever!  But you have to get started now in order to be in your new home for next year’s Memorial Day celebration.  For more information on how to get started on your new custom modular home on, contact RBA Homes today!

Great Kitchen Features for Custom Homes

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, and this holds true not matter how large or small your home is.  For some homebuyers, the opportunity to design and install a dream kitchen is one of the many exciting reasons they choose to build a new custom home.  In honor of Mother’s Day we decided to share some of the design features inspired by the most beautiful custom home kitchens today.

First Things First, What Inspires the Layout?

According to many custom homebuyers, particularly those who are building on the water, they are interested in maximizing the beautiful views from the kitchen.  Designing the layout to take advantage of the windows and the view, while at the same time, considering the type of appliances that will be purchased for the kitchen can be challenging; however, the balance of these two key features will ensure beauty, as well as function for the area of the home families enjoy the most.

Many of our custom home kitchens are designed to accommodate professional grade appliances, so this is one of the first things homeowners need to decide with their builder before a kitchen plan is created.

Function or Beauty – No Need to Pick Just One!

Once the layout is complete, it’s time to talk about the specifics.  With an array of functional options for kitchen cabinets from dish organizers to oversized drawers for pots and partitioned cabinets for serving platters, today’s cabinets can accommodate almost every small appliance and kitchen accessory available and provide solutions that are not only functional, but are also quite beautiful.  No longer are the days when your counters are used to store the blenders and juicers, now you can customize cabinet areas to put these types of items where they belong – out of sight until you need them. 

In addition, features like glass insets on your cabinet doors, or even open cabinet shelving can provide a unique, yet functional storage solution for any style home.  Your custom kitchen can now be just as beautiful as it is functional!  Be sure to check with your builder about the optional features that can make your cabinets as functional as they are beautiful.

Focal Points Are Not Just for the Living Room

Custom kitchen designs can be inspired by something as simple as an incredible light fixture over the center island, or even a wine storage solution within the cabinets.  Some homebuyers are even choosing to “stack” cabinets, which give unique design flair, while offering additional storage solutions.  No matter what your personal style is, choosing a focal point for your kitchen that speaks to your lifestyle or design preferences can set the tone for the kitchen and all the areas that are open to this heart of your home.  Your builder will be happy to design the kitchen based on what inspires you!

Finishes and Details to Make A Statement

Many homebuyers tend to choose finishes for their cabinets that are white, or light painted.  Light grey colors are currently trending and more requests for moldings like stacked crown and under cabinet molding are popular to give the cabinets a more finished look.  However, dark wood tones and more traditional cabinet colors paired with a bold statement countertop is the perfect combination of traditional and modern.  Your builder can help you select the perfect finishes for your kitchen so you can experience years of enjoyment.

Kitchens are the place where families and friends like to hang out and enjoy relaxed entertaining.   Inspiration for kitchen design can come from just about anywhere, and depending on the size of your kitchen, type of appliances and outside views to preserve, the heart of your home can be both beautiful and functional.  If you are ready to build your custom home, RBA Homes would love to help.  We include the kitchen design as part of our design process for all of our homebuyers. Please contact us today for more information on how we can help design your dreamhome.

Earth Day Edition: Custom Modular Homes Were Green Before Green Was A Thing

In recognition of Earth Day we thought it would be great to talk about some of the ways custom modular homes have been eco-friendly or “green” long before green building was a thing.  Homebuilding has come a long way in offering a variety of eco-friendly materials to choose from for new custom homes.  But, it’s really the building techniques, particularly custom modular processes that can add to the overall environmental friendliness of your home.  Even though you may not see it, what goes on between the walls and under the floors BEFORE your home is set onsite can make a big difference in how “green” it is built.  Here are some of the ways that custom modular homebuilding is environmental friendly.

Recycled before it leaves the factory.

Did you know that most of the leftover materials at one of our manufacturers, Apex Homes, are reused and recycled into something else for use in building the homes?  For instance, leftover drywall is sent back to the manufacturer and is recycled into more drywall.  Even things like windows, doors, and vinyl siding are all reused or recycled.  Wood scraps are ground up and used to heat the plant during the winter and any products that come in damaged are repurposed for shipping of the homes.  Just to put it in perspective, most homes under construction (as in on-site builds) produce about a dumpster each day of trash that goes to a local landfill.  With a custom modular home, the factory produces only two dumpsters per month and they build 1.5 homes per day!

We like to start with energy efficiency. 

Modular homes are green right from the start, and ensuring your custom modular home and any options you choose achieve the highest levels of energy efficiency start at the factory.  The energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global climate change. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. The easy way to make sure a new modular home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark.  ENERGY STAR qualified homes are independently verified to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes save money on utility bills, provide a more comfortable living environment with better indoor air quality, and help protect the environment.

ENERGY STAR isn’t just a buzzword.

The custom modular homes built by Apex Homes routinely meet or exceed ENERGY STAR® guidelines. They start in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, and can be produced much “tighter” than those built on-site. In fact, our homes routinely operate at least 15 percent more efficiently than a standard home. You’ll also find that your home will be comfortable year-round, thanks to our high standards for building homes that are beautiful, strong and durable. Apex Homes uses a variety of building products and processes that earn the ENERGY STAR® label.

What’s the benefit to you, the homeowner?

Green is much more than just reducing a home’s environmental footprint. You will also realize many direct benefits by owning a green home. Here are some of the primary benefits that you can experience by integrating green features into your new custom modular home compared with a conventional home:

• Increased comfort — Green homes have relatively even temperatures throughout the home, with fewer drafts and better humidity control.
• Lower operating costs — Homeowners receive less expensive utility bills because of energy and water efficiency measures
• Improved environmental quality — Green defines details that control moisture, requires materials that contain fewer chemicals, and defines air exchange/filtration systems that can contribute to a healthier indoor environment.
• Enhanced durability and less maintenance — Green homes incorporate building materials and construction details that strive to increase the useful life of the individual components and the whole house. Longer-lasting not only requires fewer resources for replacement but also reduces maintenance and repair costs.

Using eco-friendly, or green products to build your new custom modular home doesn’t have to bust your budget before you even break ground.  By choosing to build a custom modular home with RBA Homes you are automatically reaping the benefits of a green building process starting right at the beginning from our factory. For more information on building a custom home, or a list of the energy efficient products and materials we utilize in every home, contact us today.

Five Tips For Building Your New Custom Home Now

It is clear that homebuyers today still love their homes at our beautiful New Jersey shore area.  For those of us that live here year-round, we wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world!  So what exactly is it that draws people to the shore areas like Monmouth and Ocean Counties?  Here are five tips for building your new custom home now.

1)            Our beaches are among the most beautiful in the country.  With amenities to please just about everyone, there are a variety of beach, waterfront, or inland properties available to suit your needs.  Many homebuyers choose to purchase a property with a home in need of demolition.  This allows a blank slate with which to build their new custom home.  There’s a “Renaissance” happening at the New Jersey shore, so don’t wait too long to find your new property and start building. 

2)            Communities in Monmouth and Ocean Counties are close to everything!  There are plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment venues close by, so there is never a dull moment.  With this in mind, we recommend you enlist the help of a local realtor to help you find the perfect place to build your new custom home.  They are knowledgeable about properties on the market, housing values, school systems, or anything you may need to know about where to build your new custom home.

3)            Timing is everything, and if you are looking to move in and enjoy your new home for Summer 2016, now is the time to start looking for land.  Once you secure the property you are going to build on, the next step is to find your custom homebuilder.  Designing the home, applying for permits, and securing your financing all take time, so starting the process now will ensure your home will be completed with plenty of time to spare.

4)            Many families choose to build their second home at the Jersey Shore and come down every weekend to soak up the sun and spend quality time with their families away from the office.   Others make a permanent move and live here year-round.  Whichever you decide, Monmouth or Ocean counties will make the perfect location for your new home. 

5)            There are plenty of properties to build a new home located along the waterfront areas.  Building a home on the river or oceanfront will provide a whole different experience than a home built inland.  Be sure when you select your waterfront property that you can secure the proper grants and permits for things you may want to build like docks, bulkheads and retaining walls.  Your realtor, engineer or builder can help coordinate the necessary paperwork involved with waterfront amenities, but make sure you research this before you purchase your property.

If you love the Jersey Shore and are thinking of building a custom home in one of our fabulous shore towns, there’s no better time than now to get started!  RBA Homes specializes in custom modular homes in like Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Rumson, Fair Haven and Colts Neck, and most recently in many neighborhoods in Toms River and the Barrier Island that were hard hit by superstorm Sandy, contact us today to find out how we can make your new custom home dreams come true!