Must-ask questions for your new home builder

Its an exciting event when you think about moving into a brand new home. No matter if you are a repeat buyer or a first time buyer, you can ask the following questions to get important clues as to if your new home builder of choice is worth the commitment.

How long have you been in business?

Building durable homes with high-quality according to your unique lifestyle needs is a hard-earned skill built up through time and experience. Do a research on how long they have been in the business and most importantly how successfully. This is very important  before committing to a home builder.

What types of floor plans do you build?

You will get more options to determine what is important to you as you get a more experienced builder with varying styles. If you are not able to find a floor plan you are looking at the community you are eyeing, ask if it is built at a nearby neighbourhood. You may discover a better fit for your lifestyle and your commute.

May I select from a variety of design options, such as kitchen cabinetry or tile styles?

Find out what level of personalization is offered. Don’t assume all builders will provide the same choices. Actually they don’t. Only a good home builder is aware of buyers quality standard features desiring the freedom to personalize the key items.

How do you cater to local homebuyers?

No matter if the builder’s headquarters are 2000 miles away, they should have a knowledge of your local area.

Even if the builder’s headquarters are 2,000 miles away, your builder should have knowledge of your local area. This question determines whether they are a  stable and interested builder in the region.

Do you offer quick move-in and to-be-built homes?

Seek out a builder who gives an attractive range of options that works with your moving timeline.

Do you offer energy-efficient features?

Energy-efficiency is one of the biggest potential cost-saver in homeownership. It is also one of the great perks of buying new. It is important to investigate a builder’s energy-efficient offering before making a commitment.

What is your warranty policy?

Find out if the builder offers a warranty. This is one sure way to know if a builder is truly dedicated to your satisfaction.

What does your post-closing follow-up entail?

It’s also important to know what services are available after you close, as with the builder’s warranty. For example, When you receive follow-up visits after you’ve moved in ensures you a long-term satisfaction.

How long will it take to build my new home?

This question is probably one of the first you will ask if you have a certain move-in date in mind. Consider the advantages of pre-constructed homes if you are on a short timeline. And if you have a flexible time, building from the ground up by selecting a floor plan and homesite is a wonderful option. According to the season, region and size of your home the estimated build time will vary.

Do you offer services besides homebuilding, such as financing or insurance?

Some builders provide a comprehensive one-stop shopping experience by offering more than just the physical house. Don't forget to ask about the financial services offered such as through an affiliate or subsidiary.

Is there a clear channel of communication for emergency or warranty questions, after I move in?

To assure that you are in good hands, you need to choose a builder that maintains a continuous relationship with customers. Make sure that there is a phone number or email address dedicating to addressing questions and concerns, if you aren’t provided with the name of a specific contact.

When you gather a pertinent information at the outset, this will help you to establish a fair relationship with a trusted builder. Enjoy the homebuying process for what it should be by using these tips.

50 Packing Essentials to Survive a Vacation Trip

Your might be really excited when you plan for a vacation trip but that excitement can sometimes be slightly dimmed when you think about the difficulty of what to pack. On one side you might want to travel light but on the other side you don't feel like missing any items behind. Whatever may be your trip, whether you are planning across state or across continent, here is a vacation packing list of 50 essential items that you need to take with you.     

1. Camera: To memorize that delighted look on your face when you reach your favorite destination you will need to take some photos.
2. First Aid Kit: First aid kit will come in handy than you think when you are in a trouble. There are several chances to get injured while you are on a trip.
3. Music/ Playlist: Ensure that you have at least 30 playlist for the trip. Your mood is likely to change especially when you get into unlucky situations. You can also use this opportunity to learn the name of new artists.
4. Sunglasses: Definitely a must to protect your eyes from those harmful UV rays.
5. Snacks/Food: When you are constantly eating out your wallets might get empty sooner than you think. You might have to eat at different restaurants while you are on a road trip. You can always do your wallet and health a favour by helping yourself carrying your own snacks/food.
6. National Identification card or Driver’s License: These will be very useful wherever you go to have a identity card handy. It will confirm that you are indeed a homosapien who pays bills and taxes.
7. Map: You feel like a real explorer when you navigate your destinations with a real map.
8. Phone: You can update your friends about the destination you are exploring. You can also use your favorite music playlist while updating your instagram feed from the road.
9. Sunscreen: Don't forget to lather up on sunscreen periodically throughout the trip to avoid tanning up your skin and look fresh throughout the trip in your photos.
10. Binoculars: Don't miss any moment when you will have to whip out your binoculars to get a clear look at a distant stuff.
11. Safety Pins: To clasp the zippers of your day packs together, to mend some of your wardrobe malfunctions this will be really helpful.
12. Pocket Knife: You will have a number of times that you will have to use a pocket knife when you are travelling.
13. Reading Materials: A magazine or a book will help you pass time especially if you like reading.
14. Good Walking Shoes:This might sound like a normal road trip gear but you will seriously need them especially if you find yourself wandering in grounds and when you need to walk for a long distance where flip- flops or flimsy shoes just won't do.
15. Ziploc Bags: This will be really helpful to protect some of your delicate clothing from snags and to prevent sandy beachwear from soiling your items.
16. Pocket tissue paper/ wet tissues: This will be very handy, you will never have a clue when you might need these in a road trip.
17. Travel Mug: A coffee-stained mug is unlikely target for thieves to stash transport sunglasses and other delicate souvenirs in your hotel room.
18. GPS: If you find yourself in a no man's land with no internet or network coverage, this GPS will help you.
19. Games and activity sets: A set of cards or some other game sets can breakup the monotony of the trip.
20. Multi socket Power strip: With this you can charge most of your electronics at a go. This will help you in plugging all your electronics in the same place. There is less chance that you will leave your things behind.
21. Mosquito Spray: This can keep the bugs away!
22. Sleeping Gear:  You will find number of places where you can sleep under the stars if you feel not to waste your money staying in a hotel every night. If you do need to stay in a hotel, I would suggest booking a room in advance, or you can book home stays as well where you can feel staying at home. You can save some money.
23. Hand Sanitizers: You will have a plenty amount of dirt in your hands while you are travelling
24. Good Friends: To make a road trip worth you will need to have a bunch of good friends.
25. Portable Power Device: Take a portable charger along with you to keep your phone and tablets charged at your convenience. Don't depend on rest stops and hotels to recharge your electronics.
26. Water: Don't think about soda or juice, they will make your thirst worse. You have to stay hydrated throughout the trip.
27. Hygiene Bag: A hygiene bag with towelettes and deodorant will help to cover those unfriendly stenches of sweat. Eco- friendly shampoo and shower is good if you get a chance to stumble upon a lake or outdoor shower.
28. Rain Gear: A waterproof jacket or a rain gear will be useful when you visit misty destinations as well.
29. Comfortable items: To wear comfortable clothes during your time in car will make you feel relaxed about the trip. At the same time you should also bring a sweater or a blanket in case you travel through mountain areas at night.
30. Tote Bag: You can use this to cordon off dirty laundry items in your suitcase to prevent the freshness of the unused items.
31. Underwear: Try to bring more of them (even 10 more pairs) than you would practically need.
32. Positive Attitude: Anything can come up on your way when you are on a trip. You just need to have a positive attitude that time keeping in mind that you will be back home soon on your comfortable touch.
33. Plan B: Sometimes a road trip may not work out in spite of being well prepared. That time you can use your plan B, an alternative vacation plan to avoid crying out loud if things don't go as planned.

Your vacation packing list plays an important role in the outcome of your road trip. Hope this list will help you to make your packing easier. Remember to be well prepared. Happy travels!

Travel Tip: Smart Pack Your Suitcase

Traveling is awesome but packing is STRESSFUL! But doing one thing differently this time made it a little LESS stressful and that was finding a way to pack a suitcase that was so much easier than I’ve been doing it in the past. Many people asked me about this lately so I thought this might be a good time to see what I could come up with!

Packing small clothing items like underwear, camisoles, nylons, scarves, socks, slips etc in the bottom of the bag was the first thing I did. There you will find ridges made with extendable metal handles of the bag where you can store these small clothings in between them. The idea of taking advantage of this space never occurred to me before and I was really surprised at how many little things that I was able to fit in there!

Next step is to start rolling your clothes. This is where I was doing it all wrong. What I heard a long time ago was that FOLDING your clothes was the way to go…but after trying the ROLLING technique, I was able to pack at LEAST twice as much stuff! Honest! And what I found was that rolling your clothes takes up less space than folding them. But be sure of keeping the piece of clothing smooth as you roll it up. Otherwise, you might end up with wrinkles which are annoying.This way it will be easier to see what you have packed also you can get rid of that lines from folding your clothes.

The key is to pack your clothing items by rolling it instead of folding. Then just keep layering! I overpacked for this trip as I always do  and I just couldn’t believe how much space I had for keeping my clothes and I was able to keeping adding more with enough room to spare! I rolled in 14 pair of kurtas and 9 pair of leggings which will be perfect for a 2 week trip.  

After you are doing layering your clothing, now it’s time for your footwear. As many girls I am also a shoe fashionista (I like comfort and  style in that department and I have a lot of collections), so I just packed some animal print flats, a pair of sandals, and a bathroom slippers. I easily could have fit a few more pair. You can keep theses inside the “lid” of the suitcase. It’s also a good idea to wrap each shoe in a plastic bag. This will help you from getting your clothes dirty, and also you can re-use the plastic bags each time you travel.

Depending on what you will be doing at your travel destination, you might also wanted to add one or two small (preferably flat) handbags. I actually chose not to but then felt really sorry after that when I got to NYC. Lesson learned.

My makeup, my chargers, my mouse, my electronic cords, etc. I put inside the outside cover of the bag.

Now that I know how to efficiently pack this bag, traveling just got a whole lot nicer…and at least a little less stressful. You can also try this way of packing to get more space in your suitcase and carrying just one instead of two. Enjoy travelling and visiting a lot of places with just one suitcase!

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