Chatham County new home checklist – Built in storage ideas for every room
Built in bookcases, open shelving, cubbies, kitchen pantries
Get ideas for custom home built in bookcases, open shelving, cubbies, kitchen pantries, and storage spaces for every room from Chatham County new home builder Travars Built Homes:
Chatham County New Home Storage Idea #1: Built in Bookcases Alongside a Fireplace
Built in bookshelves next to the fireplace are a popular choice in new homes by custom builders in Chatham County and across central NC. [Get floor plan ideas here.]
Bookcases can be set into the wall with open shelving, cabinets, specialty trim, and other features. Nearly all fireplace surround bookcases are built with a standard height between shelves (similar to when you buy a furniture bookcase). Just give us a picture – we can build it! Travars Built Homes can space shelves at custom heights that you ask for at one of your meetings with the builder on site. It’s part of our standard design/build process!
Chatham County New Home Storage Idea #2: Open Shelves Above a Kitchen Serving Bar
Looking for something more unique in your built-ins? Ask your new home builder how much flexibility you can have for touches like this throughout your home – and what materials they offer for open shelving, such as the Cedar above this kitchen bar and master bedroom beam ceiling.
Chatham County New Home Storage Idea #3: Built In Drop Zone by the Garage
Drop zones with shelves, cubbies, cabinets, and drawers are a very popular addition to new Chatham County homes. We can build them anywhere in your home, with the most common choices between the garage and laundry room or kitchen. This drop zone has a built in bench, shoe cubbies, and bead board trim. Send us a link to a look you like – we can build that, too.
Chatham County New Home Storage Idea #4: Large Pantry with Custom Shelving
A U-shaped pantry is great for “at a glance” storage. A U-shaped pantry requires more depth (and less width) than an L-shaped pantry – so ask your builder what can fit into your floor plan. Adding more pantry shelving at different widths and heights is a popular request.
In this example, one wall of shelving is designed with thin shelves for spices and specialty items, while the other two walls are deeper for cans, boxes, and paper goods:
Chatham County New Home Storage Idea #5: Built in Benches
Add hidden storage to your breakfast room, mudroom, hallway, or nook with built in benches.
Chatham County New Home Builders
At Travars Built Homes, our design build capabilities offer you the opportunity to modify your floor plan to fit your lifestyle. Let us know if you want to plan for extra storage spaces after building your home.
We can modify your floor plan with things like a prepared alcove with the dimensions you’ll need later on.
In this Chatham County custom home, the upstairs loft includes a stretch of half wall (instead of more open railing) designed to accommodate future storage built-ins:
Contact Travars Build Homes for new home pricing in Chatham County, NC – and the surrounding areas within about an hour of Chapel Hill, NC.
5 Home offices that work for you
What you build into your home office can be a game changer. Here are 5 home office designs from North Carolina custom homes built by Travars Built Homes.
#1 Home Office Design: Professional Office with everything built in
Take care of business with a home office designed for everything that needs to get done: Built ins. Interactive spaces. Windows and lighting. Oak hardwood flooring.
#2 Home Office Design: Sunny side out
Don’t want to feel locked down while you work? Add walls of windows to your home office, to let the sunshine in and allow you to see everything happening outside! Building a custom home means you can add as many windows as you want, depending on the plan and the builder.
#3 Home Office Design: Private bathroom
Build an en-suite home office with your own private bathroom attached, for the ultimate personal space as you work. This office also has a massive walk in closet for storing business supplies and files.
#4 Home Office Design: Library
Wall to wall built in bookcases with furniture cabinetry like this can enable your home office to organize books, manuals, and other necessities so you can find everything at a glance. A ceiling fan enables you to further control your environment.
#5 Home Office Design: Window Treatments
There are a huge variety of window treatments that can be applied to your home office, like what you see here. This can provide an open feeling that makes your office space feel more spacious and inviting.
What is a multigenerational home?
Multigenerational homes (sometimes called multi-gen homes, homes with a mother in law suite, or apartment within a home) are designed for families to live together within one single home family dwelling that has an extended guest suite intended for long term stays.
Multigenerational homes are one of the most common reasons why homebuyers choose to build a custom home.
Multi-gen homes can spread out the cost of living so that the combined living space is more affordable than having two separate homes.
Site costs for one home are less expensive than site costs for two homes, with one clearing, one footing, one septic system, and one foundation.
The size of the footprint impacts build costs, so multi-gen homes built with living space on additional floors are typically more cost effective than homes with everyone on one level.
Some multigenerational homes have a kitchenette in the secondary living quarters, for increased independence.
Other families choose to design a larger kitchen around expanded usage, with elements such as dual ovens, a huge island or even two islands for more prep space, and special arrangements such as a microwave below the counter for easier use and aging-in-place future accessibility. Learn more about making changes to your floor plan, here.
Dual master suites give equal prominence to two large bedroom suites with ensuite private bathrooms, big closets and occasionally other private amenities such as a personal sitting area or attached office or laundry room.
The location of dual master suites can vary, with the most common arrangements being one on the main floor and one on the second floor, one in the basement, or both on the main floor. Get floor plans with dual master bedrooms, here.
Because schedules and lifestyles can vary within shared living arrangements, building in special features that add to privacy is a very good reason to build a custom home, so that you have the opportunity to include features such as sound dampening between walls or from one floor to another. Solid core door options can also lessen sound travel.
A private entrance so you can come and go without interrupting the main flow of the house is another way to increase that feeling of having your own space.
Depending on the plan and your homesite, you may include an exterior door with a small stoop or porch or another door from the garage to your private hallway.
Travars Built Homes can be built in custom home neighborhoods or countryside locations within about an hour of Chapel Hill. We work closely with you to:
Consider choices for cost effective floor plans that fit your lifestyle and budget
Modify your layout to add multi-gen, accessible or other custom changes
Build your new home with high quality materials, craftsmanship and passion for home building
Offer a wide array of selections, options and upgrades
How long does it take to build a custom home?
North Carolina new home building timeline
A typical timeline to build a custom home is about 10 months from foundation. We’ll give you more information based on your plan and location.
What are the key phases of a pre-construction timeline?
Before we break ground on your new home, we’ll work with you through:
- Floor Plan Selection
- Floor Plan Customization and Design
- Build Permitting
- Pre-Construction Prep
Here’s how the overall timeline for your new home build project works:
During the Plan Selection Phase, we help you find a new home floor plan that suits your lifestyle, budget, and home site. Start with some popular floor plans from a variety of architects on our site. Tell us what you’re looking for, if you want something different! The floor plan selection phase usually takes 2-4 weeks.
During Floor Plan Customization and Design, we help modify your floor plan. What are some common changes we make? Here are the kinds of changes we can make to your plan as part of our design phase – at no extra cost to you:
- Making a master shower larger
- Separating sinks and vanities
- Opening up the kitchen or adding an island
- Adding a mother in law suite or small apartment in the home
- Turning a front facing garage to a side load
Our in house design team works closely with you and your budget. This phase usually takes 2-6 weeks.
Next, we submit for Build Permits. We’ll do your site assessment in conjunction with your floor plan footprint, water hookup, and setback requirements for your lot – taking things like the slope of your lot and the length of your driveway into consideration. The permit phase usually takes 5-7 weeks.
You will meet with the builder on site to take a look at the survey placement for your new home before we get started on clearing and prepping.
What are the key phases of the home build?
- Excavation: Grading, clearing and site preparation
- Foundation, damp proofing
- Framing
- Windows and doors
- Roofing
- Rough mechanics, electrical and plumbing
- Siding, exterior paint
- Insulation
- Drywall, paint primer
- Interior trim, flooring
- Cabinets, counter tops
- Trim outs/ fixture installs
- Final paint
- Final punch work and clean up
- Move in day!
You’ll be involved and informed throughout the build with onsite and design selection meetings and your interactive online portal.
Want to know more about the custom home construction process? Reach out with your questions.
What is Design/Build: Working with a Custom Home Builder
Next month, a panel discussion led by Furniture, Lighting & Decor Editor-in-Chief Diane Falvey brings together four experts to talk about leveraging expertise among architects, builders, and designers when building custom homes.
During the panel, “Common Ground: Finding Synergy Among Architects, Builders and Designers,” Phil Travars and Andrew Travars of Travars Built Homes will be talking about the ins and outs of working with a design/build custom home builder in North Carolina.
“Having a clear understanding of the thought process around building a custom home can help everything go smoothly, from design through construction,” said Phil Travars, Owner and Builder at Travars Built Homes. “It’s a great opportunity to talk directly with experts from across the industry.”
About 75,000 people from across the country and internationally are expected to attend the bi-annual Furniture Mart event represented by more than 100 countries, for architects, designers, furnishings buyers and others looking for the latest information and products for homes.
The Travars brothers were asked to participate in the event to share their thought leadership about home building and designing together with CIRCLE Design Studio, LLC Principal Architect John Dorlini and Principal/Owner Theresa A.C. Dorlini.
Topics about the custom home build process are expected to include:
- How designers and builders work together compose a custom home.
- How creativity can create excitement through different points of view.
- What to look out for when choosing a custom home on a budget.
- What to think about as you integrate designs for furniture, lighting, fixtures and finishes into your new home.
“This is a great opportunity to bounce around ideas for your new home, if you’re considering a custom build,” said Andrew Travars, Builder and Designer at Travars Built Homes. “We put a lot into making each home unique – this panel will help explain what it takes to create through design/build.”
Travars Built Homes builds new custom homes in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham and the surrounding region. Get information about building a custom home: