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.

Built In Bookcase Walls | Mebane NC New Homes

#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.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home 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.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home Builder

#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.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home Builder

#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.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home Builder

What are the benefits of a side load garage?

Side Load Garage Benefit #1

A side load garage can give your home a lot of benefits, including great curbside appeal. Placing the garage on the side will make way for windows on the front face of your home. A side load garage can also increase the perceived size of the home (instead of a big garage door that emphasizes vehicles).

White and Black Modern Farmhouse Exterior | Mebane NC New Homes

Side Load Garage Benefit #2

A side load garage can have a sweeping driveway into the side of the home instead of going straight in, which can give it a look of grandeur.

Benefit #3

A side load garage can be used in conjunction with a front facing carriage garage. A dual garage layout will separate vehicles from storage or shop space, and keep the rest of your home looking proportional.

Travars Built Homes can also add a third garage bay to nearly any floor plan, including carriage garages.

Design Build Custom Home Builder

Benefit #4

A side load garage can be positioned so that there is a courtyard in front of the home, providing more space for play or parking.

Hands-on process to building a custom home

When you work with TBH, we create your home together – the way you want it:

  • Modifying your floor plan to expand, turn, tweak, or change things you’d like to do differently
  • Creating secret passageways, secret pantries or other hideaways
  • Including aging in place, accessible, or special needs features
  • Creating special spaces – bigger pantries, more storage, more outdoor living areas… let’s talk about how to create the elements that matter most

Contact TBH to learn more:

    Home Plan Type:
    One storyTwo StoryMain Floor Primary Suite

    Sq Ft:
    2000 - 25002500 - 30003000 - 4000+

    Build Budget w/ site work (Lot additional):
    500 - 600K600 - 700K700 - 800K800 - 900K900K - Mil+

    Raleigh Custom Homes | Two Story Foyer

    What are the most important questions to ask a home builder?

    Are you asking the right questions when you talk with custom builders about costs for your North Carolina new home?

    Here are 7 smart questions to ask custom home builders about their services, processes, and prices – before you sign a contract.

    Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | Built In Bookcases

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder: What’s included in your services? 

    Travars Built Homes is a design/build custom home builder. We cover everything from permits to site assessment, plan modification, construction and completion of your home. We offer the highest quality standard features, finishes, materials and craftsmanship in the local market for affordable custom homes. Read more about our services and standards, here.

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder: Can you help me find a floor plan that can fit my budget?

    Yes, we will make suggestions for floor plans based on the budget you give us. When we go over plans together, we’ll offer suggestions for layouts and livability of the home, and tell you why certain types of architectural designs take more to build than others, even when layouts may appear to be similar. (Having the same number of square feet does not equate to the same build costs – specialty treatments and detail work in an architectural design that you might not even notice can make a huge impact on your build costs, even when layouts appear to be similar.) We can suggest modifications or alternate plans that can be more cost effective.  

    Chatham County NC Custom Homes | Second Story Overlook Railing

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder: Can you modify my floor plan?

    Do I need to pay an architect or is the price of modifications included with your home price? Travars Built Homes can make a wide variety of changes to your plan, at no extra charge. We can re-arrange the kitchen, include an in-law or multigenerational suite, add a basement, or convert a two story room into a bonus room upstairs. Ask us about your floor plan – we’ll show you all the possibilities.  

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder: What kind of details can I expect to see in a custom home quote? 

    Your Travars Built spec package will include about 15 pages of details about the materials, processes, services, and energy efficiencies in your home. Keep in mind that you can only compare what is given to you in writing – that’s what will be in your contract.

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder | NC New Homes

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder: How much interaction will you have with me when my new home is being built? 

    Our build process at Travars Built Homes is outlined in your personal online portal, where you can stay in-touch and informed about what’s happening with the build of your new home. You will also have the opportunity to meet with your builder on site at all key points during the build. 

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder: Is my site work (such as grading, clearing, driveway, septic, well) included in your pricing? 

    When you choose Travars Built Homes, your site work is allowance based. We allocate dollar amounts for your clearing, grading, footings, etc. The allowances are based on footprint size, topography of the lot, how much vegetation and trees there are, and other factors we consider based on years of experience building new custom homes in North Carolina. And we go over everything with you – just ask us for pricing.

    Questions to Ask a Home Builder: How long does it take to you to build a home? 

    A typical timeline to build a custom home by Travars Built Homes is about 6-9 months, once the project is underway. Get more details about our timelines to build, here.

    White Modern Farmhouse Bathrooms | Mebane NC New Homes

    Remember to ask each builder the same set of questions, and request pricing on the same (or very similar) floor plans so there’s no confusion about what’s offered. Want to learn more about the process to build a new custom home in North Carolina? Contact us!

    How Your Homesite Can Affect The Bottom Line

    Topography, soil, regulations – here’s how your lot requirements and footprint can impact your new home build cost

    The spot where your home can be built on your lot is dependent on a variety of factors in North Carolina. Here are terms and factors you need to know about aspects that can impact your homesite – and build cost.

    Homesite: The spot on your lot where your home will be built

    The final decision about the location for your homesite is determined by more than what you can see at first glance, such as the direction it will face or what’s outside the windows. As a turnkey builder in NC, some of the most common factors we will discuss with you regarding your footprint are topography, soil and regulations. Here’s why that’s so important:

    Build On Your Lot NC | How to Build a New Home

    Footprint: The shape and size of amount of space your home takes up on the ground

    If you look at what the imprint of your home will be on the dirt where it is built, what does that shape look like? That’s your “footprint”. Whether your home is a square box, stretches out horizontally or vertically, has a courtyard, or has lots of “cutouts” that turn and curve in a variety of directions, everywhere it touches affects your build costs. The more simplistic, the less it usually costs to build a home with that footprint. The more complex, the more it can take to get everything done, starting with the topography and soil.

    Orange County New Homes

    Topography: The amount of slope in your lot

    Take a look at the Topo Map (short for topographical map) below. This is an example of what topography looks like, on a Geographic Information System (GIS). Although each county in NC has its own GIS system and representation, the lines you see here are indicative of how much slope this area has. The closer the lines are together, the more slope there is. The slope of your lot can help determine if your home will require a basement, crawl space, tall crawl, or slab on grade. In North Carolina, a crawl space foundation is the most common, unless the home is accessible in which case a slab on grade is used most often built. We will talk with you about how the topography affects your lot and homesite, specifically, at your lot assessment.

    Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse

    Soil: Support for your septic system as well as your home

    Soil quality and consistency vary across North Carolina. Here are two of the most important reasons why soil plays a major factor in the build of your new home:

    The homesite where your home will be placed needs to have appropriate compaction and bearing capacity. Probe Tests as well as taking into consideration aspects such as slope, exposed rock, size of trees, potential wet lands, and other factors in which soil plays a part.

    Raleigh Custom Homes | Screen Porch

    A Percolation Test (abbreviated as a “Perc Test”) is required on most lots of over 1/2 acre to determine the water absorption rate of soil, which will indicate the type of septic system that is required. Your builder will interpret the results that a soil scientist or the county provide, and tell you next steps and build costs. A conventional system will usually have the least cost. A pump may be required, which would add to costs. An engineered system for a drip system or pre-treat drip system are the most expensive and take the most time to get approved. We will walk you through how this works as part of our initial overview of your build processes and steps.

    NC Custom Home Photo Tours

    Regulations: Local requirements and community covenants

    Every new home must have build permits before it can be built. TBH will handle those for you, along with everything else necessary for the build of your home on your lot. Here’s how local requirements and covenants come into play as you choose where you want to build your new home:

    Most new homes are built in communities, regulated by a Home Owners Association (HOA): Each neighborhood has its own set of rules and restrictions, detailed in Community Covenants. You will want to read Covenants thoroughly before purchasing a lot. Experts can also help you understand potential building restrictions within a neighborhood. Architectural Review Boards (ARBs) review details about a new home, such as exterior paint colors and materials such as brick or stone. Your new home will need to be approved by these committees if you want to build in their neighborhood.

    NC Custom Home Photo Tours

    Even new homes that are built in the countryside are subject to local requirements, typically set down by the county. This can include things like how much clearing you can do, what the setback requirements are from the street, and other mandates specific to that location.

    Contact Travars Built Homes for a lot walk and assessment or any other building questions for your North Carolina new home.

    How Soon After I Sign a Purchase Agreement Will Construction Begin on my Custom Home, and How Long Will it Take?

    We can start your custom home build process directly after your purchase agreement is signed, with site work scheduled as soon as building permits are in hand.

    Here are the first steps we take together before the shovel hits the ground:

    • Modifications you want to make to your floor plan
    • Documented details about features, finishes, materials and pricing
    • Lot walk for site assessment with home’s footprint
    • Loan closed for home construction (and lot, if not already owned)
    • Review of architectural and engineered blueprints
    • HOA architectural review, if applicable
    • Improvement Permits, if applicable
    • Build Permits
    • Preliminary survey and home location plat map
    How to build a custom home in North Carolina.

    The typical time frame for a Travars Built Home is 6 to 9 months from when we begin the actual construction, depending on the size and type of home and the location of the build.

    Contact us with questions or see what others have asked already, FAQ’s and answers.

    How can a lot walk save trees – and some green?

    What’s the best way to save trees when you build your new house? What roles do planning and surveying play in tree preservation? Here’s what you need to know before you clear your lot.

    Never clear your lot before you talk with the county building department and your builder – especially if you will need a septic system.

    Travars Built Homes provide a lot walk and assessment that includes a discussion of tree retention, before any clearing occurs. Your builder will also discuss things like the slope of the lot, possible water routes, the footprint of your home and its build site. You’ll learn a lot about the first stages of the build – as well as ways to save tree trunks and greenbacks.

    Wendell North Carolina New Homes | All Brick Homes

    There are also rules about how much can be cleared due to impervious limits, environmental regulations, government mandated erosion requirements, easements and other imperatives.

    The amount of clearing required is based on your house footprint, based on the perimeter of your home with about 15-20′ of clearing on each side of your home, when the lot and setbacks allow for it. That amount of space provides room for sidewalks, parking pads, fences and foot traffic to get around the house.

    Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse

    Unless you request more tree removal – within the parameters of what is allowed for your location – it is our goal to retain every tree possible within the area that we need to safely get your home built. When your desire is to have a wooded lot, we want to preserve that natural beauty for you as much as possible.

    If your home needs a septic system, the amount of trees removed in your septic field depend on specific requirements and there are areas that cannot be disturbed, to allow for that critical system to be installed and function properly.

    New Home Construction Chapel Hill NC

    It is not always possible to save every tree that you would like to retain. Trees have varying root systems, some of which are more extensive than others. White oak, Hickory and Walnut trees have some of the deeper root systems. Pine trees (which there are many of in North Carolina) have shallow root systems that can be less stable. For the most part roots are 12-24″ deep and extend out from the tree in a radius. You can measure tree diameter at chest height and multiple that by 12 to get a good idea of where roots end. The drip line or canopy can also be used as a rough guide, with the furthest branch as your measurement.

    Contact us to schedule your lot walk where your home site determinations will be provided. We will discuss site work for the fit of your home to your lot. This pre-construction meeting on site with your builder will help you envision where your home and driveway can be placed.

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    Based in Chatham County, Travars Built Homes builders bring decades of award winning experience to outstanding custom home building.