YNN's Ryan Peterson tells us about the exterior of your home and what materials are available for construction on the outside that could set your house apart from the rest.
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
When building a home, many homeowners are concerned with the floor plan, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the kitchen, and other amenities. Yet, the first thing people will notice about your home isn't what's inside.
"The exterior is very important to home buyers these days. Are they looking for more of a traditional home, or is it European cottage? So once we come up with a style that they are looking for, then we start looking at the different materials that will work with that style," explained John Witt, a custom home builder.
The options for materials are endless. According to Witt, one of the most popular trends for exteriors right now is mixed materials, which means using a variety of components such as stone and vinyl. How those materials are constructed could come down to personal preference or financial concerns.
"Usually we put the stone in the front, where you get the most bang for your buck, just for visual attractiveness," said Witt. "When I sketch the homes, we'll do a bunch of difference sketches showing different siding material in different places, and then we meet with the clients and kind of come up together with what is going to go where. And a lot of times, price has got a lot to do with it."
One thing to keep in mind when constructing your dream home is that some day you may have to sell it. So, you will want to build something that you love, but that will also retain its value.
"The whole package, the exterior of the house, you want it be aesthetically pleasing. Stone is a very popular look, it's something that has been around forever, and it's something that doesn't really go out of style," explained Witt. "With the natural granite, really gives perceived value in the house that it could be here for a long time."
Another benefit of stone is that it is virtually maintenance free. And while you're at the whim of whatever is being unearthed to build with, you still have a lot of choice in the types of stone and how it is laid out.