If you want your new home to have curb appeal (and who doesn’t) you want the Kingston floor plan by Anglia Homes.

The Kingston boasts a charming brick-and-stone elevation with the most delightful covered porch we’ve ever seen. Stone pillars frame the front entrance while brick accents highlight the porch roof and give it dimension. The area is spacious with more than enough room for a couple of chairs and a table the right size for a pitcher of lemonade. It’s the perfect place to people-watch or welcome guests with cocktails in hand.

The interior of the home is just as charming. The two-story home is spacious with plenty of light streaming through high windows. The combination living room/dining room is open to a bijou kitchen. The preparation island has a breakfast bar where children can devour pancakes before heading off to school. Lots of cupboards and cabinets help keep the area tidy. Windows overlook the covered patio.

The generously sized primary bedroom has no rooms overhead making it a quiet retreat. The bedroom also features a large walk-in closet. The primary bath boasts all the features a homeowner could want, including dual sinks, garden tub, separate glass-enclosed shower and another walk-in closet.

Upstairs, three secondary bedrooms mean children will all have their own space. The entertainment loft sports a storage closet with shelves perfect for storing board games or a children’s library. Add comfortable chairs and a gaming console for the ultimate game room. The home also has a convenient utility room and a two-car garage.

The Kingston is priced from the $300,000s. It is one of 16 outstanding floor plans Anglia Homes offers in Vanbrooke. The one-and-two story designs are priced from the $270,000s and feature open plan living, flex rooms, oversized primary suites, island kitchens and more. To see them, visit the Anglia model home in Vanbrooke today.

 

Many buyers are rethinking the open kitchen. On the one hand, the space is nice, on the other? Dirty dishes and a cluttered island. If you’re on Team Hide the Kitchen, we have great news, so is Lennar.

The builder’s Santa Cruz floor plan eschews the open kitchen, instead tucking it behind a wall offering a pass-through window with breakfast bar. It’s a refreshing difference that does not detract from the beauty of the home. The kitchen itself features designer cabinets, laminate countertops, recessed lighting and a GE appliance package. Easy clean floors are a bonus. A small breakfast nook off the kitchen is a private space for coffee or a getting caught up on work.

In fact, there are a lot of private spaces in this design including the generously sized primary suite. It is the only bedroom downstairs, turning it into a peaceful retreat while the kids are upstairs playing their Spotify playlists at full volume. The primary bath is lovely with a garden tub, linen cupboard and large walk-in closet.

The second floor sports a good-sized flex space that can be used as a media room, children’s playroom, game room, exercise room or den. In addition to three bedrooms, the laundry room is upstairs, so you won’t be lugging the kids’ laundry up and down the stairs.

When it comes to the outdoors, the Santa Cruz boasts a standard feature considered an upgrade by most builders — a front porch.

The Santa Cruz is one of six plans in Lennar’s NuHome collection. Homes in the series feature tucked-away kitchens, upstairs or downstairs primary suites and two-car garages. The Santa Cruz is priced from the $260s. Other homes in the collection are priced from the $230s to the $270s.

Stop by the Lennar model home in Vanbrooke today and discover how you can get the home you’ve been dreaming of.

Every family is different. Wouldn’t be nice to have a home that adapts to your family, instead of your family having to adapt to it? You can if you choose the 656 floor plan by Long Lake, Ltd.

One of the designs in the builder’s Briarwood Series, the 656 boasts 2,765 square feet of living space with four bedrooms, 3.5 baths and a two-car garage. Four elevations are available. Two of them feature cozy porches that are perfect for a bistro set, porch swing or your favorite plants.

Inside, guests will be greeted by an impressive two-story foyer. The large great room is designed to allow plenty of family time but also privacy when needed. This is accomplished by separating the kitchen from the dining area. An angled breakfast bar provides partial separation from the family room. Parents can keep an eye on children from the kitchen. The dining area offers enough privacy for adults to get some work done when the office calls.

The large owner’s suite boasts a generously sized bath with dual sinks, a garden tub, separate glass-enclosed shower and a walk-in closet. Located away from the family room and kitchen, it will offer peace and privacy.

The upstairs features a game room, a guest suite and two bedrooms separated by a full bath.

Options help tailor the plan to meet a family’s lifestyle goals. Families that dream of backyard barbecues, sipping lemonade while the kids play or entertaining guests in the fresh air will want to add a covered patio. Buyers planning to work from home can transform the formal living room into a study. Creating a homework area or second workstation in the kitchen is easy with the addition of a built-in planning desk.

Plan 656 is priced from the $380,000s. It is one of more than two dozen plans Long Lake offers in Vanbrooke. Prices range from the $300,000s to the $440,000s with many floor plans including media rooms, studies, island kitchens and more.

Visit the Long Lake model home in Vanbrooke and pick your perfect floor plan today.

As you prepare to move into your new home in Vanbrooke, spare a thought for your pets. Are they ready for the move? Probably not. There are ways you can help them to successfully settle into their new home. Here are a few tips:

Walk Your Dog

You can’t talk to dogs about the move, but as long as you aren’t moving in from out of state, you can show them their new neighborhood. Drive to where your new home will be and let them sniff around. Do it as frequently as you can. If they know they’ve been there, they are likely to be more comfortable on moving day.

Visit the Vet

Visit your current vet to make sure your pets are healthy. Discuss the move. If your pet is anxious, the vet might be able to prescribe medication. Pets can and do try to get back to their old homes, so get yours microchipped. If you are going to need a new vet, have your old vet transfer your pets’ medical records. Make an appointment with the new vet so you and your pet feel comfortable and to establish care in case of an emergency.

Boxes are for Sniffing

There are going to be a lot of boxes in the house. Your dog will sniff them and their contents. Your cat may try to use them as toys or a bed (check before taping the lids). Don’t pack your pets’ toys until the last minute. They won’t understand and could try tearing the box apart to get to them.

Pack a Doggy Bag

There will be a lot of hustle and bustle the day of the move, and you don’t want your pets’ favorite things to get lost in the shuffle. Pack a doggy bag with your pet’s food, a bowl for water, favorite toys and a special blanket.

Call a Friend

Open doors invite escape, particularly when your pet is confused. Board your pets the day of the move if you can. If you can’t, find a friend willing to take them for a few hours. If all else fails, put them in an empty room with a sign on the door to let movers know not to enter.

Keep to a Routine

If your pet is not being boarded, be sure to keep to their usual routine no matter how busy your day gets. That means taking them for their morning walks, feeding them at the usual hour and taking time to play with them. They will feel less stressed.

Unpack Your Pet First

Your pets will feel less anxious if they can find familiar items in their new home. Unpack their beds, food and water dishes and toys first. If you can, put them in approximately the same spot they would occupy in your old home so pets can easily find them.

Take Time Off

If you can take time off, you should do so. Your pet is bound to be uncertain. They may even be afraid of being left in a new environment. Talk to them, play with them, keep their routine the same. Once they know you are there for them, they will adjust.

Remember They are Confused

Pets are territorial and in one fell swoop, their territory has been taken from them. Allow them to sniff their new abode. Keep dogs on leashes and cats inside until you are sure they have adjusted. Don’t be surprised if there is some bad behavior. Treat it in the same manner you would at your old home, but be understanding. Moving is as hard on your pet as it is on you.

Getting the key to your beautiful new Vanbrooke home is exciting. Getting ready to move into it? No so much. Any way you look at it, moving is stressful. To help you out, we’ve put together some tips that should make it a little easier.

Start by Decluttering

We rarely realize how much stuff we have until we start putting it into moving boxes. Instead of packing useless things, declutter while your home is under construction. This includes clothing you don’t wear. Sort items into three categories: keep, donate and throw out. If you are thinking garage sale, add a “sell” box.

Don’t Buy More

It’s tempting to buy new furniture, curtains and other home goods for your future home. Don’t. You are just going to have to pack it. Make a list of what you will need and purchase it after the move. Think of them as housewarming gifts.

Plan How to Move

How will you transport furniture and boxes? Will you need a moving truck or just friends who accept pizza as payment for lugging your sofa through the front door? If you will need a truck, get recommendations from friends and estimates from at least three companies. Moving.com reviews movers and can get you quotes.

Plan How to Pack

This seems pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people end up making three or four trips to the store to get supplies. You can find boxes in every shape and size as well as tape, bubble wrap and markers on Amazon. We especially like these color-coded moving labels.

Get Creative

You don’t always need boxes. Use suitcases to transport clothes. Instead of wardrobe boxes, put trash bags around clothes hanging in your closet. Pull the tie closed, transport to your new home and hang everything up. Instead of packing what’s in your dresser, just pull out the drawers and wrap kitchen wrap around them. Use heavy-duty wrap for kitchen drawers. Towels and linens are great for wrapping fragile items.

Least Used, First Packed

Don’t try to pack everything in a day — or even a week. Pack up your least-used items first. Things in your guest room, storage areas and hall closet. You can do this while decluttering since the items in these areas are often things you don’t remember you had.

Pack One Room at a Time

If you can, pack one room at a time. You will feel less overwhelmed the closer you get to moving day. Kitchens usually take the longest, so start there. You will feel very accomplished and packing up the rest of the house will feel easier by comparison.

Consider a Moving Pod

Portable storage units are a great way to move. Have the company drop the unit off in front of your old home, fill it up, then have everything transported to your new home. You’ll be able to pack and unpack at your leisure.

Keep an Inventory

Assign each box a number and write down what’s in it. Alternatively, take a picture of what’s in each box. Either way, you will be able to tell at a glance if a box is missing. If you need to find something you won’t waste time opening every box in the kitchen.

Unpack a Little at a Time

Once you’ve moved your stuff, it’s time to unbox. Start with essentials. You will need bedding, toilet paper and dishes right away. You probably won’t need things that you stored in your garage for a few weeks. Playing music while you pack will make the chore easier. Get rid of the boxes as you unpack them to open up space.