Tim Stonestreet's Publications

• Dream Home Design Guide, Part 1, Tim Stonestreet November, 2010 By: Tim Stonestreet Looking to design your dream home? Our three-part guide aims to make your dream even better by suggesting a number of luxuries and practicalities. Shower Seats Showers can be rejuvenating, but after a long day at work, you might be more interested in resting your feet than washing away dirt and grime. Why not do both? Install a shower seat and relax while your troubles race soapsuds down the drain. A shower seat is also ideal for reading; fill the tub, grab a book, and soak your legs while you read a chapter or two. Second Sink On special occasions such as graduation parties and neighborhood get-togethers, even a double-bowl sink might not be enough to contain all the dishes you have to wash after the festivities. Install a second, smaller sink next to your larger one for rinsing dishes, hooking up appliances such as portable dishwashers, and more. Large Entry Many front entrances are too narrow, forcing family members to squeeze by one another as they go about their day and making it difficult to admit guests. When designing your dream home, consider widening the entry hall so that more people can congregate comfortably. Also, make sure to include a large front closet near the entrance so guests and your family have a place to hang their belongings. Garage Loft These days, many families use their garages for storage rather than shelter for vehicles. To take full advantage of your garage, raise the ceiling and install a loft, which creates a perfect space to store boxes and knick-knacks. Tall Ceilings While we are on the subject of raising ceilings in your garage, why not raise the ceilings in your home? Taller ceilings are one way to make rooms feel more spacious. Part 2 Here Part 3 Here

• Before You Build, Tim Stonestreet December, 2010 Like you, millions of Americans dream of building a custom home. It is an exciting prospect, selecting all of your rooms and furnishings to suit your individual tastes and living in a home that was built especially for you. As an experienced custom homebuilder, I can help you to begin the process of creating a home; however, there are some steps that you can take before our first meeting that will help us communicate more effectively. 1. Before beginning construction, you need to establish a realistic budget. Most people determine their budget as a range of prices that they can afford. Your budget will help you make decisions as you go through the process. There are a variety of attractive materials and finishes for most budget levels, so homeowners generally wind up very satisfied with a house that has been the result of a well-planned budget. 2. Next, you will need to determine where you will be building. The lot you choose can affect the type of house you are able to build, as well as outdoor landscaping. Conditions such as soil, drainage, and climate region will affect both your house plans and the people that you need to hire to work with you on the project. 3. Decide on what sort of home you want to live in. Will you use a stock floor plan that you can customize or will you have an architect design your home for you? Budget and region play a large role in the design of your home.

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