Author: Richard Wallace

Memorial Day has passed, and summer is here! What lies ahead for us this summer? Perhaps this will be the summer where many make that trip to fill-in-the-blank that was put off in 2020. Or maybe rising costs have sidelined that for another time and people will stay more local.

Perhaps some folks will even stay home and enjoy the homes they recently bought or renovated. If you are currently in the market to purchase or renovate, keep the following in mind as you move forward, particularly if you are a homebody… Continue reading “Home Sweet Home – Part 17 – What Makes a Home “Staycation” Worthy?”

Whether you are ready to retire or can work remotely, this beautiful home at 1313 Searay Lane, Carolina Beach will suit your needs!

This 2500+ square foot plan features four bedrooms plus a game room that could serve as a media room, an exercise room, and a craft room or office. Plus, it includes three full bathrooms—all fully tiled with designer selections including Kohler plumbing fixtures. Continue reading “Is It Time to Live at the Beach Full Time?”

THE BEVERAGE CENTER

The Beverage Center, when placed near the kitchen, provides much-needed additional storage in our kitchens. If located properly, the Beverage Center can also relieve congestion in our kitchens during food prep.

Continue reading “Home Sweet Home – Part 16 – The Beverage Center”

We are thrilled to announce we have been chosen as one of three construction firms for the new East & Mason Master Planned Community in the Masonboro Sound Area. The entire development will include 170 homes, comprised of townhomes, single-family homes, and luxury homes. Richard Wallace Builders will be focused on building luxury custom homes.

There is a large amount of interest from families wishing to live in this community. The benefits are wide-ranging, from a clubhouse to quality local education and easy access to shopping as well as nearby nature reserves.

You can read the full press release from East & Mason here.

From the welcoming front porch to the rear covered patio, this 3000+ square foot home on Charlotte Avenue in Carolina Beach epitomizes the West Indies ranch, making it the ideal floor plan for coastal living. High ceilings and a spacious, open concept gathering area, and abundant windows create a bright, sunny, welcoming home.

The owners’ suite is luxurious and features a dream bathroom that includes a free-standing soaking tub, his and her vanities, a striking tiled shower, and an expansive closet. This beautiful space is separated from the other guest bedrooms and provides the perfect retreat for the owners.

The generous kitchen area features a gas cooktop with a decorative Masonboro hood, and a large island for entertaining, and also includes a “messy kitchen”-a convenient serving area or place to conceal dirty dinner dishes while your guests are still present. The vast pantry and functional mudroom with a built-in drop zone bench round out this section of the home.

The triple car garage has more than enough storage for cars, a golf cart, and all those fun beach accessories.

The icing on the cake is the incredible pool that is now underway including a sun shelf for lounge chairs, making relaxing in the sun cool and refreshing.

If this sounds like your idea of living in paradise, please contact Richard Wallace Builder to discuss building a similar home designed to suit your beach lifestyle!

A Better Night’s Sleep

Have you noticed how the “Sleep” industry has exploded in size and offerings? It doesn’t seem that long ago when there were a couple of mattress options – firm or soft. Who can forget about water beds – did any of you have those at one point?

Then Sleep Number created a bed with adjustable firmness. Better yet – on their king beds each side could be different. Revolutionary! Next thing you know, our mattresses can raise or lower our feet and moderate our temperature. Throw in a seemingly endless array of sheets and pillows, and our obsession with a good night’s rest is only increasing.

There is good reason to be concerned about sleep: “Poor quality sleep has been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke” according to WebMD. “Other potential problems include obesity, depression, reduced immune system function, and lower sex drive.”
Fabulous sheets, pillows, and mattresses won’t solve your sleep problems if you have a poorly designed bedroom.

Here are three things to think about when buying or building a home:
1. Eliminating unwanted noises from outside the bedroom
2. Eliminating unwanted noises within the bedroom
3. Controlling the light

Item 1. Thanks in large part to the baby monitor, the primary bedroom is split away from the kids’ rooms. Once the kids reach a certain age, parents don’t need (or want) to hear them – they just want to get sleep. Typically, the primary bath, closet, or both becomes the acoustical buffer. Locating the secondary bedrooms on the opposite end of the house or on a different floor is even better so long as they are not directly above the primary bedroom.

When the unwanted noise comes from outside the home, a different approach needs to be considered. Double or triple-pane windows can be a big help – but consider adding an ambient sound such as a water feature.

Item 2. The most common unwanted noise inside the room (other than the alarm clock) is a snoring partner. Unfortunately, this becomes more common as we age. Things that contribute to snoring are aging, weight gain, and alcohol. Many individuals wear earplugs at night or use a white noise machine. An increasingly common solution is to have separate sleeping areas.

Item 3. Perhaps you have heard about blue light and how it messes with our sleep as it inhibits our production of melatonin – or the sleep hormone. Blue light sources include televisions, smartphones and tablets, LED light bulbs, and computer monitors.

There are a lot of people who look at these devices right before bed (guilty), making it harder to fall asleep. An old fashion incandescent bedside lamp and a book are better pre-sleep alternatives.

Controlling the light inside your bedroom once you turn off your bedside lamp is also critical, according to Dave Asprey, author of Super Human. He advocates for a pitch-dark room for sleeping. Then wake up gently with circadian light – a light source that comes on dimly and is warm in color – like the sun rising in the sky. I’m not sure how practical a pitch-dark room is for folks 55 and older whose bladders won’t let them sleep through the night without a trip or two to the bathroom.

The science and business of sleep has become one of the most important industries to our health and well-being. Do what you can to make your bedroom more conducive to a good night’s sleep!

Adapted from Housing Design Matters Blog

GuildQuality’s 2022 Guildmaster Award Honors Richard Wallace Builder, Inc.

Carolina Beach, NC, April 12, 2022 – Richard Wallace Builder, Inc. of Carolina Beach, NC received a 2022 Guildmaster with Highest Distinction Award from GuildQuality for demonstrating exceptional customer service within the residential construction industry.

Since 2005, GuildQuality, an Atlanta-based third-party customer satisfaction surveying company, has powered the Guildmaster Award to recognize and celebrate home building, remodeling, and contracting professionals demonstrating the highest level of customer service within the U.S. and Canada.

Out of nearly 2,000 eligible applicants, Richard Wallace Builder, Inc. is one of 400+ businesses within the residential construction industry recognized by GuildQuality for consistently delivering superior customer care.

Continue reading “RICHARD WALLACE BUILDER, INC. RECOGNIZED AMONG THE TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE LEADERS IN THE RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY”

DELIVERY DILEMMA SOLVED

How often do you shop online? Today, over 100 million people have Amazon Prime accounts. Countless stores are ramping up their e-commerce efforts in order to stay in business. Why? Because we buy everything online! From clothes to household items and even food, virtually whatever your heart desires is but a click away.

These are a few of the issues that many of us face, however: Continue reading “Home Sweet Home – Part 14 – Delivery Dilemma Solved”

The Perfect Porch

It’s no secret that outdoor living is all the rage in housing. But how do you make each space a special place to spend time in? So let’s spend a brief moment talking about basic dimensions and the overall feel of both front and back porch living.

The Front Porch

A front porch is a semi-public, outdoor living space. It needs to be deep enough to be usable, 6′ at a minimum but 8′ preferred. The relationship to the sidewalk is critical. The elevation adds a degree of separation without a visual barrier. A handrail helps to define the space. The distance from the sidewalk is also critical. If there was a garage, driveway and a 15′ utility easement between the front porch and the sidewalk, the activity of the street would be lost. During the pandemic this is the perfect spot to be socially distanced from your neighbor without wearing a mask.

The Back Porch

Unlike the on-display front porch, the back porch offers a more private experience. A place wear you can enjoy your morning coffee still in your PJ’s. The trend has been for this private outdoor living to grow into three distance functions: lounging, cooking and dining. Back porches tend to be deeper – 10′ to 12′ or more.

Hidden away from the activity on the street to watch, we can add TV’s and fireplaces to back porches. The cooking is actually grilling and that can happen on the back porch or beyond in the backyard. You need to be mindful of the heat and smoke that comes with grilling making the backyard a nice alternative when space is limited – except of course when it rains.

A New Trend

The next awesome trend is opening up the interior of the home to the back porch including disappearing stacking sliding glass door to accordion doors. In many climates this usually requires the porch to be screened so the house and porch don’t fill with flies and mosquitos. I wouldn’t advise completely opening up your house to your front porch. I’d also caution against grilling on the front porch unless you bought enough food for hungry neighbors passing by – otherwise, that’s just cruel!

Porches are not a new concept, but they have become big selling points in a hot markets. When incorporating them in a home, it’s important to consider how these spaces will be used. Think outside the box and consider how to make each space memorable and inviting.

Adapted from Housing Design Matters Blog

“Just a ranch plan with big doors – right?” Wrong! Let’s first establish that there is more to empty-nester plans than that.

What are some other misconceptions or generalizations?

“When it comes to this buyer profile, small fits all” – Wrong again.
“All empty nesters have the same amount to spend on a home” – Obviously wrong.
“They all want to live in The Villages” – Many do, many do not.
“They only want single-family detached” – Not necessarily.
“Everything on one level” – Not always.
I think you get the idea…

Like all buyer profiles, the empty-nester demographic is diverse in their wants and needs. However, there are some nuances that appeal to this buyer profile.

Single-Family Vs. Attached

There is a common perception that the only appropriate housing for empty nesters is single family detached. But there are buyers who prefer an attached home. One popular building configuration is the twin villa. You get the three sides of light and proximity to a neighbor who can watch over the “lock and leave” neighbors’ unit.

Advantage of Two Floors

Busting the myth that all empty nesters want one-level living, there are many who benefit from two floors of living. The second floor is perfect for visiting kids and grandkids. The second floor can also be great for an exercise room and is the preferred location for a home office – not all empty nester buyers have stopped working. When they do stop working, the second floor is a great get-away space as too much together time can be harmful to one’s marriage. The other advantage of two-story solutions is density and affordability.

What Goes on the Main Level?

Obviously, the kitchen, casual dining, and great room are what make it the main level, but what else? Clearly, this is an easy quiz. A two-story empty nester home should have the owner’s bedroom on the main level. Anything else? If there is space on the first floor, see if you can squeeze in a flex room – especially if it can flex into a guest room. A guest room and a flex room are most preferred – but that isn’t always feasible, and it also means in a two-story home – more square footage.

How Many Bedrooms?

Some age-restricted adult communities limit homes to just two bedrooms. Hopefully, the kids are willing to host the holidays. What happens when one bedroom becomes the “snore” room? Again, while the number of bedrooms desired differs by each buyer, most consider two bedrooms plus flex as their minimum and three bedrooms plus flex as their maximum.

Make Room for the Pet

When counting bedrooms, don’t forget to carve out room for the pet. Dogs and cats are important family members for this buyer. Some say they are their surrogate kids or grandkids. While some think a special place for the dog to sleep is important, others acknowledge the dogs sleep in the owner’s bed. A nice perk for the dog-friendly house is a place to bathe them. I love adding a dog shower in the garage. It can be affordably done with a shower pan and a handheld showerhead.

Other Must-Haves

If possible, avoid steps into the house and steps into the shower. One step is often more of a trip hazard than a full flight of stairs. If you have a step, be sure to include a railing or a grab bar. Ample lighting is also key for this buyer since the lens of the eye thickens as we age, allowing in less light. Include both natural and artificial lighting throughout. Finally, add step lights to all steps and even in the toilet room.

Don’t Forget the Joy

The one thing you don’t want to do is design something that feels institutional. Bright colorful interiors are a great way to add joy. Maybe even layer in a few comfort features such as heated towel racks. Everyone enjoys a few indulgences!

Is there really an “ideal empty-nester plan”? With so many possibilities, I would argue no. However, keeping a few general guiding principles in mind like those we just discussed can definitely go a long way.

Adapted from Housing Design Matters Blog