Top 5 New Braunfels Neighborhoods To Build a Custom Home

Where should you build your custom home in New Braunfels, TX? Location isn’t a factor to take lightly. Because, while floor plans, high-end finishes, and square footage can be fully customized, the perfect neighborhood isn’t always as easily attainable.

Thankfully, New Braunfels is packed with blossoming new communities ripe with generous ready-to-build lots, resort-style amenities, and welcoming community vibes.

If you love the small-town charm but don’t know where to build in New Braunfels, we highly recommend checking out these five beloved local gems (all available to build on for prices ranging between $500,000 to over $2 Million).

1. Copper Ridge   

Looking for a lot with a view? Known far and wide as one of New Braunfels’ premier hilltop communities, Copper Ridge is nestled 10 miles north of the heart of New Braunfels. This neighborhood’s private location and soaring elevation allow for stunning views of the San Antonio skyline (while still remaining firmly planted in the sweeping Hill Country landscape). Add in resort-style amenities (clubhouse, multiple pools, and a “Texas-style pavilion” setup) and a guarded gate (the only one in New Braunfels), Copper Ridge offers both leisurely fun and peace of mind. With lots priced between $80,000 and $300,000, homesites are generous (1-3 acres) and boast mature trees. View architectural restrictions here!

2. Havenwood at Hunter’s Crossing

A master-planned Hill Country community that places a high emphasis on the rustic local landscape, Havenwood at Hunter’s Crossing is nestled among the soaring limestone bluffs and outstretched hills that make this region famous. Residents of this neighborhood love the waterfront views, private river access, and miles of scenic walking trails that allow full enjoyment of the Hill Country. Add in a resort-style amenity complex (multiple pools, a fitness center, sports courts, beautiful private parks, and miles of scenic walking trails), and Havenwood at Hunter’s Crossing is a neighborhood for any nature-lover. Each home is set on a spacious homesite of at least 1.25 acres, but up to 3 (lot prices range between $50,000 and $150,000). At Havenwood, floor plans are required to be a minimum of 2,400 square feet, and structural materials must consist of at least 75% masonry. Homesites are available from a very reasonable $50,000 for a basic lot, and all the way to more than $200,000 for those with more features and views.

3. Newcombe Tennis Ranch

When the Australian tennis professional John Newcombe decided to create his namesake community in New Braunfels, TX, he imagined a neighborhood that embodied both playful charm and design excellence. The result? One of New Braunfels’ most unique master-planned communities. Newcombe Tennis Ranch (also called “Newk’s” and “John Newcombe Estates”) is home to over 200 premium acreage homesites, along with access to an exclusive country club (complete with a pristine swimming pool, full-service fitness club), a laid-back Aussie theme, and (of course) a premier tennis facility. Additionally, the neighborhood offers on-site catch-and-release fishing ponds (stocked with native fish) and meandering trails that wander throughout the Hill Country landscape. Currently in the last phase of development, Newcombe Estates is offering 2.5-acre home sites in Wimbledon Park, which boasts mature landscaping and sprawling live oaks. Lots range between $130,000 and $225,000!

4. Riverforest

As one of New Braunfels’ most coveted neighborhoods, Riverforest combines stunning Hill Country perks (riverfront access and beautiful sweeping views) with stunning luxury estates. Set on the banks of the sparkling Guadalupe River, this exclusive gated community boasts generous lot sizes (usually between 2-3 acres), high-end homes, a private waterfront park (lined with towering Cypress trees), and close proximity to historic Gruene (just two miles). At its core, Riverforest is a luxury neighborhood swept up in the gorgeous Hill Country scenery. Lots start  around $200,000 and soar up to $600,000.

5. Vintage Oaks

If you’re seeking a true “master-planned community,” Vintage Oaks might be your spot to build your dream home. Composed of nearly 4,000 acres of Hill Country terrain, Vintage Oak is stocked with an impressive array of resort-style amenities, including a Tuscan-Style clubhouse, fitness center, multiple pools, a sand volleyball court, outdoor tennis courts, a regulation soccer field, a putting green, and little league baseball field. Additionally, the neighborhood provides charming natural perks like a native flower garden, private vineyard, and beautiful picnic area shaded by century-old oak trees. With lot prices between $60,000 and $350,000, homes in this community vary widely (though each is required to be a minimum of 2,300 square feet, according to architectural requirements).

Are you ready to build a home in New Braunfels? We would love to help guide you through the process!

4 Reasons You Should Build A Custom Home

Building or buying a new home is a big decision. We believe that choosing to custom build your home is a better choice. We recognize there are some amazing and beautifully built homes, pre-made and available for purchase on the market today and we commend those builders for doing such a great job. While we don’t see anything necessarily wrong with buying a ready-made home, we do believe that having a home custom made for you and your family is the better choice. Home building is our passion, we could talk all day about the reasons custom built is the better choice, but in the interest of time we went ahead and put together a few of the most important.  

1. Personal Touch

Is your family the same as mine? Is it the same size, the same makeup, do our families enjoy all the same activities, do our families enjoy their homes the same way? Likely, the answer is no. So why are these cookie cutter homes all built the same? That wine cellar, that man cave, that pool your kids are dreaming of, that outdoor space that fits your family perfectly -it’s all possible in the custom build space. We believe that each family’s personality and functional needs should be apparent in their home. This simply isn’t possible unless you’re building custom.

2. Efficiency

There is so much to be said for getting things done the right way the first time around. When you build a custom home there’s no need to worry about doing additional remodel work on an unfinished product. When you build custom, you’re ensuring that your home is built the way you and your family need, saving you all those Saturdays of half-done projects around the house for years to come

3. No Compromises

In your house hunting experience, you’ve likely found many a home that is almost perfect. Stop us if you’ve been here before, “It has the features we want but it’s in the wrong neighborhood” “It’s in the perfect location but it’s missing the island that we really need.”, or “I wish the floor plan was more open, but it might work.” Why should you need to settle or compromise? A home is a big investment, we believe that you should be completely in love with your home, not just settling for the next best thing.

4. Quality of Product

Last and perhaps most important is the quality of the home that you’re building. When you purchase a home and don’t know much about the builder, methods, or materials they used you’re taking a risk. When you build a custom home with us here at Keith Wing Custom Homes, you’re insuring that your home is built with the highest quality materials and in a manner that will last for years and years to come.

We take great pride in our work. We believe that building a custom home is a great decision for many families, if you have additional questions about building your custom home please feel free to give us a call or email us. We’re happy to help in any way we can!

Hiring an Architect vs Purchasing Plans

Before the start of any home, there must be a plan. That is a universality in the homebuilding world. However, there is some variation in where those plans originate. For many, the decision on how to acquire a design plan for their home comes down to two options: purchasing prefabricated plans on the internet or through a firm or hiring a professional architect to create and oversee the plans. There are positive and negative aspects of both options and ultimately it comes down to each home and homeowner’s needs.

Hiring An Architect

Pros

Customizable
Having an experienced architect on hand to guide your project allows for a lot of customization. The architect will begin her or his project by asking you loads of questions, this in an effort to define exactly what you will need in your new home. This gives you the freedom to design with specific materials in mind, plan according to your specific lot, and truly make your home fit your lifestyle. This type of customization creates a truly unique home which can contribute to your resale value as well.

From Paper To Move In  
When you hire an architect often times there is an option to retain their services from the drawing of plans all the way through move in. This is important because if adjustments ever need to be made due to materials, changes in your lot, building codes, or problems regarding plumbing or electricity you won’t have to bootstrap the process. You’ll have a steady, experienced hand guiding the process from start to finish.

Cons

Short term expense
We realize building a home is an expensive endeavor. Hiring an architect is generally more expensive than purchasing pre-made plans online. However, we feel that this factor is minuscule when compared to the value that is gained through hiring a professional, we’re of the mindset that something of this magnitude -your home, should be done right the first time.

Time Factor
Hiring an architect to design your custom home is a bit of an extensive process. There are research and time spent find just to decide which architect you’ll use and then one on one time with your chosen architect to actually create a design that will suit your needs. If you’re in a hurry, this may not be the best route for you.

Purchasing Plans

Pros

Visually easy to grasp
Since these prefabricated home designs are copies of finished homes. There are generally photo samples of the blueprints as a finished product. This is helpful to those who can’t really visualize what they want in a home, or don’t find standard floor plans to be enough. This gives you all the visualization of a rendering without the spent time and energy.

Speed and Convenience
If you need a plan today it’s possible to go onto a website selling floor plans and purchase your desired layout. There are no other strings attached generally. This convenience and speed with which you can hit the ground running are valuable to some. But we must stress, this convenience comes at a cost; what you gain in speed now may become a problem later when the lot specifications and building materials come into play.  

Tried and True Design
Pre-made plans provide comfort for the homeowner in knowing that these designs have worked for someone, somewhere. There is a bit of risk taken out of the equation since these designs are tried and tested by hundreds of others before you.

Cons

Low Customization
That kitchen you’ve always dreamed of? You may have found it, but the plan it's associated with doesn’t include the number of bedrooms you wanted. Or you find the perfect number of bedrooms but it has a huge dining area that you’re sure you’ll never use. Such is the needle-in-the-haystack manner of finding a floor plan that suits all of your needs when buying online. You may find something that meets some or most of your desired features but it's a rare find to tick all your boxes with a bought plan.

Energy Spent on Adjustment
The plan you thought was perfect may have only had suggestions for water and electricity line placement, but with your specific lot this may not be possible. You may need to have your plumber or electrician around much longer to work around this obstacle or hire an architect or designer to make the adjustments for you and to make matters worse, sometimes an architect may be forced to have the entire plan must be redone.

Like most things regarding building a custom home, this decision comes down to which option best suits your needs and priorities. However, we will strongly suggest considering an architect for your custom home. It avoids many otherwise unnecessary obstacles and creates a sense of security for your entire process of building a new home.

Choosing Exterior Materials For Your Custom Home

This Lake LBJ home utilizes a mix of materials. 

In this wonderful process of building a custom home choosing materials to use as exterior siding is one of the more important decisions you’ll make. As with almost every other aspect of your home, there are many factors to consider.

• Aesthetics

  A home’s curb appeal is not only important for resale value, it’s probably one of the reasons you’ve opted to build a custom home in the first place. Choosing a material that provides the look you desire is one of the great joys of customizing your new home. This one is totally subjective. Spend some time considering your options as they relate to the other considerations in this guide and the environment in which your home will be built. Would a white stone complement the wooded area around you as much as a wood or brick exterior? Need professional help with these questions, we always reccomend hiring an interior designer.

• Durability

  The big question when it comes to siding: which is the last man standing? Which material can outlast all the others, look amazing, and not break the bank? If there were a simple answer we wouldn’t have so much discussion around this topic. As far as durability goes brick wins the day in the eyes of many developers, builders, and clients alike. Brick can last generations with little to no maintenance, is generally fire-tested, and won’t get eaten up by insects.

• Cost

  We all generally want the most bang for our collective buck. Your project’s budget it something you definitely want to keep an eye on, however, your exterior is, as mentioned earlier, one of the more important decisions you’ll make in the custom home building process. Materials that are more durable, require less maintenance, and are resistant to weather and insects are going to be more expensive generally. This includes materials like natural clay brick and high-quality stone.

• Water Resistance

  If you’re in an area like South Texas, you may not be as concerned about water damage, considering we don’t have as much rain relative to an area like the Pacific Northwest. A material prone to water damage can mean repairs or replacements early and often. For example, wood is very vulnerable to water damage (as well as insects) while brick and stone alternatives are impervious to these effects.
  
  

• Maintenance

  Related to water resistance but on a bit of a broader scale, the recommended maintenance for your chosen exterior can affect not only your project budget but your calendar as well. Materials like engineered and natural wood may require painting and replacement on a 2-5 year basis. If you enjoy DIY on the weekends or plan to continuously work with a contractor for maintenance, this may not prove as vital a factor.

• Energy Efficiency

  In the Texas Hill Country when it comes to energy efficiency you want two things out of your exterior materials: keep heat out in the summer, keep heat in during the winter. Simple enough, right? Well, measuring the impact of the siding on your utility bill can be dependent on the location of your lot and its exposure to the elements. Generally though, brick is an excellent and very efficient choice if energy conservation is a priority for you.
  
  

• Installation Ease

  Since you will more than likely hire a contractor to do your exterior, this factor may seem irrelevant. However, if a material takes a lot of prep work, like stucco, or requires specialized tools or other materials, like fiber cement, the labor costs could drive up your project budget in a big way. Additionally, if and when the time comes for replacements and repairs you would need to plan another visit with your contractor. If you’re working with a good firm, this shouldn’t be too big of an issue. When you consider the importance of your exterior, we believe it’s well worth a little extra effort.
  
  Still having trouble making these tough decisions? We can help! Drop us an e-mail today!

The Importance of Working With An Interior Designer

DIY interior design is made to look so easy these days. Between Pinterest, Buzzfeed and all the great tutorials on YouTube the prospect of working with a professional interior designer may seem unnecessary. But make no mistake, DIY projects are not always as easy as that 2 minute video makes them out to be. An experienced interior designer brings a valuable skillset that, assumedly, you do not have. This skillset makes the process easy, efficient and budget friendly.
 

Work Smarter

Take The Pressure Off  
You’re under a mountain of stress during the home building process. Working with an interior designer can help to alleviate some of that worry. To know that your home is in good hands and not have to make every single decision that goes into designing the interior of your home will provide room for your mind to focus on other important things in your life.

Retain Your Most Precious Asset
The time you spend with your family, your friends, your hobbies, your business, your leisure time: it’s limited. Designing your own interior space will be time consuming. Between choosing color schemes and materials to locating furniture and comparing prices, the process can be tedious. This will be especially true considering interior design will likely be a new skill for you. Delegating the minutia of the process to an interior designer is a worthwhile investment.

Save Money

For those of you shying away at the idea of hiring an interior designer on account of budget concerns, consider this: a novice interior designer (presumably, you) is prone to make mistakes. These types of mistakes could include: overpaying for decoration items, choosing the wrong paint color, buying the wrong sized furniture and under budgeting. Now, these are just a few of the risks you take when tackling interior design alone. These types of mistakes are costly and could eventually bring you way over budget for your design project, if you’ve worked out a budget in the first place. An interior designer allows you to save money using a “do it once, do it right” mindset.

Improve Your Living Experience

Think of your favorite website. It probably has some nice color schemes, great font, and maybe some high quality photos on there. It may also have some great content, a blog with news that’s important to you, a valuable product, or stories that you love. Is that why you love this site so much? Could you get this content elsewhere and if so, why don’t you? The answer probably involves the experience you have when you interact with this website. The user experience (UX) is a huge part of what makes anything, not only websites, our favorite. Interior design isn’t simply about deciding if something looks good, it’s also deciding what is most functional for your lifestyle and maximizing the space in your home. This skill, the ability to parse out the vital and eliminate the unnecessary is why an experienced interior designer is so valuable.  
 

Your Vision Made Reality With Expert Precision

Expertise & Facilitation
any fear an interior designer would judge or dismiss their ideas, though quite the contrary is true. An experienced interior designer realizes this is not their home and that their role is to facilitate and guide your vision with an expert hand. You may know exactly what you want but aren’t sure where to find the materials. You may have a color scheme that you want to see throughout your home, but aren’t sure where to go from there. An interior designer knows exactly where to get the materials and the next steps to take to define your vision. This type of expertise helps to make that picture of a dream home that only exists in your head become a reality quickly, efficiently, and without the headache.  
 

See Past Your Biases
Part of the skill a professional brings is the ability to see beyond the raw materials present, or lack thereof. A designer can introduce you to new materials, styles and ideas that you may not have even known existed. A designer can also re-work ideas, patterns, styles and materials in ways you hadn’t yet imagined. This can help you to be bold with your home’s design and reimagine ideas you may have previously ruled out.

5 Considerations When Selecting A Lot For Your Custom Home

The best part about building a custom home is the actual customization. This home is going to be tailored to you, and only you. But of course, with great power comes great responsibility. We know that building a custom home from the dirt up, while liberating, can be an overwhelming undertaking as well. To help curb that anxiety we’ve put together a list of considerations to think about when taking that first step: selecting a lot for your custom home.

Set Your Priorities First

When you picture your dream home, what is most important to you? This is a very important question to pose to yourself before you begin this process. There is almost an endless number of different considerations to think about when choosing a lot, which is part of the reason this process may seem so daunting in the first place.

However, breaking down this process makes it a whole lot easier to tackle. So, ask yourself “What is most important to me?” If you’re an empty nester maybe quality of schools isn’t as big a concern. If you work from home maybe you don’t mind the commuter traffic in the morning. If you’re planning to utilize solar energy you may want a lot with plenty of exposure to the sun. Much of what makes something an important consideration depends entirely on the builder’s priorities.

The 5 considerations below are some of the most frequently named factors when clients ask themselves that all important question, “What’s most important to me?” Hopefully these will help you to create a better, more specific picture of your “must haves” and “can live withouts” when choosing a lot for your custom home.

1. Development  
   San Antonio and its surrounding areas are growing. A quiet lot in the Hill Country isn’t likely to stay quiet very long. Which, depending on your priorities and needs, could be a good or a bad thing. Either way, you’ll want to do some research on the city or county’s development plans in the area which your desired lot is located. Plans for development could mean your dream of a quiet place to escape the city aren’t going to be a good fit in that particular lot. Alternatively, future development could be a big bump in resale value down the road. We’ll talk more about resale value later!
    

2. Commute
   While it’s true that many people do work from home, the reality for the vast majority of us includes an average of 45 minutes to travel to and from work each day. The distance to work, grocery stores, schools, medical facilities, restaurants and shopping centers may be very important to you. If you use public transportation or bike to and from work, these factors may narrow down the number of lots that are a good fit for you pretty quickly. Alternatively, some people like a longer commute to disconnect from “work mode”, take in a favorite podcast or escape the city each day. Google Maps is a great tool for getting an estimate of what your commute will look like, but driving around the area during your regular commute times is a great marker as well.
    

3. Exposure & Utilities
   Do you plan on using solar energy and is it available for use on the potential lot? What type of exposure to the elements exists on the lot? Are you factoring in the utility bill that comes with living in South Texas during the summer time? These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself when thinking about exposure and utilities in your custom home. Everything from wind direction and the location of utility lines to cell phone service and flood risk could play a vital role in whether or not the lot is a good fit for your home. There are certain risks some people are willing to take and others that may rule out a potential lot completely.
    

4. Zoning & Restrictions
   Zoning rules and building restrictions can be tricky. It’s important to ask plenty of questions (specific questions) and always read the fine print. A lot zoned in an area specified for commercial use could have you building next door to the future site of a heavily trafficked grocery store or gas station. Even residentially zoned areas may have their limitations with building restrictions that allow for only one or two structures on the property. If it’s a historical neighborhood there may be even more restrictions you’ll want to make yourself familiar with. Remember, ask plenty of questions.
    

5. Resale Value
   This is the one you’ve heard before. Everyone talks about how very important resale value is in the custom home building process. And they’re not wrong, however, as we’ve stated numerous times this is your custom home. Custom being the operative word there. If this is your forever home and you never want to move again, resale value may not be very important to you. If this is your first home and you think you may move soon, then go ahead and put this on the top of your list.
    

This process doesn’t have to be a scary one. It’s an exciting time, you’re getting ready to build the custom home of your dreams. With the combination of priority setting and utilization of resources (like this blog!) finding the perfect lot for your home can be a much simpler process than you think!