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101 Blog Post Ideas For Home BuildersBy Patricia Garcia, BDX Content Manager

Now that you’ve created a blog for your website and have been posting regularly, you’ve probably found that it’s getting … harder! Do you feel as though you’ve written all there is to know about your company and new homes? Don’t worry — it happens to the best of us: writers’ block or just plain writer’s fatigue plagues every writer.

There’s no doubt that you can offer your buyers with pertinent information about their home or fun facts, but if you’re coming up short on blog topics, we have compiled 101 ideas to help keep your blog filled with timely content (set up by topic, no less):

It’s All About You, Your Buyers and New Homes:

  1. Meet Our Team: Spotlight team members by asking them to answer questions like, “What are your hobbies?”, to bring a human face to the company.
  2. Who Are We? (Write about the company’s history, heritage, philosophy, awards, etc.)
  3. Ask Our Experts (Interview subject-matter experts from your company to offer useful information to homebuyers and homeowners on financing, designing, etc.)
  4. Model Home Spotlight
  5. Spotlight on Community Amenities/Features (What are some of the most attractive features of your community?)
  6. How We Work with Independent Realtors
  7. Did You Know … ? (Fun facts about the company and newly built homes — you can create your own infographics with Infogram (http://infogr.am/) or other similar sites.)
  8. Connect with Us Online! (Include all of the ways buyers and prospective clients can follow you on social media.)
  9. How Do You Compare? (Use the metrics in your Local Market Toolkit to compare your stats. Don’t have a Local Market Toolkit? Email info@thebdx.com.
  10. Where Do Our Buyers Come From? (Create a map with pins showing where your buyers hail from.)
  11. Start Fresh. Buy New. (Use the factoids, graphics and videos on http://startfresh.newhomesource.com/ to help buyers learn about the benefits of newly built homes.)
  12. Room of the Week (Buyer-generated content: ask homeowners to send photos of a certain room in the home, then post the top 3 to show examples of great design, etc.)
  13. What’s Your Favorite Part of Your New Home? (Collect stories and comments or survey new homeowners.)
  14. My Town, My Street: Why Moving to Your Town/City is a Good Bet for Relocating Buyers
  15. Hottest Upgrades and Options (Buyer preference stats)
  16. Mythbusting: The Truth About New Homes
  17. It’s Not Just Pretty: What are the design and construction techniques you use in the building process
  18. Top 10 Upgrades That Pay Off at Resale
  19. Meet the Folks Who Run Your Homeowners Association
  20. Our Favorite Homes from TV and the Movies
  21. What Do Homebuyers Typically Buy After Moving In?
  22. Share the Love: Cite content from sister or partner sites that support newly constructed homes or offer guest posts from reputable partners.
  23. Lights, Camera, Action: Sharing the Excitement of Your New Home’s Construction (Encourage your buyers to document and share their new home journey through online tools such as Facebook and Pinterest.)

The Nuts & Bolts of Homeownership:

  1. Simple Scheduled Maintenance (Include monthly or seasonal tips for maintaining a new home — how-to videos, anyone?)
  2. What does a new home buyer’s tool kit look like? (Tools new home buyers need!)
  3. Glossary of Common Terms New Homebuyers Should Know
  4. We’ve Got Your Covered: What to Know About Your Warranties
  5. What to Know About Builder Allowances
  6. Why You Should Welcome the New Neighbors (And How)
  7. What to Know About Warranty Requests
  8. Are Solar Panels Right for My Home?
  9. Inspections and Walkthroughs (What buyers need to know, what to expect and what to look for)
  10. What’s a Punch List?
  11. Pests: What to Know and How to Keep Them at Bay
  12. Parade of Homes (Getting the most from your local POH and spotlight any of the company’s homes being featured.)
  13. Get It Sold: Tips for a Selling Your Old Home Faster
  14. Protecting Your New Home from Inclement Weather
  15. Emergency Preparedness: Create a Plan for the Family
  16. Flooring for Your Lifestyle (What are some things to consider when choosing flooring: spouse or child with asthma, pets, etc.)
  17. Is a Finished Basement Right for You?
  18. What Buyers Should Know about Energy Efficiency (Explain what a HERS score is and why it’s important for their home.)
  19. Heat It Up: How to Safely Heat Your Home
  20. Specialty Housing: Over 50 Housing, Multigenerational Housing, Universal Design, etc.
  21. Dust, Allergens and Other Things That Make You Feel Miserable (what to know and how to fight it)
  22. Creating Community Groups
  23. Home Hacks (Buyer-generated content: Ask buyers for any home & garden tips/tricks. Example: Use fake spider webs for a spooky effect during Halloween— and for collecting fallen leaves after.)

 Show Me the Money:

  1. Financing 101
  2. Understanding Credit Scores
  3. Insurance 101
  4. First-time Buyer? What Your Need to Know About Financing a New Home
  5. New Homes and Taxes (What to know about taxes, credit, etc.)
  6. What to Know About Closing Costs
  7. Types of Home Loans – And Which Is the Best One for You?

‘Tis the Season:

  1. How to Protect Your Home This Holiday Season
  2. Preparing Your Lawn for the Winter, Spring, Fall and Summer
  3. Spring Cleaning Made Easy
  4. Earth Day feature: Let Us Count the Ways: Your Eco-Conscious Efforts
  5. Earth Day feature: Household Products That Will Help You Save Water
  6. Happy New Year: Creating a Home Gym in your New Home
  7. Holiday Hosting: A Survival Guide for You and Your New Home
  8. Holiday Guide to Hosting in Your New Home
  9. Tastefully Decorating Your New Home for Halloween and Christmas

Designing/Decorating:

  1. Pet-Washing Stations and Other Pet-Friendly Home Features
  2. Creating an Accent Wall That Creates Pop, Not Headaches
  3. The Change-up: Changing Your Walls Without Paint, Wallpaper or a Headache
  4. How to Organize Your New Home
  5. How to Design a Hip and Cool Kids Room
  6. Designing on a Budget
  7. What’s the Difference? (Explain the difference in architectural styles and design styles.)
  8. Is Your Home Kid-Safe?
  9. Is Your Home Pet-Safe?
  10. Color Trends (Paint, upholstery, etc.)
  11. Trends in Master Bathrooms
  12. Laundry Rooms to Make You Swoon
  13. Design Trend of the Moment (Animals, gray, distressed wood looks, etc.)
  14. Mud Rooms: What Are They and How to Best Utilize Them in Your Home
  15. What’s the Right Kind of Lighting for Your Home?
  16. The Coolest Home Automation Products
  17. It’s Easy Being Green: Products that Will Save Energy, Water — and Money
  18. Home Design Sites We Love

Outdoor Living:

  1. Enhancing Your Patio with an Outdoor Kitchen
  2. Is Rain Harvesting For You?
  3. What Plants Work with Your Home and Area
  4. Grass Not for You? Alternatives to a Grass Lawn
  5. What’s Hot in Outdoor Living
  6. Curb Appeal: How a Well-Landscaped Yard Can Add Value to Your Home
  7. To Deck or Not to Deck?
  8. Garden Tools You Should Never Be Without
  9. Zoned Out: What Zone Are You? (Guide to hardiness zones with links to local nurseries.)
  10. Water Fun: Is a Swimming Pool a Good Bet?

What’s Next?

  1. Recipes and Ideas for the Ultimate Housewarming Party
  2. Tips for Moving to a New City
  3. Tips for Spending the First Night in Your New Home
  4. Moving with Kids
  5. Moving with Pets
  6. How to Move In Without Destroying Your New Home
  7. Getting to Know You: Meeting the Neighbors
  8. Getting Acquainted with the Neighborhood
  9. Living Naturally: All-Natural Cleaning Products You Already Have in Your Home
  10. Best Apps for Your Home
  11. Avoiding Clutter in Your New Home

Don’t underestimate the news and pop culture for inspiration too. Remember the hubbub about the mortgage interest deduction a few months back? As a home builder, you are at the forefront of the industry and can best deliver a thoughtful and informative post about what homeowners should know — and you can help dispel any misinformation at the same time.

Finding inspiration for your blog can come from anywhere, so always be on the lookout for good fodder, especially success stories from homebuyers. Happy writing!

Patricia Garcia is the content manager for BDX.

By BDX Guest Blogger, Carol Morgan, mRELEVANCE

How many fans does your Facebook page have? 100? 500? 1,000? 10,000? Now, how many of those “fans” are actually engaging with your company? More likely than not, not as many as you’d like. While gaining new fans on any social media site these days can be done through social media advertising, actually getting them to like, comment, retweet, share, etc. is something that must be done organically. And, according to Hubspot, photos are a great way to engage fans and solve this challenge. In fact, Facebook posts that include photos receive 53 percent more likes and 104 percent more comments than the average post.

Sounds impressive? It is. However, Facebook isn’t the only place marketers are seeing picture engagement. The rise of Pinterest and Instagram over the past year has also played an important role in determining that pictures really are worth more than one thousand words.

By posting more photos on Facebook, you’re not only increasing engagement, but also increasing EdgeRank, which is Facebook’s visibility algorithm based on user interaction. The higher your EdgeRank, the more likely it is your content is showing up in your followers’ newsfeeds.

Does this mean that your page should strictly start posting photos? No. Variety is still essential. Just like no one wants to see a Facebook page filled with just text statuses, they also don’t want to see just photos. However, you can spice up your links by posting a photo from your post as the main status with the link URL in the description or comments section. In fact, by posting a photo with a link, you are increasing your odds of getting a click through by 84 percent.

So, what’s the main takeaway? Photos are important. Make sure you are taking lots of them and sharing them everywhere you can in order to get the most bang for your buck in terms of social media.

If you’re company is looking to visually engage customers in order to increase your ROI, contact Marketing RELEVANCE.

 

By: Builders Digital Experience

As housing continues to recover, it is important to make sure you are building homes with features potential buyers actually want.  The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently surveyed 3,682 home buyers to see “What Home Buyers Really Want” when purchasing a home.  The results were quite interesting, as people’s preferences and priorities have changed quite a bit over the past couple of years. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the size of new homes has steadily increased over the past three years to 2,524 sq. ft. in 2012.  Additionally, the number of homes with three or more baths and three car garages has gone up.  And as you might expect, the average sales price of homes has increased for the last three years since bottoming out in 2009; the average price in 2012 was $279,000.

It is no secret that resale homes are still outselling new.  In order to capture this share of the market, a new home must have the functionality and features that a used home cannot offer.  The survey suggests removing rooms people don’t use from your floor plans and add that space into places where they spend the most time, such as a separate media room or into a larger master suite.  A kitchen continues to be one of the most important rooms in a person’s house.  Make your kitchens more interactive – 85 percent of respondents want a table space for eating and 76 percent still want a central island. 

We live in a fast-paced society that is always on the go, so why not add features that are convenient and meet the needs of today’s lifestyles?  Seventy-four percent of respondents said they like an open floor plan where the kitchen flows into the living room.  With more people being environmentally conscious, green features have become very important.  Ninety-four percent of buyers said they want Energy Star appliances in their home and 91 percent want an Energy Star rating for the entire home – an older home can have upgrades that are energy efficient, but it will never be as efficient as a new home.  Community amenities featuring resort-style pools, hike and bike trails, great schools in or near the community with easy accessibility to shopping can also have a serious influence on buyers. 

Below is the complete list of the most wanted – and least wanted – characteristics home buyers want in a new home, followed by the percentage:

The Most Wanted List

  • Energy Star-rated appliances — 94 percent
  • Laundry room — 93 percent
  • Energy Star-rating for the whole home — 91 percent
  • Exhaust fan in bathroom — 90 percent
  • Exterior Lighting — 90 percent
  • Bathroom Linen Closet — 90 percent
  • Energy Star-rated windows — 89 percent
  • Ceiling fans — 88 percent
  • Garage Storage — 86 percent
  • Table space for eating in kitchen — 85 percent
  • Walk-in kitchen pantry — 85 percent

The Unwanted List

  • Elevator — 70 percent
  • Golf course community — 66 percent
  • High-density community — 56 percent
  • Only a shower stall in master bath — 51 percent
  • Gated community — 48 percent
  • Mixed-use community — 44 percent
  • Two-story family room — 43 percent
  • Wine cooler — 42 percent
  • Wet bar — 41 percent
  • Laminate countertop — 40 percent
  • Two-story entry foyer — 38 percent
  • Laundry chute — 32 percent
  • Outdoor kitchen — 31 percent
  • Game room — 31 percent
  • His & Her baths — 31 percent
  • Glass front cabinets — 31 percent
  • Countertop — 30 percent

We all know that a new home provides a care-free lifestyle so that homeowners can enjoy their home, not work on it.  Let us help you sell that message to today’s buyers by showcasing your homes with area photos, videos and renderings.  To learn more about our packages, please click here.

By Jay McKenzie, VP/General Manager, BDX

To identify the latest trends in cutting-edge custom homes–and the wish-lists of custom home buyers—the editors of Custom Builder Magazine survey their builder readers annually.

Their latest survey offers a fascinating look at the features and amenities that custom home buyers are asking for today in their new homes.

The most commonly-sought features of custom homes include: his and hers home offices, outdoor kitchens, and stand-alone guest casitas. More rarified amenities include: personal art galleries, auto showrooms, trophy rooms — and, especially in Texas, that oh-so-necessary saddle room!

At the same time, custom builders report their clients want smaller, but still luxurious homes. Energy efficiency and green building are also very much on the minds of custom home buyers. The “Not So Big House” movement–sparked by a series of New York Times best-selling books from noted architect and author Sarah Susanka–has clearly taken root in the minds of custom home buyers and builders alike.

According to Custom Builder Magazine’s December 2010 Survey, here’s what’s on the mind of custom home buyers and builders:

CUSTOM HOMES ARE GETTING SMALLER

  • Custom builders report the typical home they’re building is 3,000 to 3,500 square feet.
  • If there was any doubt the era of McMansions (homes with exorbitant square footage and corresponding utility bills) is kaput, this study should confirm the trend is toward smaller, but still highly-amenitized homes
  • Nearly 35% of custom builders are building somewhat smaller homes (up to 9% smaller in square footage) compared to three years ago
  • Nearly 15% of builders are building significantly smaller homes (more than 10% smaller) than in the past

HOWEVER, CUSTOM HOMES REMAIN LUXURIOUS and HIGHLY-PERSONALIZED:

TOP 12 FEATURES & AMENITIES CUSTOM BUILDERS SAY HOME BUYERS ARE ASKING FOR:

  1. Master Suite Retreat                                    67.3%
  2. His/Hers Home Offices                             47.1%
  3. Home Theatre                                               38.3%
  4. Outdoor Kitchen                                          35.9%
  5. In-Law Suite                                                 26.6%
  6. Craft/Hobby Room                                     21.3%
  7. Bar/Pub Space                                              15.5%
  8. Guest Casita                                                  10.8%
  9. Art Gallery                                                      2.3%
  10. Automobile Showroom                               2.0%
  11. Trophy Room                                                 1.5%
  12. Saddle Room                                                  1.0%

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE CUSTOM HOME BUYER: MOVING UP AND DOWN

Many members of the huge “age wave” of Baby Boom homebuyers are in their peak earning years, driving the largest segment of custom home demand from move-up buyers seeking larger, more opulent homes.

At the same time, older Boomers are starting to arrive on the threshold of retirement. Many of them are opting for smaller, move-down custom homes.

Whether moving up or down in size, both the younger and older age segments within the vast, overall  Baby Boom generation are key drivers in the custom home market. Their needs and desires are reflected in the varied types of homes that custom home builders are creating:

  • 79.5% of buyers are building their dream move-up home
  • 31.3% want a retirement home
  • 25.7% desire a vacation or weekend retreat
  • 23.1% are move-down buyers, who seek a smaller, easier to care for home

“HAVING IT ALL” IN YOUR CUSTOM HOME INCREASINGLY MEANS PLANNING TO AGE IN PLACE AND ACCOMODATE ELDERLY RELATIVES AND “BOOMERANG” KIDS

  • Custom builders report that a large and growing segment of their clients are buyers seeking a new home where they can age in place…while also providing living space for elderly relatives and/or boomerang kids
  • The increasing preference for guest casitas and in-law suites reflects this growing trend toward multiple-generation households sharing a single home
  • Burnette Builders of Austin, Texas has built three homes in the last 18 months with elevators. As Grady Burnette told Custom Builder Magazine, “The clients don’t need the elevator now, but they see it as something they’re going to need later, for themselves or some member of their family.”

HOW BIG IS THE IMPACT OF THE AGING BOOMER GENERATION ON THE CUSTOM HOME (AND OVERALL HOME) MARKET?

As the Stanford Center on Longevity notes, the number of Americans 65 years or older will double in the next 30 years. However, the youngest members of this age group will take with them their fierce individuality (this is the generation that invented rock and roll) and an inherently much “younger” attitude toward life, themselves, and their housing needs than any prior 65+ age group.

This trend will affect every aspect of American life and housing. The chart below from the Stanford Center captures what this age wave will look like: 

AMENITIES AND FEATURES VARY WIDELY DEPENDING UPON AGE, INCOME, LIFESTYLE AND NEEDS

Despite the pronounced age wave above, it’s important to note that the single largest group of custom home buyers is still comprised of consumers in their peak income-earning years, age 45-55.

These younger affluent buyers drive the move-up home market. Many are seeking the latest amenities, state of the art home theatres, elaborate outdoor kitchens, highly personalized spaces and more.

Conversely, buyers age 55-65 make up nearly a quarter of the custom home market. Many of these buyers prefer smaller, but still highly personalized and upscale homes.

Powering the wish lists of custom home buyers are demographics that include enviable household incomes and an eagerness to invest in quality homes, crafted for their needs. Builders surveyed by Custom Builder Magazine reported that:

  • 37% of their custom home buyers have a household income of $250,000 or more
  • Nearly 31% plan to spend $250,000 to $500,000 for their home
  • Nearly 25% are budgeting $500,000 to $750,000 for their new home
  • More than 19% plan to spend $1 million or more on their custom home.

ENERGY EFFICIENT AND GREEN FEATURES ARE IMPORTANT TO NEARLY 80% OF BUYERS—AND THE TYPES & MOTIVATIONS OF GREEN HOME BUYERS ARE SURPRISINGLY VARIED AND DIVERSE

Across all of these custom home price points, both move-up and move-down buyers share a common trait: a deep and growing interest in energy-efficiency and green building.

In presentations to leading Home Building Associations (HBA’s) across the country, our CEO Tim Costello describes the many faces of green building. There are many types of green buyers with surprisingly diverse motivations for “going green” in new homes.

Green buyer types include Concerned Mothers, Patriots, Conservationists, Penny Pinchers, Self Global Citizens and more. Motivations of green buyers include saving money on energy bills, building a healthier home for themselves and their family, and reducing their impact on the environment.

Regardless of the buyer type and motivation, green building and energy efficiency are clearly climbing the list of “must-have” features that more custom home buyers are incorporating into their new homes.

Not surprisingly, green and energy-efficiency are also top of mind with the best custom home builders. These building professionals are fanning the flames of buyer interest to lead the market towards better and more sustainable housing, via new homes that provide superior indoor air quality, energy and cost savings, and designs that reflect the way we live today.

Custom Builder Magazine’s Survey documents this trend: Nearly 80% of custom builders surveyed stated that energy efficient and green features are important to their clients.

CUSTOM HOME BUYERS: A SURPRISINGLY DIVERSE GROUP

  • Move-up buyers seeking the homes of their dreams
  • Move-down buyers seeking quality and stylish homes
  • Vacation and weekend homes
  • Retirement homes
  • Personalized spaces for individual lifestyles
  • Multiple generations under a single roof
  • Home theatres, outdoor kitchens, his and hers home offices
  • The many types of green buyers

Based on the trends and survey results above, one thing is clear: Today’s custom homes are limited only by the imagination and desires of homebuyers and the talents and vision of custom home builders.

To search the finest custom homes and builders in the nation, please visit www.CustomNewHomes.com.

To learn more about Builders Digital Experience (BDX) and our family of websites for consumers to select a new home, please visit www.TheBDX.com.