Tag Archives: custom home builder

Stone Creek Custom Homes Wins MYSA’s Reader’s Choice Award!

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Every year, MYSA presents its Reader’s Choice Awards, which highlights San Antonio’s favorites and awards three winners in a whopping 170 categories under 13 different sections.

We are thrilled to announce that Stone Creek Custom Homes won 2nd Place in the “Custom Home Builders” section under “Our City Winners” this year, and we are just over the moon about it!

“We won first place a few years back, so this is the second time we have placed, and we are just as honored to be recognized by our San Antonio community. It means a lot to all of us!” says owner, Jason Gale.

It’s truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who are committed to providing our customers with the best possible experience and the ultimate satisfaction in their new home.

Building your dream home is a huge investment, and we believe that what makes us special is our commitment to complete customization. We offer our customers the opportunity to design their home from the ground up, with no detail too small. We work with our customers every step of the way to ensure that their vision is fully realized.

We are also proud of our dedication to quality. We use only the finest materials and construction techniques, and we take great pride in our work. We want our customers to be happy in their homes for years to come. We are so grateful to all of our customers, vendors and staff for their support. We couldn’t have won this award without you.

If you, too, are looking for a truly one-of-a-kind custom home builder in San Antonio or the surrounding Texas Hill Country who will go above and beyond to build your dream home, then we encourage you to contact us today at 210-494-5400. We would be honored to partner with you on this momentous journey.

Thank you, San Antonio!

The Board and Batten Fad!

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If you’re a fan of rustic or farmhouse-style design, you’ve probably seen board and batten accent walls popping up all over Pinterest and Instagram. It’s a look that’s really in style right now, according to Jason Gale, owner of Stone Creek Custom Homes.

“What I find funny is everyone used to put the siding on the back in subdivisions where you have to have 75% masonry to hide it. Nowadays, people are putting it on the front and doing rock or stucco in the back because that’s the look they want!” he said.

But what exactly is a board and batten accent wall, and why is it such an exciting trend in home design?

As a Texas-based luxury home builder, we’re here to answer those questions and give you some ideas for incorporating this trend into your new or current home.

Board and batten is a type of siding that’s been used in traditional American architecture for centuries. It consists of wide, vertical boards (the “boards”) with narrow strips of wood (the “battens”) covering the gaps between them. This creates a textured, three-dimensional look that can add visual interest and depth to any wall. It’s becoming a more popular choice as opposed to using paint or wallpaper on an accent wall.

Of course, we love to incorporate this imaginative style into our client’s new custom homes, but you can also add one to an existing home, if you like to DIY! To create a board and batten accent wall, you’ll need to start with a smooth, flat surface. You may need to remove any existing trim or molding and use drywall to smooth out the surface.

Once you have a smooth surface, you can start adding the boards and battens. You can use pre-made board and batten siding, or you can create your own by cutting the boards and battens to size. The boards are usually 6-8 inches wide, and the battens are 1-2 inches wide. You can space the boards and battens however you like, but the most common spacing is about 12 inches between each board.

Now comes the fun part – choosing a design for your board and batten accent wall. You can create a simple, classic look with straight boards and battens, or you can get creative with different shapes and patterns. Some popular designs include X-shaped patterns, chevron patterns, and even diamond-shaped patterns. Truly, sky’s the limit here!

Incorporating different colors and finishes can also add visual appeal. You can paint the boards and battens different colors, or use different stains or finishes to create a textured, multi-dimensional look.

Whether we’re building a beautiful new dream home for you or you’re simply wanting to update your current space, a board and batten accent wall is a trend worth exploring. It can add character and charm to any room, and with so many design options, it’s a great way to express your personal style.

At Stone Creek Custom Homes, we’re always excited to incorporate unique and original design elements into our homes, and we think board and batten accent walls are a perfect example of that.

Why Finding the Right Property for Your New Custom Home is Important

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One of the most valuable things that we at Stone Creek Custom Homes offer our clients is help with lot selection. This is a service that’s overlooked by many home builders, but if you’re investing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more into a new custom home project, don’t you think every aspect of that project should be carefully considered? We certainly do.

Perhaps you already own a piece of land. We find that about half of the clients that come to us already have a lot in mind, which is perfectly fine. We’re equipped to build on any kind of topography. Part of our job is to go in and dissect it to determine how best to utilize it.

However, if you don’t already have a lot picked out, it’s extremely beneficial for you to include us in the process. It’s one of the things that our Director of Sales, Brad Ynostrosa, really enjoys doing for our clients and is equally skilled at doing.

Why Lot Selection is Important

When most people think of a natural piece of land they don’t realize how varied each lot can really be. When you have a custom home built, it’s necessary to pick a lot that best suits your plan in order to minimize slab exposure as well as cost.

One of the first things Brad asks new clients is, “Do you know where you plan to build your house?” If the answer is no, he jumps into action. Many factors should be considered, such as your geographical preference, ideal school district and cost. It’s likely that anywhere you’ve considered living, we’ve built a house in that neighborhood.

Not only can we make recommendations, but we can put you in touch with land experts. We help our clients identify trouble areas or red flags such as trees and easements. Here are just a few things we look at when helping clients determine the best piece of land for their new home:

  • Will the topography greatly affect the cost of your foundation? If it’s going to cost an extra 40k, for example, it may be best to look elsewhere.
  • Is natural gas available on the lot? Is that important to you?
  • What other fees might impact you, such as a water meter tap?

Even if you’re only at the very beginning stages of perusing land options, please consider giving us a call at 210-494-5400. We’d love to help!  To be added to our private email list to receive the newsletter, please sign up here.

Xeriscaping: Beautiful and Sustainable Landscaping for Your Home

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Living in Texas, especially South Texas, means water is almost as precious as gold. Water restrictions are just a part of daily life, and nothing suffers more for it than our lawns. If you’re looking to build a new house or are considering landscaping alternatives, consider xeriscaping.

If you’re not familiar with the term, xeriscaping is landscaping and gardening that minimizes the need for supplemental water from irrigation by using plants natural to the environment. In fact, a xeriscaped yard uses about half the water of a traditional yard.

Other Benefits of Xeriscaping:

-          No need for pesticides or fertilizers.

-          It’s pollution free.

-          It creates a natural habitat for your local wildlife.

-          It requires a lot less maintenance, so it’s perfect for families who are always on the go or travel a lot.

-          Drought-proofing with Xeriscaping is a great way to improve the value of your property.

Beautiful and Green (sustainable)

Unfortunately, xeriscaping has earned a bad reputation as being unattractive. Sure, this type of landscaping means that you may not have an endless carpet of feather-soft grass in your front yard, but let’s face it, even with unlimited watering, that’s just not realistic. Still, this doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice beauty for practicality.

At Stone Creek Custom Homes, we work with some of the best landscape designers who seamlessly combine their knowledge with your own personal aesthetics to create a stunning outdoor environment for our client’s new homes.

Here are some things to keep in mind for your own Xeriscaped yard:

-          If you like to have a colorful yard, you can plant native wildflowers that are as hardy as they are gorgeous.

-          Use structures like walkways, pavers, stairs, a small bridge or other aesthetic elements, such as fountains, to minimize the need for plant life.

-          Make sure to consider the overall style of your home to help inspire the outdoor environment.

-          If you want to do some pre-planning and designing on your own, make a sun chart that delineates how much sun and where your property gets throughout the day. This will help you properly match the right plants with your home’s sunlight exposure.

-          Get your soil analyzed. You can send in samples to your local agricultural government office. This will help you determine what plants are realistically sustainable on your land and where your soil might need to be augmented.

Feel free to call us at your convenience at 210-494-5400 to discuss your own home and xeriscaping needs! Also, if you’d like to be added to our private email list to receive the newsletter, please sign up here.

More Kitchen, Less Kitsch

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For some of us, the kitchen is where we spend the majority of our time. High tech appliances and current trends are making kitchens more inviting than our living rooms. So if your family likes to gather around the kitchen, even when it’s not dinnertime, here are a few yummy ideas to consider for your next kitchen:

KITCHEN CONNECTIONS:  The kitchen is often a hub for home owners’ electronics. Two-thirds of NKBA (National Kitchen & Bath Association) kitchen designers said they’re now incorporating docking and charging stations in kitchen remodels. Fifty-six percent said they included a flat-screen TV – so you don’t miss Manu’s 3-pointers while grabbing a snack.

ENERGY SAVINGS:  Home owners are always on the look-out for energy savings. Sixty percent of home designers expect energy-saving appliances to be in higher demand this year. Water-saving kitchen faucets are another energy-saver worth incorporating into your new kitchen. As far as finishes go, satin nickel is still a gorgeous choice.

OPEN SHELVING:  If you want to showcase your beautiful dishes or glassware, consider open shelving. Not only does it create an airy, fun feel to the kitchen, but it personalizes the space and allows you to show off that wedding china or other unique items. Not recommended if you’re a messy cook!

OPEN FLOOR PLAN:  Beyond open shelving, open kitchen floor plan designs are in much higher demand than a traditional closed kitchen space. This is a great design to incorporate for active families who like to host parties. Just remember that everyone will be able to see what you’re doing in the kitchen. You’ll also need to consider how the kitchen décor will complement the rest of the house.

KITCHEN SINKS:  With the growing popularity of warm metal fixtures and wood cabinets, consider a plain white kitchen sink or even a colored kitchen sink as opposed to traditional stainless steel. Imagine a striking canary yellow or a beautiful blue to help the kitchen pop!

LOOK UP:  Ceiling design is a lovely way to stylize your kitchen and make it an incredible showpiece. Statement-making ceilings are hot! You can use lighting, bulkheads, coffer ceilings or even murals, if you want to go nuts, to enhance your kitchen ceiling.

Remember to beware of flash-in-the-pan trends, such as crazy colors or design choices that may date your home. Custom home designs and all of the intricate decisions you’ll face are what we do best! Give us a call us at 210-494-5400 to get started.