The stairway leads to an upstairs with a master suite plus three secondary bedrooms. Hermanson has a design team that works to make his furnished models stand out.
RIGHT: Sunlight reflects off the ceramic tile floor in the main-level solarium.
The main level features a huge kitchen which blends into the family room. The island serves a variety of functions.
Completing an average of two houses a month lets builder concentrate on each one.
Date published: 4/30/2006
By RICHARD AMRHINE
As the real estate market cools down from the frenzied pace of recent years, competition for buyers heats up. For builders, especially the regional guys who don't enjoy the deep pockets and wide exposure of their national counterparts, the need to stand out from the crowd is paramount.
Builder Gary Hermanson will build most of the 20 to 25 houses he'll complete this year in Stafford County. They'll be luxury homes priced between about $650,000 and $750,000, with the materials, fit and finish that buyers in that price range demand.
"I'm getting a lot of repeats and referrals," said Hermanson, which tells him he must be doing something right.
He has owned or co-owned a building company for the past 12 years, and before that he did "just about everything" in the construction industry. That's when he learned to differentiate between solid and shoddy building techniques, and how important it is to keep the same subcontractors year in and year out.
"You could have two identical houses built right next to each other, based on the same plans, and one will be a good house while the other one will be junk," he said. "It all depends on the guys who built it, and whether they care about what they do."
Hermanson has two lots left in Ashburn Hills, a small subdivision of three-acre parcels off U.S. 17 a couple of miles north of Hartwood Road. From there he'll shift his focus to a new section of Queen's Guard, another few minutes north on U.S. 17. He's built there in the past.
He recently sold his model home at Ashburn Hills, a version of the Lincoln model he'll continue to build at Queen's Guard.
With 4,257 square feet on the two main levels alone, the Lincoln could support five bedrooms. That means its four bedrooms are comfortably large.
The main level has all the rooms you would expect, including an expansive island kitchen. The trim and color choices made by Hermanson's designers are aimed at providing a fresh look that will stay in potential buyers' minds. The countertops are mottled Italian granite, and the oversized "farm sink," with its built-in towel bar, is a change of pace from the usual style. The tumble-stone backsplash adds beauty while it protects the wall.
