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ABOVE: Hermanson Homes Lincoln model in Ashburn Hills off U.S. 17 in Stafford has 4,257 square feet of living space and sits
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 open breakfast area of Hermanson Homes' Lincoln model in Ashburn Hills allows plenty of light to enter.
The main level features a huge kitchen which blends into |
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.
The oversized island is particularly functional, with cabinets all around and a small supplemental stainless-steel sink.
The adjacent breakfast area blends into the step-down family room. There is an inviting fireplace and a virtual wall of windows for a view of the large, wooded lot.
In addition to the study off the foyer and the formal living and dining rooms, the Lincoln model offers the optional solarium that brings the benefits of a screened porch indoors.
The main level has wide-plank hardwood flooring throughout. There are front and rear staircases to provide convenient access to the second floor.
Upstairs, the huge master suite includes a sitting room with optional fireplace. The luxury master bathroom has a separate step-up tub and shower, which uses Listello decorative tiles. Beve Remington, Hermanson's new-homes consultant, points out that more owners are choosing clear glass shower enclosures to exhibit not themselves, but rather the custom tile work they are choosing.
Flanking the master bath are separate his and hers walk-in closets. Of the three secondary bedrooms, one has its own bathroom and the other two share a bathroom in a Jack-and-Jill arrangement.
The laundry room also is upstairs, which happens to be where most people's dirty clothes are.
The basement in the model is unfinished, but accounts for another 1,600 square feet of space. Plans call for an additional bedroom and bathroom down there, plus recreation, exercise and storage areas.
The unfinished basement lets prospective buyers see the engineered flooring system that has become the choice of many builders.
"I guess I was one of the last builders to go with the engineered system," said Hermanson. "I wanted to wait until it was a proven product, which it is."
The fact that the system spans greater distances unsupported provides greater basement floor-plan flexibility and lets buyers decide how they want to use the space.
Hermanson, 54, said he considers himself a semi-custom builder in that he's willing to make significant changes to his standard house plans if a buyer has a workable idea.
"I don't want to reinvent the wheel, but we'll do what we can to meet a buyer's wishes," he said.
He thinks that is a particularly healthy outlook, because some buyers have such good ideas that he's incorporated them into his standard offerings.
The single-story solarium, for example, creates a rooftop outside the Lincoln's master bathroom. It's very attractive, with its picket railing, but there's no access to it; it's just for show. Hermanson said one buyer who was willing to sacrifice a bit of walk-in closet space asked for a door to provide access to the rooftop. The idea caught on with subsequent buyers.
A house's exterior merits plenty of attention to detail as well, Hermanson said. This model has a brick front complemented by beaded siding and 30-year roof shingles which have become standard in the price range. Hermanson has also upgraded to 6-inch gutters to handle rainwater more efficiently than standard 4-inchers can.
The model comes with a three-car side-loading garage.
Ready for delivery this summer at Ashburn Hills will be Hermanson's Taylor model. It measures 3,643 square feet of finished space, not including the basement, and offers a main-level master suite.
To reach RICHARD AMRHINE:
Email: ramrhine@freelancestar.com
