Newsletter February 2001

We’ll  Build Your Plan

We are well known for the innovative house designs of our model homes with many of these plans premiering as Parade Homes. We are less known for the custom designed homes we build for many of our customers. Custom homes currently under construction or in final design stages include quite a variety. One is a single level walk-out with an A-frame look and soaring ceilings overlooking a wooded hillside. Another is a nearly 6,000 square foot all-brick 2 story with about one square mile of window area overlooking a lake. This home has a curved staircase both to the second floor and to the basement. In Fond du Lac, a 5,000 square foot home under construction looks down a hill at the city vista and a glimpse of the lake. Another home in that city has a full stone front and a floorplan designed around views of a 200 year old oak tree and a pond.. In the town of Menasha we are building a 4,000 square foot home on the edge of a bird-watcher’s paradise, with views carefully crafted in three directions. We are building 2 homes with first floor master suites and 2 others of nearly 3,000 square feet that have all the space on one floor.

All of these homes are designed to reflect the owners’ very specific needs and wants. Along the way it is typical to eventually involve up to 5 or 6 of the Andrew Homes team members in fine-tuning the custom design of each home. Even though these home designs are not our model home designs, we often take the owners through our models to help them understand some element of their custom home plan. It may be the size of the family room or a certain high-ceiling feature they think they would like but can’t quite visualize.

Some of the owners’ plans start as magazine plans that we modify for them and some start with a blank sheet of paper and a high energy brainstorming session. We are known for having great patience during this process. It may take only two drafts or as many as twelve before everyone is satisfied.

www.AndrewHomes.com

Our website has a new look and some new links!  We invite you to check out our new floorplans and many new interior photos of our models.  You’ll appreciate our  “virtual tours” --- 360 degree panoramic images of the main rooms.  Click on our new “Custom Homes” section to view some of our more spectacular and interesting custom homes.  

Design Trends We See

Watch for the use of natural materials both inside and out. Granite will be seen more in kitchens along with wooden beamed ceilings.  Flooring materials are extending more to stone, marble, and ceramic that looks like stone.  You’ll also see more stone being used on the exterior.  We’re seeing a move toward fancier stairways --- some curved, some split, second stairways.  Additional miscellaneous trends we’re witnessing: larger ceramic showers, large one story homes for empty nesters, finished basements, master suite sitting areas  (some with fireplaces), and drywall niches for displaying artwork. 

Where To Build

We will build your home on the lot you already own or we’ll help you find a lot. Our first houses have been started  in the last phase of the Wyldewood Subdivision in the Town of Algoma (Oshkosh area). These lots are from one-half to three quarters of an acre.  In the southwest part of the city of Green Bay some fabulous wooded lots are just becoming available. Home sizes there will range from the upper 2,000 square foot range to over 5,000 square feet.  Some of the lots will back up to a nature preserve on a ravine.  In the Thornberry Creek golf course development we have one cul-de-sac lot with a view of the fairway and pond and one lot actually on the golf course.

Near Appleton, wooded ravine lots have just been completed near the new Kimberly High School. These lots overlook one of the most beautiful, private nature areas I have ever seen. We obtained one of them for a customer to build their second Andrew Home with us. The rear corner of their new lot connects to a nature park with a trail system that stretches for miles.  In north Appleton the lot shortage I have been talking about is now here. We have a few lots left there in Thornbrook Estates and Marshall Heights. In Grand Chute, Bentwood Estates has developed nicely with only a couple wooded half-acre lots remaining.

In Fond du Lac we have a wooded lot at the Whispering Springs golf course---one full acre in the woods with a totally private backyard.

We have a pretty complete knowledge of most of the development going on around the entire area. We invite you to contact us if you are looking for a certain type of lot or community to live in. If you have already identified a lot we would be happy to help you evaluate it for construction. We can tell you if your plan will fit and how much site cost there may be. One lot may cost $5,000 to $10,000 more to build on than one just down the street in the same development.

Parade Schedule

In the past, we never really went out of our way to look for customers who were willing to put their home on display as a Parade Home.  Just within this last year, however, we actively looked for customers who were interested in such a project.  We arranged to offer financial incentives from our subcontractors and suppliers to encourage prospective homeowners to work with us.  Our search resulted in our next three Parade homes…all three are completely custom homes that Andrew Homes has never built before.  Very exciting!

 The Winter Wonderland in Appleton begins on February 10.  Special features of this 2-story home include a unique 2-sided gas fireplace, custom designed kitchen with large island, corner sink and walk-in pantry, magnificent wall of windows with a view of the wooded lot,  plus more!  Just following this event is the Spring Preview of Homes in Green Bay, starting February 24.   Located in beautiful Thornberry Creek Subdivision, this home offers a view of Kris, Tim, and Brittney Horn in front of their Appleton Parade Home        the golf course and a nearby pond through the wall of windows in the family room.  Other features include a wood-burning fireplace, double oven and range in the kitchen, and a finished basement.