855.215.2974

Why You Want a New Energy-Efficient Home

Energy-Wise, Quality Built
Learn more about EQ Factor

//

If the walls of a new custom Florida home could talk, they wouldn’t tell you about their satiny shades of paint, or that the fun family-room mural was commissioned from a local artist.

No, they’d describe the thickness of the superior-grade insulation behind them, or how their precise construction produces an overall tighter building seal, which prevents air leakage and inflated power bills.

In today’s new homes, all those behind-the-studs components are as important as open floor plans, spa-like bathrooms and giant farm sinks in the kitchen. A home stocked with the latest energy-efficient […]

Read More

Should I Buy a Home in a Gated Community?

Good question! Gated communities offer more controlled access, privacy and security than a non-gated community. But there are some potential pitfalls. If you’re unsure where to build your new custom Florida home, it’s time to do some homework.

We’ll help you sort through whether you should buy a home in a gated community.
Start with the good stuff.
There are reasons home buyers pay additional fees and annual assessments to live in a gated community. Prestige — let’s not be shy about saying so — is one of them. Certain addresses are where some folks want to live, which is A-okay.

One example […]

Read More

Rest Easy: Tips For Planning Your Master Suite

One of the fun parts about building a new custom home is designing its master suite. If your current home contains one, you’ll likely want one in your new custom Florida home, and you’ll probably want to incorporate some lessons learned from your soon-to-be-ex-master-suite.

Read on for our tips for planning your new master suite.
You want space, but not too much
It’s temping to max out this part of your floor plan. The idea of flopping on a cushy sofa away from the rest of the house is tantalizing, but consider how you use your home.

If you only require a relaxing […]

Read More

Five Tips For Making Your Closet a Storage Star

If our closets could talk, what would they say? Aside from, “Clean me!”

Most of us need an occasional closet makeover like we need the occasional wardrobe makeover. The roots of it often lie in how well or not so well our closets function physically. 

Dim, overstuffed and inadequate closets don’t function, they frustrate. But restoring one doesn’t have to be an epic renovation. Here are five easy tips to winning back your closet.
Whose closet are you renovating?
Let’s assume it’s the one(s) in the master suite. If two people share that suite, and there are two closets, each person gets their […]

Read More

Five Different Ways to Customize a Flex Room

A home that matches your household’s lifestyle is perhaps the top reason to build a new custom Florida home. You get the floorplan, lot and neighborhood that’s right for you and your family, no matter if they’re kindergartners or elderly parents digging their new in-law suite.

One way to do this is by utilizing flex space in your floorplan. It’s a staple of our award-winning plans at ICI Homes and it allows you to have flexible space for more than bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas. Need an office, or space for teenagers to gather with friends? Done.

The best news is your flex […]

Read More

Awesome Tips for Designing Your New Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of today’s home, so it hosts more activities than mere cooking and dining. Massive islands serve as perches for kids to do homework and for friends to gather for cocktails. Built-in desks and shelves make the kitchen a part-time office, and TV nooks keep the cook(s) entertained.

You want the primary function to proceed with ease, however, and fortunately there are numerous tricks and tips to glean from smart kitchen designers and experienced cooks. Read on for awesome tips for designing your new kitchen.
Keep people out of the cook’s way
If the kitchen is Grand Central […]

Read More

Four Good Reasons to Build a Custom Home

Which is Right For You? Spec Home or Custom Build?

//

When you’re in the market for a new home, you usually have three choices: a resale, a “spec” home (we’ll explain) and a custom home built just for you and your household.

Hmmm. Which would you prefer? A resale means you’re buying a home someone else is selling, usually not a new home. A spec home, also known as an inventory home or showcase home, is a new home built to sell. It’s usually a builder’s popular floor plan and what you see is what you get, especially if the […]

Read More

Asturia Named Best Mixed-Use Community of the Year

Learn More About Asturia

//

Asturia, a Hines signature master-planned community in Tampa, Florida, earned the Excel Award for Best Mixed-use Community of the Year and a Silver Aurora Award for Best Recreational Facility at the Southeast Building Conference (“SEBC”), in Orlando, Florida, on July 27 and 28. Excel Awards honor sales and marketing excellence in the building industry and Aurora Awards honor the best in design. Both awards include entries from all over the Southeast region of the United States. Read more here.

See our available homes in Asturia

Read More

Junior Designers: Helping Kids Decorate Their New Rooms!

Your family contains little ones and you’ve just moved into a new custom Florida home, or perhaps you’re preparing to do so. The moving experience can be hectic and sometimes unsettling for young children, so we’re here with a few fun tips on how to help your small guys and gals settle into their new abodes.

Although stacked moving boxes might seem overwhelming, let’s begin with the children’s bedrooms. Plan to unpack their belongings first (after household necessities, of course), then peruse these tricks for helping your kids decorate their new rooms.
No-theme is the way to go
Resist the urge to […]

Read More

Six Reasons You Should Have a Summer Kitchen

One perk of living in the Sunshine State is that you can enjoy outdoor living year-round. Only the chilliest winter day (we do occasionally have one) may make you hesitate at the front or back door. Otherwise, it’s nearly always a good idea to jump in the pool, settle on the porch in time for sunset, or garden up a storm in the backyard.

May we add cooking to the list? In Florida, summer kitchens, aka outdoor kitchens, might be a pleasant surprise to those of you moving here from colder climates. But they’re a must-have staple for many new-home […]

Read More