This is not in reference to the Wesley Snipes movie or that little small dot on the ground that parachuters intend to land on. I'm talking about the place in your house that someone is constantly telling the children to pick-up before mommy or daddy trip and fall coming in from work!

You know, the place right inside the door to the garage or just off to the side of the front door. We love to walk inside and drop the our stuff as soon as the door closes. If your house doesn't have this space then most likely your kitchen table or computer desk has become ground zero for backpacks, coats, bags, and clothes. This can become overwhelming and dangerous if not accounted for beforehand. 

One of the greatest pieces of advice I can pass on after having built a house, is to evaluate where these ares are, and plan for them ahead of time! At Steiner Homes we do the best we can do build in ares of shelving, lockers, and even small nooks near these Drop Zones so that they can be specifically dedicated to the accumulation of all of your stuff.

So much of successfully building a house is understanding where it is we spend time and areas that we use more so than others. Let's be honest, a mud-room is in no way sexy or exciting. This most likely will be a room where dirty clothes, bags, keys, and other items will be stored. This isn't a room where you will host a party or serve a meal, but this room is equally as important in planning your perfect floor plan. We encourage our buyers to plan for a larger area to accommodate washer/dryer, tons of counter space, and lockers to hold everything a child could ever need coming in and out of a house.

This tip has helped so many people enjoy their houses due to not having to constantly stare at all the stuff they drag in from the day. Next time I want to talk about schedules and how understanding individuals schedules can help you build a house that lets everyone coexist a little easier!

As the son of a builder I assumed that building a house would be a breeze and that I would know exactly what I wanted, and where I wanted it. As I went through the process that I have watched countless others go through time and time before, I very soon found that there were things I hadn't even begun to take into account. One tidbit of information that I have absolutely know, but had no idea would prove to be vital to my very first home building process was that: Kids love toys but they love Mom more!

I have two children who love to play with all sorts of toys. When they relocate from room to room they have to bring their toys with them, just to keep an eye on them and make sure they are safe. Although my kids hold these toys in high regard, Mom is way more important than any toy. Being attached to Mom as a little kid is nothing new yet I'm sure you're wondering why this is important when it comes to building a home. Here is what I would suggest, have a room in your house that has plenty of storage built in, that also has great sight-lines through the main gathering areas of your house. This allows for children to have their toys with them at all times but more importantly to always be near Mom. This could potentially be a room off the kitchen, living room, or down a hallway.