Featured Community: Cedar Ridge

Whether you’re making the jump into homeownership for the first time, ready to downsize, or just looking for a change of scenery, there is a new THP Homes community that could be just what you’re looking for. Cedar Ridge is the newest THP Homes community, located in Perkasie, within the picturesque upper Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This quaint community has 23 townhomes on a peaceful cul-de-sac and is situated right off Route 563 (Ridge Road). Not only can you experience a convenient location, but living in this community allows you the opportunity to design your home, choosing from our design options with the help of a design consultant.Townhome Living Townhomes offer proximity to your neighbors and create a strong sense of community. There is also less maintenance. The homeowners ass...

Featured Community: Bayberry Crossing

Bayberry Crossing is our brand ,,new home community in Montgomery County, PA. This intimate neighborhood of 33 single family estate homes features new and innovative exterior designs. Tucked away off Main Street in Pennsburg, Bayberry Crossing is within walking distance to the local Upper Perkiomen Middle School and High School.A home at Bayberry Crossing allows you to stay up to date with the latest technology. Smart home features are standard in every home! Control the temperature of your home from anywhere with the Nest Thermostat. A beautiful design and impeccable interface makes using this device easy and enjoyable. Never miss the action at your front door with the intelligent Nest Hello doorbell. Delivering continuous clear HD video, this doorbell gives you peace of mind and lets you...

Newest Design Trends of 2020

Designing homes that remain timeless is highly important at THP Homes. When building with us, you don’t have to worry about a fad that may be “in” at one moment and gone the next. There are several new trends that are here to stay (at least for a little while) that can give your home the perfect personal touch. While classic styles are tried and true, trends change over the years and distinguish certain styles as being popular in specific eras. Hint: Think mid-century modern or art deco. One of the up and coming exterior trends for homes, particularly for a modern style, is black window trim.At the newest THP Homes community, Bayberry Crossing in Montgomery County PA, black window trim was used in place of typical white trim on the modern farmhouse exteriors. This addition is a natur...

Tips for the New Telecommuter

Much of the workforce and student body have transitioned into telecommuting roles on short notice. This can reveal a lot about someone. Personality plays a large role in people's preferences and being at home will have some positive and negative impacts on your work environment. Not everyone will set up their new work environment in the same way. Here are some tips for working from home that almost anyone can put into practice: Get dressed every morning. Even if it is just changing into other comfy clothes, don't stay in what you slept in. When you start working in whatever you had worn to bed, there is no spark that lets you know that it is a new day and you're ready to take it on. Use one space in your home that is designated as your workspace. Whether this is your dining room table, ...

Hobbies At Home

Many of us are forced to stay at home right now. To some of you this may be welcomed, to others it may be torturous. Whether you are working extra hours from home or struggling with finding things to do, it is important to have productive hobbies that you can do in your free time. You will find below some fun meal ideas, a new recipe for your crock pot, a simple workout routine, tips for learning to draw, and some inspiration to pick up one of your old instruments! Learn to Cook a New RecipeEven in quarantine, you still have to eat! Be creative, if you have some extra time, you can learn to cook a new meal! Don’t worry if you’re not much of a cook. There are plenty of ,online instructional videos to help even the novice chef learn to cook. Below is a very simple recipe to try for deliciou...

Tips to Live Green in Your New Home

Living green is becoming less of a novel idea and more of an expectation. So whether you are an avid recycler, or you’re new to the whole thing, here are some tips to live green in your new home. They can be remembered simply by the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reduce As Americans, many of us are accustomed to having excess. Whether excess food, products or anything consumable, it can be a bad thing if it is always going to waste. However, there are many ways that we can reduce excessive use: Put a time limit on showers to save water. According to ,,www.home-water-works.org the average shower is over 8 minutes long, using around 2.5 gallons per minute. Cutting showers to 5 minutes could save 7-8 gallons per shower! This could be as much as 56 gallons a week, 224 gallons a month...

Can Curb Appeal Sell Your Home?

The value of curb appeal… something that many dream about, yet not many take advantage of it. Prospective homebuyers, or your own guests, will be more excited about visiting a home if the outside looks inviting and clean. First impressions can make or break a home buying decision, since 80% of potential buyers know if a home is right for them as soon as they step inside. Taking a look at the current state of your home’s exterior now, while the weather is getting warmer but not yet boiling, can be a great step to improving your property and raising the value (even if you're not planning to move anytime soon).Understanding your current property’s value is important when it comes to things such as buying a home, selling your home, planning your estate, renovations, insurance coverage and many...

Make Your Home a Little Brighter

Good lighting can be an underutilized asset in a home. It can easily be added to any space, establishing a focal point and creating a desired feeling in a room. In order to get the most out of your lighting, a few things must be taken into account. Remember to balance your lighting. Certain lights should have a focal point to illuminate. Having several medium lights dispersed through a room is better than having one extremely bright light attempting to evenly distribute light throughout an entire room. When building a new construction home, it is important to know your own lighting preferences at the beginning stage of the project to be sure you design each room accordingly.Kitchen The lighting in your kitchen needs to focus on a few specific areas. Ceiling fixtures or recessed lights can ...

Why A Quick Move-In Home?

When beginning the venture of moving to a new home, there are many variables that play into the timing of the move. If speed and turnaround are a big priority, you’ve most likely been looking at resale homes. Buying a new construction home would take too long, right? Maybe not. Most residential builders offer what is often called a “Quick Move-In” home. Quick Move In homes are also referred to as Spec Homes, Inventory Homes, Express Move-In homes, among others. A Quick Move-In is a new construction home but with a shorter timeline. A large percentage of the time it takes to build a new home comes at the front end of the project, when homebuyers choose design and structural options. The Quick Move-In Home bypasses the design option steps and lets you move into a pre-designed home. The opti...

Your Guide to Indoor Plants

Would you like to have your mood boosted in a positive way? What about improved productivity, concentration and creativity? How about breathing and sleeping better? The answer is not as far out of reach as you may think. Plants have so many benefits that humans are not aware of; not only to the environment but also to ourselves. How does it work? During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air. When plants are in a room, this makes breathing easier for the humans who inhabit the space. Plants can remove up to 87% of toxins from the air, purifying the space we breathe from substances like formaldehyde (present in cigarette smoke and some plastics). The higher quality air does not go unnoticed by our brains. Studies have shown that students demonstra...

6 Things to Do in Philadelphia this Winter

The Winter season can be a dreary time and feel unending. It’s often cloudy and too cold for activities outside. Surprisingly, even after the holidays have passed, there are still plenty of events to go to in the Philadelphia area. Below are just a few of the many things to do this winter to make it feel a bit more bearable. Dilworth Park: November through February. Looking to enjoy the winter weather in the city and brave the cold? Look no further than Winter at Dilworth Park. There is ice skating, a cabin for warm drinks and treats, a winter-inspired garden, and special events throughout the winter. February is the perfect time to visit because you can take advantage of free ice skating by visiting the Capital One Rittenhouse Cafe. Philadelphia Auto Show: February 8th through the 17...

Homeowner New Year's Goals

The New Year is a great time to set goals. With the start of a new decade, it is difficult to go on social media without seeing the ever-hopeful new gym member’s 2020 goals plastered all over your screen. Get away from the newly crowded gym and take the time to try some New Year’s goals that you can do at home! Your home can affect your mood. When it’s clean you feel relaxed and productive, however when it's messy you feel stressed and don’t want to spend time there. Getting your home in order for the New Year is a great use of your time as it will allow you to feel more relaxed and accomplished. Do yourself a favor and remove the clutter from around your house. Everyone has a junk closet, a pile on the kitchen table and some clothes that have been waiting to be folded or hung up for sev...

Do You Really Need 20% Down?

Many people who are shopping for a new home think that in order to be eligible to purchase they need to have enough cash in hand for 20% or more as their down payment. That is not the case! Many types of loans require much less, even as low as 3% - 3.5%. The two most often used loans for residential financing are Conventional and FHA (Federal Housing Administration) Loans. Each of these loan types offer different options, yet the low down payment remains the same. It is actually very rare for buyers to put 20% down on their new home. 3% - 5% is much more common. An FHA insured loan is a government backed loan product that requires as little as 3.5% as the down payment. That 3.5% translates into borrowing up to 96.5% of the value of a home. The FHA loan allows for a lower credit score an...

Prepare Your Home for Winter

Preparing for winter can seem like a bother, but doing it right before freezing temperatures set in will keep you warm, safe and save you money throughout the approaching cold season. Maintaining various parts of your home inside and out will hopefully prevent things from going awry and save you a call for help during the next snow storm.Inspect and Repair SealsTo keep a comfortable atmosphere in your home and reduce your utility bills, check the seals in your home periodically. Inspecting seals will prevent drafts and leaks. The general seals to check include windows, doors, vents, electrical and plumbing fixtures. Most windows have three types of seals to check. The first is between the frame on the window and the walls of your home. The second is between the window frame and the sash ...

How to Feel Thankful, Even When You're Hosting

With the holidays come lots of time spent with friends and family. Most of that time is spent around the dinner table. But what not all people at that table realize is just how much work went into the moment of finally sitting down and enjoying the meal. For the host, a day dedicated to thanksgiving and gratefulness can feel anything but and instead feel like another chaotic day of work. Mothers and grandmothers (combined over 100 years of holiday planning experience) were interviewed to find out their best tips for a successful thanksgiving meal. Since there is so much that can go into this one day, what follows may not be all-encompassing but is all-crucial! Pre-Thanksgiving Day Within a week before, begin to prepare a list of what you will need to buy from the grocery store. It can ...

If Your House Could Talk, What Would It Say?

There are many ways to make a house a home; there are different styles for different people. What may make one person feel content and happy in their home could make another person squeamish. Does the way you keep your home say something unique about you? Two Types of People As many are aware of, there are two types of people in this world... those who make their bed every morning and those who laugh at the thought. Which one of those can you relate to? Interestingly enough, there are probably enough people that relate to both. Whatever your answer, it may say a lot about the way you live, according to a report by OnePoll. The report found that those who make their beds are confident, sociable and high-maintenance. Those who do not are moody, curious and creative. Both Serve a ...

Navigating the Paint Aisle: Terminology Explained

Is anyone else confused when it comes to types of paint? From sheen to satin and gloss, there are many words associated with paint, and it's about time we all know what they really mean (and which one to pick).Types of PaintThere are three types of paint: oil-based, water-based and latex. Oil-based paint is most durable, but, because of that, takes longer to dry. This type of paint can work great for trim because it holds up the best to daily wear. Latex paint dries more quickly than oil-based but is not as durable. It holds up well in areas of less abuse, such as general painting on walls and ceilings. When using primer underneath of paint, be sure to match the type. Use latex-based primer for latex paint and oil-based primer for oil-based paint. Types of FinishesThe first thing to know a...

How to Transition Your Yard from Summer to Fall

The busy and hot summer is coming to a close and the cooler months are quickly approaching. Once beautiful and green, our lawns are soon to be overtaken by dead plants, leaves, and flowers. With some simple yard work, your lawn can survive the harsh, cold weather and be fully rejuvenated for the spring!Clean Up the Dead Plants, Leaves and Flowers Leaving dead plants, leaves and flowers strewn about in your yard and flower beds for an extended period of time, can lead to various pests making a shelter to be protected from the cold. Removing dead plants allows for healthy new plants in the coming spring. In addition, leaving fallen leaves in your yard can kill your grass and create bald spots after the winter is over. A unique solution to not only get rid of the excess of leaves, but to re...

6 Items You Should Never Put in Your Garbage Disposal

Enjoying a garbage disposal in your home makes meal prep and clean up very convenient. However, if not used correctly, your garbage disposal could become a plumber’s worst nightmare and cost you headaches and loads of money. There are many food items that can damage your garbage disposal and clog the pipes. While some are debated whether or not they truly are a disposal clogging culprit, below are seven that should be avoided. 1. Coffee grounds While some say you can add small portions at a time and it won’t clog your drain, it is better to be safe than sorry and find other uses for the grounds. There are many clever ideas of how to recycle coffee grounds. So next time you think about dumping them in the trash, try these uses instead: use as a body scrub for exfoliation, add as nutrients...

Make the Most Out of Your Space: Garage Organization Tips

The bike you use to exercise and explore, the toys your children love to play with, the cars that take you near and far... some of the most important things in your life are typically stored in a room that doesn’t get the love it deserves. At THP Homes, we make sure to pay special attention to every part of your home when we build it — which means your garage never gets left behind. Contrary to a used home’s garage, a brand new, empty garage can be turned into the most efficient room in your home! When you keep this large area organized, you’ll be amazed at how much quality (and convenience) it adds. Take a look at a few of our favorite tips and tricks to use this space to its full potential. How to Organize Your Garage Wall Panel: A garage wall panel (or slatwall) is just about the mo...