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The Four Largest Cities in Northern Utah

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most trusted northern Utah home builder

Where will you build?

So, you’re building your first custom home. This step is as big as it is terrifying. Needless to say, you’ve spent countless hours and late nights planning every small detail for the project. What is as important as the house you’re building is the location in which you choose to build. Utah has dozens upon dozens of pleasant cities that are affordable and family friendly. How can you possibly choose? As custom home builders in Cache Valley, Mt. Sterling Custom Homes invites you to consider the four largest cities in northern Utah for your building project. We’ll briefly discuss each city and what it has to offer to you and your family.

West Valley:

A large suburb of the main Salt Lake City area, West Valley is Utah’s second-largest city with a population of 129,000 people. West Valley is a perfect location if you want access to a big city without actually living in the big city. West Valley is just a short 25 minute drive from the SLC international airport and a 15 minute drive (give or take) from downtown Salt Lake. The city is extremely popular with young families and enjoys a median household income of over $45,000. All this combined with close access to world-renowned ski resorts will give you a dream location for your home.

Salt Lake City:

Of course we have to touch on Salt Lake City, the shimmering international jewel among a relatively unpopulated western United States. Salt lake is as diverse as it is international. Salt Lake has everything from affordable apartment living to inner-city condos to beautiful historic home estates. Salt Lake is home (a home) to dozens of national corporations including the likes of Goldman Sachs, Associated Foods, General Electric, RC Willey and Deseret News, giving plenty job prospects. Salt Lake is consistently ranked in national polls for being a low stress city with its quality of life and job opportunities. The city features a beautiful downtown area with attractions such as the State capitol, Temple Square and the LDS Church conference center.

Provo:

Provo has seen tremendous growth over the last two decades and houses the world’s largest private religious university: BYU. This makes Provo in large part home to some 30,000 students living on or south of the campus, but don’t let that dissuade you. Provo is a short 15 minute drive from Utah Lake, a 20 minute drive from Sundance Ski Resort and a 45 minute drive from Salt Lake International Airport. The city contains a vibrant underground music scene that has developed into a free rooftop concert series every summer. Family friendly and close to endless outdoor recreation, Provo has become a hot destination for young families and young entrepreneurs.

Orem:

Last but not least is Orem, a neighbor to Provo and home to its own four year university. Orem is close to the highway as well as Utah Lake and countless other outdoor attractions. Orem is part of Alpine School District, one of the best in the state of Utah. The median household income is $52,000 leaving many job opportunities for young families and aspiring professionals. At its core Orem is a great city for young families that want access to all that Utah has to offer.

Based on our list, what city fits your family the best? Northern Utah is a great area to build a custom home. As home builders in Cache Valley, Utah, Mt. Sterling Homes is excited to be part of your project and make your dream home become a reality. Reach out for a quote or consultation today!

Transform Your Home With Gardens

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most trusted northern utah home builder

A Little Time and Effort Make All The Difference

Think about it, whether you have flower pot on your porch, a few bushes by your back door or even just the grass in your yard, most of us have some form of a garden to care for. Whatever type of garden you have it can always be made more beautiful and enhance the value of your home. As custom home builders in Cache Valley, Mt. Sterling Custom Homes is dedicated to helping you not only with your home but with the landscaping as well.

Gardens Enhance Your Home

Gardens are beautiful and pleasant and they can be functional part of your home. Historically gardens have been a sign of class and wealth, only upper class and royalty could afford to have decorative gardens. Working class families would just have patches of tilled soil to cultivate small crops. In modern society home sites can be smaller than ever but no matter the size of your land with a few creative tricks you can create a garden that will enhance your property value and compliment your home.

A Garden Takes Planning

Like most things the best gardens are well planned. Take the time to do a little research. What are your priorities? Are you looking for simplicity? Are you trying to be water-wise? Do you want flowers that bloom all season or plants that return every year? The internet or your local nursery will be a great asset in your planning stage. If you can’t afford to do the whole project all at once add a few plants each week, or month or even each summer. Eventually you will have the garden of your dreams.

Remember The Basics

Once you are planted, remember the basics, water and fertilizer. Utah is technically still the desert and most plants won’t thrive without a little extra TLC. Fresh mulch every few months, regular weeding and removing the “dead heads” will keep your garden looking fresh and beautiful.

If you are interested in building a home so you can have your own personal garden please give our new home consultants at Mt. Sterling Custom homes a call and let them help you with the home AND garden of your dreams.

4 Easy Home Projects for Summer

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most trusted northern Utah home builder

Summer is the time to get things done! As northern Utah’s most trusted home builder we want to give you a few tips to keep your home maintained and in top condition. Here are four suggestions that we at Mt. Sterling Custom Homes think will help keep your home better than ever!

1. Clean out the Garage

Come on, admit it–how long has it been since your garage got a good deep cleaning? With constant traffic from cars, pets and kids and an endless “tucking of things away” because you don’t know where else to put them, it doesn’t take long for the garage to become a disaster! Start by going through all the stuff and get rid of what you haven’t used in the last year by having a mini garage sale. Then take everything else out (this is where the warm summer weather comes in handy) and go to town with a deep cleaning. Scrub the concrete, wash down the walls, wipe the shelving and storage spaces. Sort and organize what you are putting back in the garage and wahLah!! you have a clean, organized space absent of clutter, dust and pests.

2. Paint a Room (or two!)

When you have a new home remodeling is probably the last thing from your mind, but painting is an easy project that doesn’t cost much money and has a huge impact. So if you are getting bored with plain walls, tape off your trim molding, move the furniture (perhaps you can store some of it in your now clean garage!) put drop cloths down to protect the floors and go to town. If you don’t want to paint a whole room try an accent wall or perhaps a fun painting technique like a stencil.

3. Plant a flower bed or a garden

Northern Utah is a great place to try out your green thumb. The growing season is longer than you would expect and what home doesn’t benefit from the curb appeal of colorful flower gardens? Or, if you have enough space, take some of your yard and make a vegetable garden. It’s a great way to make friends with the neighbors and help your grocery budget.

4. Deep Clean Your Carpets

It’s recommended to have your carpets cleaned at least once or twice annually. This will keep your home looking new and also prolong the life of your carpet. Most local grocery stores rent “Rug Doctor” machines or something similar. A basic cleaning job shouldn’t take more than a couple hours. If your carpet is really soiled you might want to spend the day at the local pool and hire a professional to do the work. Either way your home will look marvelous!

Have you already started some projects this summer? We hope this list will give you some ideas to keep your new custom home looking great and move-in condition. As always, we at Mt. Sterling Custom Homes wish you the best of luck on all your home projects and if a new home is in your future please contact us so we can help you achieve your new home dreams.

4 Reasons To Live In Northern Utah?

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Why You Should Live in Northern Utah

As the most trusted northern Utah home builders we build quality custom homes in the northern Utah, and southern Idaho areas. Today, because of the wonderful area that we build homes in, we have decided to inform everyone about why they should come build a house in the area. With wonderful outdoor access, open spaces, and a fascinating history here are our top 4 reasons why you should move up here.

1. There is Plenty of Open Land & City Space

In northern Utah if you want your space, you can find it. Unlike Salt Lake and the Utah Valley, which both are developing more than ever, northern Utah has plenty of open space. In cities like Logan, Brigham City, and Tremonton you will be able to have your fix of open space, and be away from the cramped city lifestyle of a large city like Salt Lake. At the same time, if you would like to live in a city, Ogden is a flourishing city just 40 miles north of Salt Lake.

2. The Area has a lot of History

Did you know that the cross country railroads met in northern Utah in 1869? Well, this is just one example of the fantastic history that can be found in the area. The area has been home to the founders of the Utah area, and has grown to become an area that celebrates the cultural events that have led Utah to where it is now.

3. Close Access to Beautiful Hikes and Wonderful Outdoor Activities

As stated on utah.com’s website there are many hikes in the northern Utah area. Whether you live close to Logan, Ogden, or Park City there are plenty of options for you to enjoy a trek in the wilderness. The Uinta mountains near Kamas demonstrate the beauty that you can experience; however, not only are there wonderful hikes and views, but there are also other outdoor activities you can take up if you fancy. An activity that has gained a large following in Logan is rock climbing, as Logan canyon is quickly becoming a center for rock climbing with over 20 fixed routes, and Utah’s toughest rated rock climbing route.

4. We Can Build Your Home

Our final reason, is that if you decide to build a custom home from our company of northern Utah home builders then we will help you enjoy all the benefits of living here, while living in your dream home. With our focus on quality, integrity and craftsmanship we are prepared to provide the best home possible.

Home: It’s All About Trust

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most trusted home builders in Utah

Who Can You Trust To Build Your Home?

A house can mean a lot of different things. To many, a home is peace of mind. To others, a
home is just a wood frame with brick on the outside and plumbing on the inside. Either way you
look at it, buying a home takes a lot of trust. You are taking your life savings (and some extra)
and putting it into a place that you want to live in for many years. A house is what protects you
from the elements, and it is the place you want to enjoy your spare hours knowing everything is
safe and functional.

Every Project is Special

This is even more true for your custom home, the project you’ve spent countless painstaking
hours planning and visualizing every last detail for. Unfortunately, some home builders violate
that trust. Imagine what happens when a builder cuts corners and skips important details that
make your project yours. The beautiful home of your dreams quickly turns into a second-rate
matchbox with paint and a big price tag.

We Value Your Trust

Here at Sterling Custom Homes, a home means trust—your trust. You can trust that you will get
the highest-quality product for your money and that you will be treated fairly by Utah’s top
construction professionals. At Sterling Custom Homes we are pleased to offer you the
experience of over 15 years of partnering with exceptional clients like yourself to produce the
absolute best product.

When looking for your custom home, choose Sterling Custom Homes, the most trusted home
builders in Utah. We will work with you every step of the way to deliver the home of your
dreams.

Websites that Inspire

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MtSterlingDesign

Finding Your Style

As Northern Utah’s premier custom home builder it is our goal to make a home perfectly suited to you. What is a great way to make sure you are able to identify your own distinct style? Look at what others have done and find inspiration!

In an effort to help you find inspiration we have compiled a list of home websites that will definitely give you limitless options and designs to explore.

1. The Selby

An amazing inspiration site. Simply because that’s exactly what it is! Founded in 2008 as a side project of photographer Todd Selby, the site has become a place for Selby to photograph people in their homes. The best thing about the site is Selby has photographed people from all walks of life, each with a unique home that they have made their own.

2. Strange Closets

Strange Closets is very much on the artistic side of these blogs. However, our favorite event is the weekly home tour where they really show off multiple options/designs to the home. The main focus of this site is interior design.

3. Grassroots Modern

Founded by two Utah natives, Grassroots focuses on the stylish and contemporary. Showing homes and designs that are trendy but not too over the top so we feel alientated. With the goal of helping designers better connect with the mass population of society, this site provides great ideas and inspiration.

4. Houzz

Hands down this is our first “go-to” site. If you want to find an example of virtually anything relating to your custom home design or style just join the Houzz community and start searching. You will find literally hundreds of photos from actual homes. The inspiration is limitless!

5. Pinterest

Custom Home Inspiration

You might think this social network site won’t give you serious design ideas but many of our custom home owners have found some of the most unique inspiration ever!

We encourage you to “explore” the world wide web and see what design gems are waiting to inspire you! Then bring all those inspiration into Mt Sterling Custom Homes and let us help you bring them to life.

Fun New Home Trends for 2014

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The new year has begun, and 2014 is looking brighter than ever for home design. If you’re getting ready to start building a home this year, you may want to look into some of the new trends that experts are predicting and we are starting to see (and love), and start selecting which of these trends you’d like to make a part of your new home! According to an article by CBS Money Watch, these are the top predicted trends for 2014.

    1. The open-concept kitchen. If you haven’t noticed, kitchens aren’t tucked away behind walls anymore. Recently built homes have an open kitchen that connects with a living space. These so-called great rooms are great because they offer a more guest-friendly environment. We have found that family and friends tend to gravitate towards the kitchen, where the food is, which is why we are also seen and designed some wonderful new kitchens just to give your family space. These kitchen designs are also great for the cook.

    MtSterlingKitchen

    2. Neutral colors. There’s a great shift in the color schemes of many modern homes these days. Where designers used to look for dark, bold, rich colors to liven a home, they are now using neutral colors (whites, grays, taupes) to create a more calming, bright, airy and cheerful effect within the home. Neutral colors also make it easy to change your style seasonally (or if your tastes change) by just switching out pillows, blankets etc… (But don’t be afraid to use a few bold colors to add contrast in your design!)

    3. Efficient design. These designs allow for everyone and anyone to use them. They are simple, but very functional. They maximize the living space per square foot of cost while also eliminating waste.

    4. Quartz. Granite countertops are quickly being replaced by quartz countertops. Quartz has the same classy look and the same quality feel as granite, but it’s actually more practical. It’s non-porous so it’s easily cleaned, not to mention that it will resist cracking and wears more than a granite countertop will. We are also see more butcher-block and stainless counters coming back.

    5. Energy-efficient and water-saving appliances. Not only will these appliances look nice, but they will also save you big bucks when it comes to energy and water bills. These appliances are no longer just for the rich and famous, but they now come in highly-affordable models.

As you keep your eye on the upcoming trends, remember to contact your most trusted northern Utah home builder for the best advice on your personal homebuilding decisions!

Pick the Right Layout for Your Lifestyle

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Finding the right home for your family can be tough! That’s why many families choose to build custom homes to fit their needs. But even designing a custom home that will fit your family’s needs is difficult! In order to build the home of your dreams, you need to consider your family’s lifestyle from the beginning of the building process. Your northern Utah home builders will help you along the way, but here’s some extra thoughts to consider!

    1. For the extroverted family: If your family loves social interaction, build accordingly! Create open spaces where visitors can be comfortable in your home. If you anticipate that your family will spend most of their time in the main areas of the house, pick a floor plan that accommodates family togetherness. Don’t dedicate as much time or money to the private areas of the house if you expect that your family will mostly be in the main area.

    2. For the introverted family: If the members of your family highly value alone time, then take that into consideration when building. When you focus on creating better bedrooms and solitary spaces, your family will enjoy the floorplan that you create! Be realistic when thinking about what your family is really like so that you can build a home to fit their needs.

    3. For the family that is part extroverted and part introverted: It’s likely that most families fall in this category. Most families are not all extroverted or all introverted, but a combination of the two. Or maybe your family has both extroverted and introverted interests. In order to satisfy the needs of this family, pick your priorities when it comes to both the extroverted and introverted sides. If your family, for instance, enjoys cooking as a social activity then focus your energies on a social kitchen. Or if your family enjoys reading, create reading spaces in your home. You may not be able to satisfy all the extroverted introverted needs of your family, but you will satisfy the most important ones!

Don’t worry! With these careful considerations of your family’s lifestyle, you will build the perfect home for your family!

Why Build a Custom Home

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There are many reasons to build a custom home, and choosing to do so could be one of the best decisions of your financial life. First, no two families are the same. Each will have a different preference on how a certain function of the home should work, or where a certain thing should be. Cookie-cutter homes for the masses do not give each family that freedom. As top notch, Northern Utah homebuilders, we understand that fact and specialize in helping families create their own living space.

Second, production builders use products that minimize the cost of construction, but also maximize their own profits. What that means for you as a homeowner is that the products used during construction may not have the life expectancy you hope to get from a new home. When you have your home custom built, you have a say in the materials used, and this ensures you get the quality you want, as well. Additionally, you get to choose the style that suits you; from the floors to the built-ins, everything is catered to your personal tastes.

Buying a home is an investment in your future, and if it is going to be a place you spend the next 20-30 years of your life, it might as well be a place you love. Contact northern Utah homebuilders for more information about the process. They can walk you through the ins and outs, including what you can expect to pay. Following are a few tips to keep in mind if you are planning to custom build your home.

*Keep an eye on your budget – manage your expectations and desires realistically so you do not end up overextending yourself.

*Plan ahead – custom building can be a little more expensive than building from pre-existing blueprints, so it is important to know what you want and plan your finances accordingly, while also being as frugal as possible during the build.

*Be Patient – custom building a home will take longer than other options, but is well worth it. There are blueprints to draw up; building permits to obtain, and then the actual building time will vary based on your design. Stay in contact with your builders for updates.

With those tips in mind, anyone can successfully build a custom home. While not all of the decision-making may be desirable for some, those who enjoy deciding exactly what their home will look like will enjoy the process.

Iannucci, L. (n.d.) “Should You Custom Build Your Home?” Bob Vila (Website). Retrieved from http://www.bobvila.com/articles/423-should-you-custom-build-your-home/ . Accessed on October 1, 2013.

Why Be Choosey When Building a Custom Home

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One of the biggest decisions that a person or couple can make throughout their entire life is having a home built or purchasing a home. However, there are many pros and cons to both, most custom home builders will tell you that it’s cheaper in the long run and you get exactly what you want with homes that are custom designed by the buyer. Being picky over how your home is going to look or how the floor plan is going to be is not a bad thing. In fact, it shows that you are more interested in the future than what is currently happening right now. Why be choosey when building a custom home? Because in the long run it will save you time, money, and headache.

Having a home built can be extremely stressful and when it comes down to married couples, most say that it caused several discrepancies within their marriage. The decisions to be made may take up to a year to work through and plan. This is just the beginning. The planning process itself can take up to a year and a half depending on if the buyer has an idea in mind for what their end product will look like. This is one of the upsides to having a home custom built. Being choosey about it, just shows that you don’t want to live with the last homeowner’s choices but want to create your own dream house.

A key point to be choosey about when having your home custom built is the appliances, fixtures, and landscape. Even though you’ve already got your foot in the door to owning your dream home, these things can be the make it or break it of your vision. Choosing to place a chandelier in the kitchen might seem like a great idea now, but considering prices and how much electricity that fixture might take, you might find a cheaper fixture that looks just as good and drains less energy.

It’s very important that the choices made are those that you’re willing to live with for the remainder of your stay in the home. If you are indecisive about certain things, try visualizing what it will be like in your home. You can even take pictures of the items in the store, or find them online to compare how it would look versus a different model. Why be choosey when building a custom home? Because if you’re not, you could end up paying a ton of money for remodeling that could have been avoided by being choosey and planning ahead.

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About Us

Mt Sterling Custom Homes is dedicated to providing excellent craftsmanship, customer service, and communication throughout the design and build of your home. Call today to speak with one of our New Home Consultants.

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50 East 2500 North
Suite 101
North Logan, UT 84341

Talk to Us

(435) 580-4111
info@mtsch.com
Why Be Choosey When Building a Custom Home
Why Be Choosey When Building a Custom Home
Why Be Choosey When Building a Custom Home
Why Be Choosey When Building a Custom Home