8 Reasons to Build a Custom Home in the Shoals

There are many benefits to building a custom home, especially in the Shoals. Having grown up in Colbert County, I've experienced the fun this area has to offer since I was a baby. Things like going to Spring Park and feeding the ducks, attending a top ranked school system, hiking the TVA trail, and spending the week in downtown Florence during Handy Fest were things that I took for granted. Then, I moved to Birmingham for almost 10 years. Even though I'm thankful for that time, no where else felt like "home", and we knew we wanted to raise our family in the Shoals. When we moved back, we couldn't believe how things had changed. We absolutely love all the additions- The Rock coffee shop in Sheffield, Coldwater Books in Tuscumbia, Publix, First Fridays, new restaurants, and even a Chik-Fil-A in Muscle Shoals... just to name a few!! It's still a great place to raise a family, but now we have all of the activities and resources you could ask for.

So, since I've sold you on living here, why should you build a home? Here are the top reasons to build a custom home in the Shoals area.

Breaking ground on a custom home in St. Florian, AL

1) Location, Location, Location

One benefit of the Shoals area is that it offers an outstanding selection of locations and surroundings. Do you want to live on the river? Done. Do you want to live next to the school? Done. Do you want to live in the middle of a cornfield? Done. Do you want to live a walkable distance to downtown? Done. No matter what your personality, need, or situation is, you can choose a building location for your home that fits you and your family perfectly. And speaking of family....

2) A home for the future

Sure, there are homes available to purchase in this area and sometimes that's the right decision. But is that home going to grow with your family's needs? One of the most common reasons that people need to move is to accommodate new needs. Your home (and the location) will affect things in daily life like school systems and job commute, and it needs to be able to adapt with your family. When building a custom home, you get to make all the decisions on things like where to locate the nursery, bonus space for a theater room, storage availability, or whether there are stairs. This ensures your home is an investment that can withstand the test of time.

Stand alone fireplace in a custom built new home in Tuscumbia, AL

3) Lifestyle

Building a custom home lets you create a space that fits your lifestyle. If you live on Wilson Lake, you might want a home that takes advantage of the view. If you love to entertain, you can design the perfect dining space to fit a farm table. You may choose to live on one of our golf courses, where you can ensure a low maintenance home that gets you more time on the green! Hike a lot at Cane Creek or frequent Deibert Park? Add a dog washing station to your home!

4) Your personality in every part of your home

Modern, traditional, rustic, or somewhere in between? A custom build allows you to interject your personality into your home. Your home is the ultimate outlet of self expression, and building a truly custom home lets you be in charge of the design and finishes. The Shoals area is full of all types of architecture (proudly home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum house), and the customization options are endless! Also, a custom home gives you the ability to add "extras" during construction (in ceiling speakers, security systems, network cables, etc), so you can make the home work for your needs.

Zip System sheathing to protect this custom home in St. Florian, AL

5) Longevity

In the Shoals, we have 4 seasons: tornado season, it's hot and I can't breath season, it's hot but there's football season, and ice season. Needless to say, this impacts the structure and durability of our homes here. Older homes and many spec homes will not have the insulation or air/weather barriers that should really be standard in this area. Building a custom home let's you ensure the longevity of your investment by using quality barrier materials, adequately insulating, and designing the HVAC system to meet the demands of our humidity and weather. And even though purchasing a home may seem cheaper up front, savings on energy bill and repairs will add up in the long run.

Beautiful double island and custom cabinetry in Muscle Shoals, AL

6) Safe air quality

A lot of people do not realize that Lauderdale and Colbert County (and most of northwest Alabama) are "High Potential" radon areas. Without getting too technical, radon is an odorless gas that comes up through the ground and one of the leading causes of lung cancer aside from smoking. If radon is not ventilated properly, it can impact the health of you and your family. Also, you can always count on the humidity in Alabama. This humidity gets under our crawlspaces and causes mold, moisture, and mildew. The air in your crawlspace comes through your floors, where it becomes about 50% of the air you breath indoors. By taking steps such as an active radon system and crawlspace encapsulation, a new construction home with a knowledgable builder will give you peace of mind and protect your family's health.

Dining and living room with wainscoting in this custom home in Muscle Shoals, AL

7) Build to your budget

Whether you are upsizing or downsizing, building a custom home can be a better option than buying because you can work within your budget to get what you want. By having a clear budget, you can choose your home's layout and finishes and not pay for features that you didn't want or need. Your money goes where you choose to invest it.

8) Choose who builds your home

A custom home gives you the opportunity to choose whose hands you place your investment in. There are a lot of builders in the Shoals to choose from and a lot of considerations when selecting your contractor. At High Cotton Homes, we build a truly custom home. No list of selections to choose from. You do you. Maybe more importantly, we are proud of the quality and craftsmanship we put into our product. We have been passionate about researching durable products for our area, and we put extra energy in things such as efficiency, designing the HVAC system and performing leak tests on your home. We install active radon systems in all of our homes and encapsulate all of our crawlspaces to protect the health of your family. Along the way, you'll have access to our CoConstruct software that allows you to track the progress and budget of your home. We are proud to be doing things differently, and we truly feel like our homes exceed the standards and will hold their value for years to come.

If you are considering building a home in the Shoals area, please give us a call!

We'd love to walk you through the steps and tell you about what High Cotton Homes can offer. Explore our website and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

(256) 281-1626