Rouse Chamberlin Blog

This is it – the Brandywine Hill Model Home is now for sale and your last opportunity to move into one of our most popular new home communities to date!  A few weeks ago we talked about all the benefits of Brandywine Hill from its stellar, award-winning Downington Area School District to its ease of access to major traffic-ways for additional modern conveniences, not to mention the spectacular panoramic views every resident enjoys just by taking a peek out any of the windows in their dream home.

First of all, since this home has been featured for every new home in the Brandywine Hill community, it naturally was built with all the upgraded amenities you could possibly want at no extra cost to your budget.  Even better, you have all the perks of having a brand new home without waiting months for the construction process to be completed.  All of the homesites in Brandywine Hill have been sold, so once the construction is done, it’s finished for good!

As you can see, the front of the home has lovely extended landscaping is already in place for the fortunate home buyer who snatches up this property.  The walkway has been constructed with carefully laid paver stone which contrasts nicely with the lush greenery that backs up to the home itself and the stone façade exterior.

Upon walking into the home, you’ll immediately be impressed with the grand foyer and open feel as you walk across beautiful hardwood floors throughout the entrance, kitchen, and breakfast areas.  Take advantage of hearty granite countertops without losing any of the aesthetic appeal.  Your breakfast bar is ideal not only as a quick place to sit and grab a bite to eat, but is a wonderful space to entertain, allowing friends or family to join you while meals are being prepped or as additional counter space for a buffet-style set up!

FYI – you’ll absolutely love the enclosed sun room just off the breakfast area!  It’s also worth noting that this home’s back deck offers the finest wooded views in Chester County.

This 2-story home expands over 3200 square feet, offering 4 bedrooms, 2 and 1/2 bathrooms, a grand yet cozy family room with gas fireplace, study, mudroom, laundry room, and plenty of storage space in its 2.5 car garage to the side of the house.  With an unfinished basement, you can finish and furnish the extra space for whatever your heart desires.  The owner’s suite is particularly luxurious with its sitting room and spa-like bathroom featuring tiled floor, vaulted ceilings, separate tiled shower and large soaking tub.

With all the upgrades and features, this home is priced at $649,900 but we’re throwing in a $20,000 incentive!  The Brandywine Hill model can be yours for just $629,900!  You can find this listing via its number as well: MLS #6215998.

Don’t forget that Brandywine Hill is “large enough to be a community; small enough to know your neighbors.”  Call Robin today at (610) 970-3970 to take advantage of your last chance to live in this fantastic neighborhood!

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For additional information about Rouse Chamberlin Homes building your Philadelphia new home, please call 610-594-3741.

Buying a new home in Franklin Chase is more than just purchasing a house in an ideal area – it’s choosing the perfect community for the next chapter of your life!  This Chester County neighborhood offers countless opportunities and stunning views for each and every one of the residents who’ve chosen to live there.  Our newest neighbors are thrilled by the value found in our community and the surrounding area ; it’s everything they’ve been looking for in a new home.

First of all, the Avon Grove is a highly-sought after school district in West Grove, Pennsylvania, and every child enrolled in it “achieves individual excellence” from academics, arts, and athletics.  Students of Franklin Chase community enjoy making memories and building skills in their involvement and studies at Penn London Elementary School, Avon Grove Intermediate School, and Avon Grove High School.

Southern Chester County is home to local amenities you can’t get anywhere else, such as the convenience of Franklin Chase’s proximity to the Philadelphia Airport as well as popular workforce areas such as Delaware County, Newark, and Wilmington, Delaware.  In addition to these perks, Franklin Chase is in a unique position in its ability to provide not only larger city accessibility, but the charm of Small Town America.

The community is surrounded by 40 acres of wide open spaces with a pond, rolling hills, and beautiful farmland.  Franklin Chase offers views you can only dream of seeing, and you’ll have the special privilege of looking over such sights for years to come!  Just envision driving along the panoramic landscapes along Brandywine Valley on your way to spend an afternoon at Longwood Gardens, the Chadds Ford Winery, or the Brandywine River Museum.  Historic downtown West Chester is a terrific place for a family to spend a weekend exploring, learning, dining, and relaxing around its many retail boutiques, restaurants, and nightlife.

Homes in Franklin Chase community start from $299,990s and start to taper off at an affordable $347,990. We currently offer up to 8 different floor plan styles to best reflect our homebuyers’ needs for space, storage, and optimum living areas. At this time, Rouse Chamberlin is excited to announce two new homes in Franklin Chase available for quick delivery! 308 John Hancock is our 2,970 sq ft. Edgemont floor plan with 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, 2 car side entry garage. You’ll be treated to a 2-story foyer with turned staircase, private library/study, and plenty of other features! At 315 John Hancock, homebuyers will find a 2-story family room with fabulous views plus luxurious owner’s suite and spa-like bathroom within this popular Hawthorne floor plan’s 2,695 square foot space in addition to its walk out basement.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to become part of our community – we’ve sold 3 homes in the last 5 weeks! Contact our Sales Manager, Fran Phelps at (610) 323-0603 for more information about Franklin Chase & our new community Century Oak.

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

When you’re considering a new home, one of the first things you’ll want to think about is “what kind of floor plan do I need?”  Naturally, there are so many options from which to choose when deciding upon the perfect floor plan for your dream home, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed  with the multitude of opportunities.  Far too often we’ve seen homebuyers struggle with the decision because there are simply too many factors involved that influence the whole process.  This is where we, Rouse Chamberlin Homes, come in to help!  Not only do we have beautiful floorplan designs that offer countless amenities for you and your family, we know what points, pros, and cons you’re likely weighing.  Even better, once you’ve found that “perfect floor plan, but…” design, we’ll set up an appointment with Denise at our Design Center for you to customize features to make it the home of your dreams!

First of all, yes, you do want to be mindful of your budget.  Going into unreasonable amounts of debt saddled with 4 mortgage payments will not make for a good investment in your home.  That being said, your budget is somewhat flexible.  There are options even within the purchase of a new Rouse Chamberlin Home that allow for low monthly payments within specific communities such as Cowan Estates in Sadsbury starting at only $1,291 per month for a brand new home.  Also, if you’re planning on buying a home, you’re intentionally planning to stay put for a few years, which means that you will be living every day with the features and amenities you choose now.  It may pay off in less hassle and frustration to splurge just a little for a home that may be just above your budget’s limit for greater ease of mind and relaxation later.

How much space do you use now, and is it a comfortable fit?  Do you anticipate any greater changes in the future, such as a family addition or adoption of a new hobby that requires additional space?  Do you tend to collect items whether you meant to or not?  ”Making it work” for too long adds to stress all over the place, and it’s a good idea to plan ahead for any possible change that may affect how you currently live.

Where do you spend the most time in your current place?  Is your living room the cherished place for congregation, or do you love to entertain, and would jump at the chance for an open air layout with your gourmet kitchen and adjacent seating for you to visit with your guests as you finish prepping that evening’s meal?  Chances are these habits will follow you into your new home, and these rooms will warrant some extra special attention.

What other important details do you consider before buying a home?  Let us know!

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

Every single one of our new home buyers has visited our Design Center, quite literally our one-stop shop to see all your different home design and detail options built to scale.  This is one of our pride and joys, because we understand that while something may sound good on paper, you can’t really get the feel for what it would be like until it’s in person and you can compare your options side by side.  This is exactly what our Design Center does, and our homeowners rave not only about the varied selections of high quality details, but about our Design Manager, Danielle Wood, for her enthusiasm and her excellent customer service.

If you’ve not yet had the pleasure of meeting Danielle, we thought we’d introduce her to you!

How did you become a part of Rouse Chamberlin?
Danielle has been a member of the Rouse Chamberlin family since 2006 and almost single-handedly runs our Design Center, located in Exton, Pennsylvania.  She was introduced to us via a longtime friend and colleague in our Land Department who thought she’d be absolutely perfect for the Design Center Manager position.  We wholeheartedly agree!

What do you enjoy most about working for Rouse Chamberlin?
Smiling, Danielle doesn’t hesitate with her reply.  ”Meeting so many different people and helping them create their dream home through the selections process. I love listening to them as they make their selections to personalize their home and get to understand the vision they have for themselves in their new home.”  Since the Design Center allows new home buyers to express their personalities and lifestyle through these specific and intricate details, we really get to learn about your newest community members in a unique way and on a much more personal level.

What is the greatest memory you have from working with Rouse Chamberlin?
“[The best experience I've had with Rouse Chamberlin was] volunteering with fellow Rouse co-workers with the HBA in West Chester working to build houses with Habitat for Humanity,” Danielle recalls fondly.  One of the greatest assets of Rouse Chamberlin Homes is our commitment to community.  We construct communities for the sake of bringing together people who love where they live, and to build lasting relationships with one another.  Giving back to the community we cherish in the cities we adore is an outright privilege and we wouldn’t miss a moment of it!

Why do you think potential buyers should choose a Rouse Chamberlin Home?
Rouse Chamberlin Homes has built their reputation from the enduring quality of their new home materials, structural design, and attentiveness to their customers’ needs.  Danielle is honored to be a part of the process in delivering homes and the promise of the future to each homeowner she meets.  Danielle adds, “For 35 years we have been helping our buyers not just build houses, but build homes in communities and make memories that will last a lifetime.”

If that doesn’t make a dream home, what does?

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

No doubt about it: There’s something special about Brandywine Hill.  We had a feeling it was going to be a highly sought after community when we started, but we had no idea just how right we were!  Rouse Chamberlin Homes initially opened this neighborhood with the model in August of 2012 (only 8 months ago!) and we’re confident that this entire community will be sold before the end of this year.  In fact, we’re down to our last two homesites - lots 15 and 3 – and will be putting the model home that started it all on the market in May!

So what makes Brandywine Hill so special?  Three words come to mind: Intimate, convenient, and beautiful.  Our 19 home community is enveloped by 18 acres of the stunning natural greenery of Wallace Trust and many homes overlook Brandywine Creek.  Additionally, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Route 100 are only within minutes of the community, so in the face of this retreat-like feeling, you have all the benefits of and access to modern day conveniences.

Brandywine Hill’s homes are built with your lifestyle needs at the forefront of our designs, and each floor plan option offers between 2,216 to 3,355 square feet – plenty of space to live and play, but not so large so as to become overwhelmed by the size of it all.  Even more, our Design Center is primed and ready to show you all your different customizable options for your kitchen, bathrooms, living spaces,  and more, all to life-size scale so as to truly experience what it would be like to live there.

The Downington Area School District has been a recognized and established presence in Glenmoore for over 50 years.  Several young families in Brandywine Hill have specifically chosen our community with Springton Manor Elementary School, Downington Middle School, and Downington High School West in mind.  In fact, with such a commitment to educational excellence and to better serve the growing population of Glenmoore, Downington Area School District opened the STEM Academy in 2011 for students excelling in and driven to pursue future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.  A third Middle School will be opening Fall of 2013, as well!

Or, maybe it’s just as our Sales Agent Robin Tobisch likes to say, “Brandywine Hill: Large enough to be a community, yet small enough to know your neighbors!”

The Sales Center is open from Thursday through Monday each week from 11 in the morning to 5 in the evening, and we invite you to email, call, or even stop by in person so we can show you around!  Brandywine Hill is located at 600 Mill Court in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania.  So, if you’re heading northbound on Route 100 toward Eagle, make a lefthand turn onto Park.  When you see Little Conestoga, take that right turn at the first stoplight.  There’ll be a 4-way stop a little ways after that, and you’ll want to keep to the right.  At Fairview Road, take that left, and approximately one half mile down the road, turn sharply onto Park Lane (on your lefthand side).  Turn one more left at the stop sign at 282 East/Creek Road.  In less than 1 mile, you’ve arrived at the Brandywine Hill entrance on your right!

This truly is your last chance to live in Brandywine Hill – don’t miss out!  Call Robin today at (610) 970-3970.

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our series on Spring cleaning, gardening, and other how-to’s for the past couple of weeks!  This week we return to our ongoing “Meet Our Team” posts.  We recently sat down to chat a bit with Ellen Patella and Billy Ray, two wonderful members of our Rouse Chamberlin family.  They both work with The Links at Raven’s Claw, as the Golf Course Sales Manager and Project Manager, respectively.  So if you any questions whatsoever about this community, they’re the people to ask!

How did you become a part of Rouse Chamberlin?
Ellen, a longtime resident of Bucks County, actually found Rouse Chamberlin when she picked us to build her home in 2000!  When she decided to switch careers, it was a natural progression from town-homes and single family home real estate to Rouse Chamberlin’s speciality in new home construction.

Billy’s story starts a couple of years earlier, working as a contractor in 1997.  Just two years later, he became a full time member of our team!

What do you enjoy most about working for Rouse Chamberlin?
Unlike many home building companies, Rouse Chamberlin recognizes the need for quality rather than quantity when it comes to the homes themselves.  There’s a schedule that recognizes and balances the buyer’s needs as well as the amount of time our builders require to “build the house right the first time,” as Billy puts it.

Ellen echoes Billy’s sentiments, “We are a smaller builder that pays attention to quality and customer satisfaction.  All departments have one goal, and that is to meet the customer’s expectations and deliver the home of their dreams.”

What’s the greatest memory you have from working with Rouse Chamberlin?
Ellen recalls a time when a couple now happily residing in The Links at Raven’s Claw had initially found themselves in an “unfortunate situation with another builder.”  Thankfully that issue was quickly resolved and Rouse Chamberlin was quick to offer them everything they needed and more for their new home; Ellen had the wonderful opportunity in making their dream come true.

Billy’s made a lot of friendships over the years during his time with us.  Between the homeowners and his coworkers, he’s found quite the extensive family!

Why do you think potential buyers should choose a Rouse Chamberlin home?
Billy says it short and sweet: “We have great floor plans, competitive pricing, and outstanding quality.”

Ellen’s thrilled with Rouse Chamberlin’s reputation and the relationship we’ve formed with buyers past and present.  ”We’ve been building for 35 years and have a stellar reputation, bringing many new customers, repeat clients, and referrals.”

We’re pretty proud of that, too.  We consider it the highest of compliments when our home owners tell their friends and family that they should consider buying and building a new home with us.

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

Now that we’ve encouraged a little lawn TLC from last week’s post, we’ve reached the final installment of our “Spring Cleaning” series by tackling a time-honored hobby: gardening.  Many people rave about how relaxing and wonderful it is to allow yourself to get your hands just a little dirty, and we agree.  Between the fresh air outdoors, the aesthetic beauty of the plants themselves and how they improve the first impression of our homes, and for many, the actual produce you’ve helped grow and feed your family, there’s really no downside to gardening at all!

But for many of us, it’s not something we’re used to (not that we’ve haphazardly attempted, that is).  It oftentimes seems like a grand investment to cultivate our own green thumbs with minimal success.  What went wrong?  Why bother trying again if we’re not sure we’ll have time to give our gardens the proper attention they need?  Julia Scott from MintLife offers several excellent suggestions for cost-effective gardening, inspired by the spirit of Do-It-Yourself projects and stretching every dollar as far as it possibly can go.

First of all, employ your family or friends to help!  Do you have little ones?  We suggest giving them a specific task that they are in charge of, whether it be spreading the newly added topsoil or just being the guardian of a particular patch of greenery.  Plug in a radio or mp3 player and enjoy the music while you all work together.  Besides, this way you can keep an eye on them while hard at work and who knows, perhaps they’ll develop a love for planting and gardening, too!

Take advantage of free seeds and plants
Not sure what to plant?  We recommend, as Julia does, for aspiring master gardeners to take a look at The Freecycle Network as well as Craigslist’s (free) gardening section.  We’re not kidding!  ”Most gardeners are happy to swap plants and seeds, or you can post a seed swap listing for free on the National Gardening Association website,” says Julia.  ”If you ask for extras, many gardeners consider it a huge compliment to be able to spare plants–it’s a sign that their garden is THAT healthy!”  It’s a win-win situation as far as we see it.

Invest in homegrown spices and produce
There’s nothing like using fresh herbs and spices in your culinary practices.  However, cooking with them oftentimes means a little bit more green out-of-pocket.  Why not try growing cilantro, arugula, cherry tomatoes, dill, or squash yourself?  Not only is it thrifty, it’s healthy!

Make your own planters
Does working an entire garden feel like a bit too much to handle right now?  Why not spend an afternoon putting together your own planters?  Talk to one of your friendly community Rouse Chamberlin builders to see whether there might be an extra cinder block at hand, and give this a try!  This is perfect for a small crop of mint (add leaves to your iced tea or lemonade, perhaps?), or even strawberries!

What are you thinking you’d like to grow this year?

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

When Spring eventually shows up (we hope it’ll be any day now!), there’s plenty of spring cleaning that can be done outside.  Understandably, these outdoor tasks are frequently overlooked when confronted with in-your-face dust bunnies and clutter around your house.  That being said, the exterior of your home is the first impression your visitors get of you, your family, and your house.  What’s more, yard work is an excellent source of exercise with real, tangible benefits that improve your mood and decrease your stress.  We at Rouse Chamberlin would like to offer you a few helpful tips and hints to get you started on having an absolutely beautiful lawn this year.

First of all, get your bearings.  Throw on a light jacket or sweatshirt and head outside.  Take a walk around your home, inspecting your lawn for bare patches, weeds, natural debris (such as twigs, dead leaves, animal droppings), toys, or anything else that may have collected in your yard.  Remove the additional accumulation, and then take a fan rake to your lawn.  You may be asking yourself, “Why take the time to do this? It seems like a lot of work!”  De-thatching is actually one of the best things you can do for your lawn.  Think of it as taking a back scratcher and using it along your spine, shoulders, and all over.  That tingly, good feeling you get from it, that feeling of being alive?  Your lawn experiences something similar when you rake over it; you’re telling your dormant yard to wake up for Spring!

There are a couple of different ways to go about doing this: if you’ve got a smaller yard, then it’ll be most cost effective to keep the task to yourself, a family member, or maybe a helpful hand from one of your friendly community neighbors.  If you’ve got quite a bit more space, then it may behoove you to employ a professional lawn service or rent a mechanical “dethatcher” attachment, as Kelly Burke suggests.  It’s a delicate balance between raking and dethatching enough, but not too much!

Even if you don’t really consider yourself a gardener, you can definitely do something about those weeds that are quickly taking root in your lawn!  In the first few weeks of Spring, you’ll have the best chances at pulling weeds and other unwanted plants before they’ve become firmly rooted in place.  Marie Iannotti reminds us of a very easy and aesthetically appealing solution to help keep those pesky weeds at bay: Use mulch.  Mulch will generally smother weeds and not allow them to continue growing while still offering plenty of moisture and nutrients to your soil.  Just be aware of which plants are actually weeds and not ones you’d rather see grow!

What are some other different ways you’ve used to keep a beautiful lawn?

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

Spring Cleaning.  Even just thinking about it makes most of us cringe.  It’s a necessary part of our year, but we can admit that breaking through the mental block is pretty difficult.   We mean it this year, we tend to say.  But sooner or later, we tend to sputter out by the second day or so and the energy we had toward the various projects seems to have completely evaporated into thin air.  So what can we do to make sure things actually get cleaned this year?

First of all, Casey Slide from MoneyCrashers.com says, make a list.  This will help keep you focused and each day’s tasks to a manageable size.  Which rooms will need some extra attention?  You’ll be able to prioritize chores this way as well.  Be realistic, but set goals.  Also, don’t forget to give yourself credit for what you have accomplished as you go through your day.

We’ve found that one of the biggest hiccups with spring cleaning is organization and determining what things you’ve accumulated over the years get to stay and which really should go.  If you’re somewhat of a packrat, then this whole organizing and getting rid of “stuff” is going to be very difficult.  But it’s still possible!  It’s just a matter of being honest and just a little bit cutthroat.  Taking a cue from TLC, we emphasize that you have to ask yourself a couple of questions about each item you come across:

Have you used it within the past 6 months or year?

If not, then can it be given to someone else?

If not, can you sell it in a neighborhood garage sale or on eBay?

Be sure that you don’t let yourself procrastinate by considering too long on one item or resolving to make the decision later; don’t move on to the next object until you’ve sorted the previous one.  And when you’ve decided what’s made the “to go” pile, commit to it.  Besides, who could say no to a little extra income from selling things you don’t use anymore?  Or, if you’d rather not set up a garage sale or online inventory (which depends on your willingness to list items and everything else), donate these items to a thrift store, community outreach center, or religious group that may have some use for it or know people who would appreciate them.  Once these are cleared out of your own home, you’ll be shocked to discover just how much space has just suddenly opened up!

Invoke the assistance of your family or friends to help chores get done more quickly or to “divide and conquer” your checklist.  Turn on the radio, plug in your iPod, or set up your family computer or TV for online music streaming while you clean.  What are some other ways that have helped you stay on point to clean?

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.

Our ever-popular The Links at Raven’s Claw community has plenty of neighborhood amenities including stunning panoramic views, full access to the golf course, and the prestigious Spring-Ford School district!  But if you don’t have time to walk through the whole process of building a new home from the ground up, we currently have two homes available for you in Pottstown and Limerick, Pennsylvania.

135 Masters Drive, located in Limerick, is a 4 bedroom, 2 full bathroom home with a 2 car garage built in our award-winning Woodbine Select floor plan design.  This “Single Family Home of the Year” has, within its 2,216 square feet, a grand kitchen with granite counter tops and adjoining breakfast room allowing for casually intimate meals as well as a formal dining room perfect for larger entertainment opportunities.  You and your family will love the formal living room with plenty of space as well as the open and airy family room, first floor laundry room and powder room.  Also on the first floor, you will find 9 foot ceilings throughout your home and beautiful hardwood flooring in the foyer.

The master suite offers a huge walk-in closet and features a double vanity and steeping tub with separate shower, giving you plenty of relaxing ways to start (and end) your day.  You’ll discover the 3 additional bedrooms upstairs, and one of these includes room enough for a sitting area as well as a walk-in closet.  This room in particular is a wonderful option for teenagers.  This home is completely finished and ready for an immediate move-in.  For a limited time, you and your family can purchase this home for only $339,900, which is a savings of $22,812 from its regular cost of $362, 712.  Don’t delay any longer for this amazing deal!

56 Putter Lane is a Spring delivery home modeled after our Hawthorne floor plan, a two-story property featuring 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a 2 car garage.  Upon entry, you’ll fall in love with the hardwood flooring in the foyer that opens up into sophisticated dining room and two-story family room with a direct vent fireplace.  The spacious kitchen offers an adjacent breakfast room, 4 foot extension, and planning desk to help put together all those meals for the family and for entertaining larger gatherings.  The laundry room resides on the first floor, along with a comfortably sized room intended as a home office, den, or private library.

The master suite is the height of luxury, with a cathedral sitting area and gorgeous window, walk-in closet, and every opportunity to upgrade the master bathroom, including corner steeping tubs, a separate shower, and dual vanities.  You’ll find the remaining three bedrooms and bathroom upstairs on the second floor.  This home stretches up to nearly 2,600 square feet in size, and we think you’ll absolutely love every square inch of this Links at Raven’s Claw home!  Ordinarily priced at $400, 108, you can save some serious cash by making a purchase before March 31st.  This home can be yours for $386,358, instantly saving you $13,358!

All throughout the month of March, we offer 1/2 off level 1 granite counter tops and up to $20,000 in free upgrades on select floor plan models.  Be sure to talk to Ellen Patella, our Sales Agent for The Links at Raven’s Claw community at (484) 319-9672 for more information and to see whether these or another home site floor plan qualifies for this amazing promotional deal!  Or, feel free to contact us anytime here on our website if you have any questions or would like to learn more about our other communities, lots, and more!

Rouse Chamberlin Homes is a new home builder in the Philadelphia area.  For more information, please call 610-594-3741.