Meritus Homes Looks Ahead to Spring Homebuying Season with New Semi-Custom Designs, Showcase Homes in St. Charles

There may still be snow on the ground across Chicagland, but Deerfield, Ill.- based Meritus Homes is looking ahead to warm weather and preparing for the spring homebuying season with new semi-custom home designs and quick-delivery showcase homes in the works at The Reserve of St. Charles, the builder’s community of semi-custom and custom homes three miles north of downtown St. Charles.

“Even through the winter we’ve seen growing traction in the local market and a lot of traffic from buyers who really know what they want in a home and are ready to work with a builder and make what they envision a reality,” said Brian Brunhofer, president of Meritus Homes. “We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback, which we’re incorporating into some exciting new things for buyers in St. Charles.”

Among the new offerings for buyers are two semi-custom home designs Meritus plans to roll out in early spring 2014. Ranging from 3,600 to 4,000 square feet, the designs will offer the ample space and three-car, side-load garage configuration that buyers at The Reserve of St. Charles frequently request to make the most of the community’s generously sized home sites.

“Inside, the design of these homes is 100 percent driven by the input from our buyers who have gone through the design process with us and are now living in the community,” said Brunhofer. “We’ve implemented many of the details that we know from experience are sought after by residents in this area, as well as some great ideas based on customizations we’ve made for past buyers. That said, these designs are intended to be used like every other floor plan in our portfolio – as a starting point to kick off our collaborative, semi-custom design process with buyers.”

Brunhofer noted that through that semi-custom design approach, buyers can either work with the builder to tailor an existing design from the Meritus portfolio to their personal needs, or partner with Meritus’s custom-build team to create a brand new design.

“What we’ve found since the downturn is buyers today are incredibly thoughtful about their purchase and want to put their own fingerprint on their home. Usually they have a specific need they want us to help them address, so they love the flexibility we give them to add the features and elements that make the home work for their lifestyle,” he said. “We also realize that for some buyers it can actually be intimidating to start from scratch designing a completely custom home. So in our process, buyers can find a plan that resonates with them, and then we can help them as much or as little as they want to make changes and customizations to ensure it has everything they need.”

Also new for spring at The Reserve of St. Charles will be two custom showcase homes, available for April and May delivery. Both are two-story homes featuring four bedrooms and 3½ baths; one measures 3,300 square feet and is priced at $577,000, and the other measures 3,716 square feet and is priced at $608,000. 

Both homes offer popular features such as separate living and dining rooms, a first-floor den and a full basement. Additionally, the homes includes the suite of high-end finishes Meritus offers in all of its semi-custom home packages as a starting point for further customization, such as a gourmet kitchen with hardwood flooring, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, 42-inch maple cabinetry, a pantry, double ovens and a preparation island and/or a breakfast/serving bar per plan. Also included are 10-foot first-floor ceilings, upgraded trim details, oak railings, and fully sodded and landscaped home sites, including trees and foundation plantings.

“While these homes will showcase floor plans that have proven to be extremely popular with our buyers, they also demonstrate the breadth of customization we offer, whether it’s a unique kitchen cabinet finish, a special fireplace treatment or an incredible master bath with spa-like touches,” said Brunhofer. “Buyers visiting our communities can tour these homes to see the quality of our work, but of course they will also be available for purchase for those who want a custom-caliber home on a shorter time frame.”

Brunhofer added that depending on the time of purchase, buyers who select one of the showcase homes may be able to make some final finish selections.  

Located amid 56 acres of conservation areas and wetlands, The Reserve of St. Charles offers a scenic Fox River Valley setting complete with prairie grasses, mature trees and walking trails.

The Reserve of St. Charles is less than one mile from St. Charles North High School, one of the top public high schools in Illinois. The community is served by the highly acclaimed St. Charles Community Unit School District 303.  

The Reserve of St. Charles is located on the west side of Route 31 between Red Gate Road and Silver Glen Road. An on-site sales center, located at 745 Reserve Drive, is open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (630) 549-6486 or visit www.MeritusHomeBuilders.com.

About Meritus Homes

Meritus Homes was founded by homebuilding veterans Brian and Karen Brunhofer. The couple has more than 30 years of combined homebuilding experience, during which time they led teams that delivered more than 10,000 homes to the Chicago area. Meritus Homes is currently building in Long Grove, Park Ridge, Inverness, Naperville and St. Charles.