The house has not caught up to how you actually live. Three bedrooms sit empty upstairs, the dining room gets used twice a year, and you’re still heating and cooling square footage that nobody walks through.

For a lot of Edmond homeowners this is where right-sizing stops looking like a compromise. You trade square footage you stopped using for better finishes, better gathering space, and a yard somebody else takes care of. Most people who make the move end up in a smaller house that’s better than the one they left.

Here is how to think about it and what to look for.

Right-sizing and downsizing are not the same thing

Downsizing is a subtraction problem. Less house, less money, less of everything, usually because circumstances forced the issue.

Right-sizing starts from a different question: which parts of your current home do you actually use, and what would you build if you only had to build those?

For most people making this move, the answer is a shorter list than they expect. The primary suite. A kitchen that opens to where people sit. One guest room, maybe two. A study or flex room that absorbs the hobby, the home office and the occasional grandchild sleepover. Outdoor living that gets used in October rather than looked at from indoors.

What comes off the list is usually the formal dining room, the bonus room over the garage, the second and third guest bedrooms nobody has slept in since 2019, and the stairs.

The budget doesn’t necessarily shrink with the square footage, and that surprises people. A 2,600 square foot home built to your specification, with the cabinetry and the appliances and the shower you actually want, can cost more than the 3,800 square foot house you’re leaving. That’s the trade most right-sizers are happy to make, because the money moves from rooms you maintain into rooms you live in.

The square footage sweet spot

Across Bill Roberts communities, the homes that right-sizers gravitate toward are between roughly 2,400 and 3,600 square feet.

Camden Park homes run from 2,200 to 3,200 square feet. Homes at The Villas at Annecy run 2,500 to 3,200 square feet, and Waterstone’s courtyard homes start higher, in the 3,000 square foot range and up.

The band holds at both ends: below about 2,300 square feet, hosting Thanksgiving gets difficult and the guest room starts doubling as storage, while above about 3,600 you’re back to cleaning rooms you don’t enter.

Bedroom count tells you more than square footage does. Three is the figure that keeps coming up, and it’s the standard configuration in available homes across Camden Park, Waterstone and the Villas. Two is often one too few, since the second bedroom becomes an office and then there’s nowhere for the family to sleep. Four means you’re heating a room for one week a year.

Features that earn their place at this stage

“A lot of the decisions that affect a homeowner ten or fifteen years down the road are made before the first house ever goes vertical. Things like drainage, grading, lot orientation, landscaping, common-area maintenance and even how a home sits on the lot can all impact long-term upkeep. When those details are thoughtfully planned from the beginning, the homeowner may never notice them, and that’s really the point. Good community design should make owning the home easier, not create problems they have to solve later.” -Cody Reed, Sales Manager

Ask a couple who’s right-sized three years ago what they would insist on next time, and their list would be practical rather than aspirational.

First-floor living comes up first. Camden Park is built around it, with the primary suite and main living spaces on the ground floor and flexible rooms that can be finished however you want. It’s not about mobility today. It’s about not rebuilding a house in twelve years because the stairs became a problem, and it’s worth its own conversation, which is where we’re headed in November.

After that:

• A primary shower without a curb or a step, done in a way that reads as design rather than accommodation
• Wider hallways and doorways, which cost almost nothing at framing and can’t be added later
• A laundry room on the same floor as the primary suite, ideally near the closet
• A covered outdoor space with a fireplace or heaters, so the patio works in November and not just in May
• Storage designed for two people who have lived somewhere for thirty years, because right-sizing doesn’t mean you got rid of the Christmas decorations
• Enough guest parking that hosting eleven people doesn’t put four cars on the street

The one thing that people forget is the garage. If you’re keeping a boat, a golf cart, or a project car, that decision belongs in the first design conversation, not in the third.

Maintenance-free living: what is covered and what is not

This is the part buyers get wrong most often, and the part worth asking about directly before you sign anything.

“Maintenance-free” almost never means the association handles everything. Simply put, a defined list of things moves off your plate and the rest stay on it. At Waterstone, the courtyard homes are built with year-round maintenance-free lawns and masonry privacy walls. Camden Park advertises maintained lawns as part of what you are buying, and at The Villas at Annecy the association handles lawn care as well, alongside a private clubhouse and pool reserved for Villa homeowners.

Across Camden Park, Waterstone and The Villas at Annecy, the coverage is the same. Year-round lawn maintenance includes mowing, edging, weeding and blowing, along with fertilizing, weed spraying, bed care and tree trimming. Seasonal flowers are the common exception and carry an added cost.

What changes between communities is the annual cost. Lawn care runs about $2,419 a year at Camden Park, $3,400 at The Villas at Annecy, and $5,075 at Waterstone.

Saturday mornings still start with the mower. The honest version of this is worth saying out loud. A maintenance-free lawn doesn’t make a home maintenance-free. The roof is still yours. So are the HVAC filters, the water heater, the gutters, and the paint. What the arrangement buys you is the recurring weekly obligation, the one that decides whether you can leave for eleven days in October without asking a neighbor for a favor.

For most people at this stage, that’s the obligation worth buying back.

Why the gate matters more than it used to

Every community mentioned here is gated. Camden Park, Waterstone and Annecy all sit behind controlled access, and for right-sizers that turns out to matter for a reason that has little to do with crime statistics.

It’s about leaving.

If your next chapter includes a month in Colorado or a stretch of winter somewhere warmer, the question isn’t whether the house is safe. It’s whether you spend the first two days of the trip thinking about it. Controlled access, a lawn that gets mowed on schedule, and neighbors who notice an unfamiliar car add up to a house you can close the door on.

Where this already exists in Edmond

Three Bill Roberts communities fit the right-sizing profile, and they’re not interchangeable.

Camden Park is the most direct fit. Gated, priced from the upper $600s, built around first-floor living with open living spaces and flexible rooms. The clubhouse near the entrance has a pool, a fitness center, a full-service kitchen, a beverage and coffee bar, and a grill and firepit outside. There’s a two-acre park and a walkway network inside the gates. Mercy Hospital, Natural Grocers, and a run of Edmond restaurants are minutes away, which matters more at this stage than it did at forty. 

The Villas at Annecy is the smallest, at 40 lots, with a private clubhouse and pool reserved for Villa homeowners and access to the 16-acre Central Park at Annecy with its lakes and more than a mile of walking trail. The Villas start from a set of base floor plans rather than a fixed catalog, so the plan starts from how you live now instead of a layout drawn for a family of five.

Waterstone is the high end of this group, starting in the mid-$900s across just 65 homesites. Most of them are side courtyard or side and backyard courtyard residences with masonry privacy walls and year-round maintenance-free lawns. The clubhouse has a pool, a fitness center, and a golf simulator.

“We were coming from a much larger home, so initially we worried about what we might miss. What surprised us was how quickly we realized we didn’t need all of that extra space. We still have plenty of room when family and friends come over, but the house is much easier to maintain and fits the way we live now. We thought downsizing would feel like a compromise, but it really hasn’t.” -Waterstone homeowner

Selling the family home and timing the build

The timing question is the one that keeps people from starting, and it’s a fair concern.

A custom build runs months, not weeks, and the worry is simple: sell too early and you’re renting, sell too late and you’re carrying two properties. Neither is a catastrophe, but both cost money and they’re not fun.

A few things make it manageable. Start the design conversation well before you list, because design and selections take longer than construction on a right-sized home and that work costs you nothing but time. Get the build schedule in writing early, then set your listing date against it. Ask your lender about bridge financing and whether a construction-to-permanent loan makes sense in your situation, since the answer depends on how much equity is sitting in the current house.

The practical advantage of a design/build firm here is that one schedule governs the whole thing. When design, selections, permitting and construction sit with the same team, the move-in date is a real number you can plan a closing around rather than an estimate that shifts each time a subcontractor does.

The house your grandchildren will want to visit

There is a version of right-sizing that goes too far.

It’s the one where the guest room becomes a den, the yard becomes a patio, and holidays quietly relocate to your daughter’s house because there is no room at yours. It happens gradually and nobody decides it on purpose.

If having family come to you matters, that requirement belongs in the plan from the beginning, and it’s more specific than “a guest room.” It means a second bedroom with a bathroom near it, a kitchen island people can stand around while somebody cooks, an outdoor space that works when there are fourteen people instead of two, and enough parking that the third car isn’t on the street.

A community pool and clubhouse do a lot of work here. When the grandkids visit Camden Park, Waterstone or the Villas, the afternoon has somewhere to go that isn’t your living room.

Ready to find the right size?

If the house you’re in stopped fitting a few years ago, the useful next step isn’t a listing appointment. It’s a floor plan conversation.

Since 1982, Bill Roberts Custom Homes has built more than 500 homes across Edmond, including seven gated communities across town. As a design/build firm, the same team handles the design, the selections, the construction, and the warranty visits at 30 days and 11 months.

Come look at Camden Park, Waterstone and The Villas at Annecy, walk through what you use and what you don’t in your current home, and see the 3D rendering of the alternative before anyone breaks ground.

You’ve arrived. Welcome home.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between right-sizing and downsizing?

Downsizing means buying less house, usually to spend less. Right-sizing means matching the house to how you actually live now, which often means fewer bedrooms and less total square footage but better finishes, better outdoor living and less upkeep. Plenty of right-sizers spend the same or more than their current home is worth, because the money shifts from unused rooms into the ones they use every day.

How much square footage does a right-sized home need?

Most land between 2,400 and 3,600 square feet with three bedrooms. Three is the number that keeps a home functional, since one bedroom almost always becomes an office and you still want somewhere for family to sleep. Below about 2,300 square feet, hosting gets tight. Above 3,600, you are maintaining rooms you do not use.

What does maintenance-free living actually include in an Edmond gated community?

It varies less than buyers expect. At Camden Park, Waterstone and The Villas at Annecy, the association handles year-round lawn maintenance, which covers mowing, edging, weeding and blowing, along with fertilizing, weed spraying, bed care and tree trimming. Seasonal flowers are an added cost. Lawn care runs about $2,419 a year at Camden Park, $3,400 at The Villas at Annecy, and $5,075 at Waterstone. The roof, HVAC, water heater, gutters and interior maintenance stay with the homeowner.

Are there low-maintenance luxury homes in Edmond with single-story floor plans?

Yes. Camden Park, Waterstone and The Villas at Annecy are gated Edmond communities with maintained or maintenance-free lawns, clubhouses and pools, and single-story floor plans that suit buyers who no longer need a family-sized house. None of them are age-restricted, and anyone can buy in any of them.

Should I build or buy a move-in ready home when I right-size?

If you have a specific list of what you want and a timeline with room in it, building gets you the layout without compromise. If your current home sells faster than expected or your list is shorter, a move-in ready home in one of the same communities gets you there sooner. Both paths exist inside these three communities, so the question comes down to your timeline and how particular you are about the floor plan.

The Kimberlings had been looking for a new home for nearly two years in the busy Oklahoma City market. It was tough for them to find exactly what they wanted — a place where they could simplify their lifestyle all while enjoying luxury amenities and outdoor living spaces.

So, when Nancy and her husband Kim came to visit a friend in the new Camden Park community in North Oklahoma City, they decided to take a look at one of the model homes there. As soon as they walked into the model, they knew this community would be their new forever home! 

What appealed most to the Kimberlings about building their own home was the personalized touches they were able to incorporate. From the beautiful open kitchen/dining/living space to customized french doors for their study, they truly felt like they had gotten everything they wanted.

Kim and Nancy were finally able to downsize from a larger house, all while keeping their furniture, and building the perfect home for the next chapter of their lives!

We are honored to have been featured by OKC Lifestyle Magazine as they recall the Kimberlings’ home buying journey.  

If you are inspired by the Kimberlings’ story, you should explore our beautiful communities and build a home of your own! At Bill Roberts, we support you through the entire build and design process — start to finish. Your happiness and satisfaction motivate us, every day. Contact us today and create the life you want to live!

Building a new home is one of life’s greatest achievements. Like a right of passage, it can impart a sense of arrival. But choosing where to build that home, where to settle and build a life, is of utmost importance. Read on to learn why Edmond, Oklahoma, is a wise choice for this significant decision.

According to Money magazine, Edmond is one of the country’s best places to live. The city’s vibrant economy, its affordable cost of living, and its priority for community amenities make it an undeniable standout. From its dynamic shopping and dining options to year-round recreation and exceptional schools, it’s easy to see why Edmond is among the most desirable places to live in the United States.

Edmond’s Thriving Economy

The economic outlook in Edmond is a promising one. With a population just shy of 100,000, the city projects a job growth rate of nearly 4 percent. Major employment sectors include education, government, and health care. With average housing costs stable at just over two times the average annual income, Edmond remains an impressively affordable place to live for families and retirees alike. Edmond’s reliably strong economy is among its many assets. 

Top-Shelf Shopping & Dining

Edmond is host to a bustling commercial sector. In the heart of picturesque Downtown, you’ll find locally owned boutiques, gourmet foods, and antique shops in a quaint, friendly setting. The trendy Shoppes on Broadway and distinct Spring Creek Plaza are havens for fine dining and upscale shopping. Restaurateurs throughout the city provide a buffet of choices, ranging from Mediterranean and Mexican to sushi and American fare—certain to satisfy every palate. With its many offerings, Edmond provides a sense of small-town charm with big-city perks. 

Exceptional Schools

In Edmond, students from grade school to university receive a world-class education. At the elementary level, Edmond Public Schools, the state’s leader in National Blue Ribbon honors, offers students a solid foundation at seventeen neighborhood elementary schools. These schools feed into the district’s six middle schools, where students transition and further develop their studies with a focus on digital learning. At the secondary level, 93 percent of seniors at the district’s three high schools earn diplomas. These schools provide an enriching environment with rigorous academics, competitive athletics, and character-building clubs. For higher education, top-ranked University of Central Oklahoma challenges students and prepares them for tomorrow’s careers.

Year-Round Recreation

Recreational opportunities abound in Edmond, which boasts an average 230 days of sunshine annually. With over a half dozen private and public golf courses, enthusiasts enjoy immaculate greens in all seasons. Arcadia Lake, a city gem, offers swimming, boating, and fishing. Featuring a heated dock, this oasis is a hotspot for catching bluegill, catfish, and bass year-round. Innumerable parks, paths, and playgrounds dot the Edmond landscape. Additionally, communities throughout the city, such as Fallbrook, Waterstone, and Cypress Point Estates, feature spacious clubhouses, crystal-clear pools, and well-equipped fitness centers. Some offer indoor and outdoor tennis courts and golf simulators. Whatever your recreational preferences, there is something for everyone year-round in Edmond.

New Home Builder in Edmond

Building a new home is a rewarding experience, and Edmond is an ideal community to grow your roots or live out your golden years. Bill Roberts Custom Homes is the premier builder of innovative, sophisticated new homes located exclusively in Edmond. Contact us today and start your journey toward the lifestyle you deserve.

Not only is Edmond, Oklahoma a great place to live — it’s a great place to work, too! That’s why nearly 100,000 Americans are happy to call Edmond home. Edmond offers a strong sense of community where people matter. Also, you find satisfying, meaningful work here—there’s a lot more to working in Edmond than just collecting a paycheck.

Today, we’re going to take a look at jobs in Edmond and discuss some of the major employers in the area. If you’re considering moving here, take note; you won’t want to miss out on these exciting opportunities!

Tinker Air Force Base

Edmond sits just 20 miles away from the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma — the Tinker Air Force Base. With over 24,000 civilian and military personnel, Tinker Air Force Base brings in about $3.5 billion to the state each year, providing abundant opportunities for employment, growth, and advancement

The Tinker Air Force Base offers opportunities for everyone. There are plenty of desk jobs available, but if you’re looking for something a bit more hands-on, you’ll find that here too. If the idea of working on the latest warfighting jets and aircrafts excites you, then you’re coming to the right place.

Edmond Jobs in Education—University of Central Oklahoma

Edmond is home to the University of Central Oklahoma, a higher education institute that employs over 3,000 individuals. As a collaborative effort, UCO employees prepare the youth of Edmond and surrounding cities to lead productive lives.

Furthermore, UCO offers a College of Business, School of Music, Liberal Arts, and courses in Fine Art and Design, so there’s something for everyone. Education matters in Edmond—today’s students become tomorrow’s heroes.

Nobody can say for sure, but at UCO, you might be taking part in educating the next Bill Gates!  Are you ready to make a positive impact on your community? Well, it’s time to come and join us in Edmond!

Edmond Jobs in Healthcare – Integris Health

People choose employment opportunities in healthcare for many reasons. The healthcare industry offers satisfying and stable jobs. Edmond, Oklahoma is home to Integris, one of the largest and most successful healthcare systems in the country. The company offers the opportunity for employees to take on an active role in caring for others in their community.

Integris employs over 6,000 healthcare professionals at multiple hospitals in the area. Also, Integris ranks among the top 25 best healthcare systems in the country according to US News and World Report. Ultimately, if you enjoy stable and meaningful work, Edmond is the place to be.

There Are Plenty of Opportunities with Edmond Jobs

We are merely scratching the surface with the employers listed here. Edmond displays favorable employment outlooks in multiple sectors including; healthcare, aerospace, education, and government jobs. If you’re looking to live and work in a wonderful community, look no further than Edmond!

As we’ve noted before, wine rooms are a growing trend in modern custom homes. But how do you stock them? Here are some guidelines for creating a well-rounded wine collection, whether it’s for a wine room, wine cellar, or wine rack. Hopefully, these tips will result in a delicious base of reds and whites, including ideas on where to splurge and how to add some sparkle!

Stocking Wines

• Consider the wines that you love and you (always) want to drink. The first rule of drinking wine is simple: Enjoy! So, buy what you like—and what friends and family like—and stock up. What’s better than having your favorite brand on hand?
• Looking for a more specific rule? Think, 4: white, ready-to-drink red, dessert, and celebratory/prestige. If you think in terms of these 4 types of wines, each can take up about 25% of your wine room space. If that formula doesn’t feel quite right, make up your own according to your lifestyle.
• For more ideas of wine varieties, and ways to branch out of your usual preferences, check out Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Selections for 2017.
• Looking to invest in some bottles to store for a few years? Food & Wine Magazine suggests this  list of their Top 12 Wines that Will Get Better With Age.

Wine Room Details

• Organize the room in a way that is convenient for you. Keep everyday wines close to reach, and prestige bottles protected and out of the way.
• If possible, keep the room temperature around 55 degrees. Avoid temperature fluctuation, vibrations, and humidity. This will help keep wines stable and ready to serve, free from humidity and other factors that might disrupt the quality.
• Generally, wine rooms, as opposed to wine cellars, are designed to store wines that are meant to be served. While wines may last quite a while in these rooms, they are not meant to be aged there. So, pick what you love and what you’d like to have on hand and to serve anytime.

As you begin to furnish your wine room, you will likely discover how fun it is to accessorize! There’s a whole world out there, full of glasses, charms, and preservation/serving equipment. Not to mention the cheeses, fruits, chocolates, crackers, and gourmet meals for pairing options. Enjoy the process of setting up your wine room—and salut!

Bill Roberts Custom Homes offer the fun option of a customized wine room. Other available options include multiple trending features in customized closets. Our homes are designed for life —your life—and we are happy to offer a wide variety of interior designs and amenities.

Have you checked out Chisholm Creek yet? This new and exciting area has it all—shopping, dining, various local services, and entertainment. Oklahoma City’s very first “mixed-use” development, Chisholm Creek is a pedestrian-friendly space designed to combine various aspects of life into a convenient and beautiful setting. As such, it is a great place to run errands, get the kids’ wiggles out, meet up with a friend, do some shopping, practice your golf swing, and much more!

Chisholm Creek is surrounded by miles of walking trails that converge upon a gorgeous waterfront. Adjacent to a spacious city park, it is the perfect place to go for a walk, or to take the kids for an afternoon. While you’re there, pamper yourself a bit at the Blo Bar, the nail salons, spas, and deluxe barber shop. Spend the afternoon exploring local and national boutiques, then drop in for happy hour. Dining options are plentiful, too! The area is perfect for meeting up with friends (or dates!), taking the family out for a special meal, or hosting a business meeting.

Chisholm Creek is nestled between corporate campuses and the best healthcare facilities in the city, reminders of Oklahoma City’s economic growth and continual development. Home to a variety of office spaces and business suites, the center offers insurance, banking, financial advising, and much more. When the work is done and you’re ready to play, head over to Top Golf and work on your swing. Or reach for the skies at IFly indoor skydiving!

Oklahoma City is one of America’s fastest growing cities and Chisholm Creek is set to accommodate this exciting growth and development. As such, the area is an asset for Bill Roberts Community Homes residents, and is close to many of these communities. Stop by and see for yourself. Oh, and grab a coffee while you’re there. Or an ice cream! Or…well, you get the idea!

Edmond is an exciting place to live, just a quick drive from places like Chisholm Creek. With exciting events happening in your own backyard, there is always an opportunity to try something new, meet your neighbors, and have some fun.

Edmond is a fantastic place to live. During this season of romance, we thought it was fitting to pay tribute to our beautiful city. A sonnet would be lovely, but we couldn’t quite make everything rhyme. So instead, we compiled a list.

These are the top five (non-rhyming) reasons we love living in Edmond:

Excellent Schools – Edmond boasts an outstanding public school system. With 17 elementary schools, six middle schools, and three high schools, just over 22,000 students are being served by some of the top teachers and administrators in the state. As if that’s not enough, Edmond also has a wide selection of private schools. Our kids are a priority, and the quality education system is the number one reason we love living in Edmond.

Variety of Restaurants – You don’t have to drive far to get just about any type of food that catches your fancy. It goes without saying that we have a number of steak houses and burger joints, and those are always popular (and always appreciated!). But when you’re in the mood for something different, Edmond has places where you can get Thai, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean . . . just about any kind of food you can imagine. For homestyle favorites or more exotic fare, Edmond’s got it all.

Chisholm Creek – The shopping, dining, and entertainment offered at Chisholm Creek, combined with the pedestrian-friendly setting and water features make Chisholm Creek one of our favorite places to visit in Edmond. (Technically, it’s in Oklahoma City, but we’re going to claim this one because it’s so very close.) It’s the perfect place to stroll with an ice cream in hand on a warm summer evening. And the perfect place to chat with a friend over a warm cup of coffee in the winter.

Edmond Parks & Recreation – From Arcadia Lake to the Festival Market Place to the many trails that wind through the city, we love the services provided by Parks & Recreation. Free summer concerts under the stars and an enjoyable round of golf at KickingBird Golf Club. Exciting summer camps for kids and over 30 city parks. What more can we ask for?

Quality of Life – It’s a little hard to quantify, but there’s something about the combination of all these factors that makes for a good life. And not just the things we’ve mentioned here, but also the fact that people are friendly, community life is strong, and everyone is involved and engaged with different organizations, whether it’s a church or another type of non-profit. People care. That’s why, overall, we think that Edmond offers a high quality of life that’s hard to beat.

Bill Roberts Custom Homes has been building gorgeous homes for the lucky citizens of Edmond for over 35 years. From sprawling estates to chic and low-maintenance luxury homes, we make the spaces that fit your lifestyle. Check out our quick move-in options and start living in one of Edmond’s finest communities!

Kid Friendly Restaurants

Edmond families have easy access to several dining options. Luckily, their little ones are welcome, too. Here are our top five picks for kid-friendly restaurants in the area. There’s something for everyone to enjoy!

• A classic American eatery, Interurban Edmond offers tasty dishes to kids and adults alike. This trolley station restaurant has a proud history of serving the community, and invites the whole family to sit down and enjoy a meal. The menu features a wide variety of adult options from fresh salads to steaks to regional favorites, and accommodates childrens’ palates, too.
• Charleston’s Restaurant has a great reputation for serving the whole family and paying particular attention to kids’ needs. Offering American-style cuisine that is made from scratch every day, this is a healthy and modestly-priced restaurant choice. With dishes such as champagne chicken salad, the catfish platter, and the enchilada plate, there’s something for everyone.
• Satisfy your pizza craving at The Heat (formerly Humble Pie). Can’t decide between deep dish, thin crust, or something in between? They offer it all, hand tossed and topped with authentic Italian sauce. Salads, killer appetizers, and plenty of Italian dishes are available for la familia.
• Want to broaden everyone’s culinary horizon a bit? Try Sushi Thai Delight Edmond. Their chicken katsu for kids gets rave reviews, and they provide Thai dishes with a kid-friendly twist. Enjoy a variety of sushi or Thai dishes as a family.
• A local favorite, the Cow Calf-Hay is a must. They boast the absolute best burgers in town, and offer the famous six shooter challenge. Not in the mood for a burger? No problem! Join them for breakfast.

These are just a few of Edmond’s kid-friendly restaurants for your family to enjoy. Bon appetit!

Bill Roberts custom homes are designed for family growth over a lifetime. Residents know that our communities provide a wonderful range in location and home design preferences. Contact us today to learn more!

Building a Home to Be Pet Friendly

We all love our furry little creatures. They love to follow us around begging for our food, treats, and pets whenever they can get them. We are eager to let them come into our space and make themselves at home. What if they had their own space though just like everyone else in the house? This might sound a little crazy but just think about having a home that has built in dog bed, dog bath, and food storage. Bill Roberts has done just that. Check out the homes that have them in it!

Built in Dog Bed

We often put them into our rooms and let them sleep with us or at least near us. Whether they have a dog bed in our room or in the family room it’s somewhere. They love to pick their place and call it theirs. What if they had a place to call theirs that was built to be theirs. Bill Roberts builds homes in a way that embraces our dogs as part of the family. We build dog beds into the home. In the utility room we have built it spacious with your dog in mind. Often that is the room we leave the door open, so your dog will have a place to snooze when it’s nap time.

Food Storage

This isn’t food storage for humans, this is just for the dogs. It can be frustrating to figure out where the food should go. It just seems that no matter where you put it just doesn’t seem like there is a perfect fit for it in the laundry room or in the kitchen. That is why we have made sure to build dog food storage into the utility room so that it’s all conveniently in one place and an easy to clean area.

Dog Bath

This is one of the best features that we have built in for your little companion. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out where you’re going to wash your pup in the winter time. If you wash him in the tub you’ve got a high possibility of clogs in the drain that are a pain to get out. However, when you have a built-in dog bath you don’t have to worry about such problems. You have the perfect place and tub that is meant for you to wash your dog year-round when you buy a Bill Roberts home.

Bill Roberts Custom Homes is dedicated to building homes made of quality craftsmanship. We take the dream you home you have in your head and make it come alive. We also care about all members of the family. Call today if you want to tour one of the homes we have available or want to meet with our consultant team. Take a look at the homes we have available today!

The following content is from the American Veterinarian Medical Association and can be found in the attached article: https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/holidays.aspx

Ah, it’s already that time of year again! Celebrating the holidays with family & friends is fun, but nothing can spoil good cheer like an unexpected emergency trip to your vet. Bill Roberts Custom Homes would like to share some tips to help keep your holiday season safe for your pets. No one can plan for an emergency because they are unpredictable and unwanted. We do however have the wonderful ability to plan ahead and see when things can pose a potential danger. These tips help you to be prepared for an emergency that may happen. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has helped to give us some great advice for us and our little fuzzy friends.

Have a Plan

The first step to help an unwanted emergency that the AVMA brought out is before one ever starts have a list of numbers. This way you’ll always know exactly where to take your beloved pet whatever hour it may be. Here is the list of numbers they mentioned to have:

• Your Vet’s Number
• 24/7 Emergency Vet Number
• ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 1-888-426-4435

Poisonous Food

We all know some very common foods that are poisonous, but we want to make sure that we cover all of them that are most tempting to feed your pet. In our minds it may not seem like it would be bad for your pets at all but their reaction to is says otherwise. The AVMA list several foods to be on guard of when it comes to your pet sniffing them out.

• Chocolate – Most of us are aware that chocolate is not good for dogs and cats. However, most families have chocolate in the house, especially during the holiday season. You’ll want to be vigilant as to where you place these delicious treats.
• Sweet Treats – The health kick these days often times involves a substitute for sugar. A main substitute for sugar that people use is xylitol. It can be found in candy and chewing gum as well. The AVMA said that this sweetener has a connection to liver failure and death in dogs.
• Turkey and its Skin – This is a delicious treat for us and many dogs think so too. The AVMA brings out that it “can cause a life-threatening condition in pets known as pancreatitis”.
• Table Scraps – These are other treats that can cause pancreatitis because of their high levels of fats. They have said to be especially careful to not feed them “onions, raisins and grapes”.

Decorations

Who doesn’t like to decorate their new Bill Roberts home with festive greenery, lights, and a beautiful Christmas tree covered in ornaments and lights. Decorations can pose risky temptations for our pets. Here are some of the tips that the AVMA brought out.

• Christmas Trees – Often families put water additives in their tree. AVMA says to “not add aspirin, sugar, or anything to the water for your tree if you have pets in the house”.
• Ornaments – These are among the most common decorations on Christmas trees but can break easily when dropped. This causes a potential hazard of being ingested, causing intestinal blockage and toxicity. The AVMA brings out to “keep any handmade ornaments, particularly those made from salt-dough or other food-based materials, out of reach of pets”.
• Tinsel – These decorations are particularly enticing to cats because they are something shiny to chase. However, your dog may just as well want to eat them. This has the potential to cause intestinal blockage that may require surgery to remove.
• Plants – Mistletoe and holly are among the many plant decorations used during the holiday season. When these are ingested though they can have serious effects on your dog or cat. The AVMA has a complete list of the plants that are toxic to cats and dogs.

We love pets so make sure to take precautions this holiday season when decorating your home! For more information on the dangers of hosting holiday parties and holiday travel to your pet, please visit the AVMA website. Bill Roberts Custom Homes can install pet doors and other special amenities for your furry friends, in any new home. Come visit our model homes in Camden Park to learn about our other communities to custom build or select a move in ready home. Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

Do you have the autumn fever yet? Where you want pumpkin spiced lattes and caramel apple desserts? The only cure for this is to feed your cravings of fall. Fall is the best time of year to spend the weekend baking with the kids and having family dinners. This can become a great family tradition with the kids. Bill Roberts Homes has just the place for you to start these family traditions, your own Bill Roberts custom kitchen. Each home has the ability to have your custom dream kitchen. We have a design team here to help you make your dream kitchen come true and build it in our 3D design software. What will you bake in your new dream kitchen this autumn? Bill Roberts Custom Homes has some of the best recipes for you to be able to use this fall to fulfill those autumn cravings!

1. Apple Pie Pops – http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pies/apple-pie-pops/​

If you’re looking for something delicious that you and the kids will love, then this is it! With only a combined prep and cook time of 55 minutes, these little treats are a breeze to make. Pies are great but often they can be a mess with the little ones. These apple pie pops are perfect for great taste and easy clean up! For the best tasting apple pie pops, go to pick apples with the kids and then come home to make them. It doesn’t get much better than picking apples right off the tree to make your delicious masterpiece.

2. Pumpkin French Toast – http://allrecipes.com/recipe/180568/pumpkin-french-toast/?internalSource=rotd&referringId=1090&referringContentType=recipe%20hub&clickId=cardslot%201

Pumpkins taste amazing! We all love our pumpkin spiced lattes at Starbucks. Every season we can’t wait for them to bring that scrumptious drink back. However, pumpkins are great in other things as well. French toast on a late Saturday morning is always the best, especially if it’s cold outside. This season, spice it up a little and make a fall favorite. Pumpkin French toast is the perfect touch to go along with a wonderful cinnamon breakfast. There are so many pumpkin recipes to make and pick from. Pumpkin patches are always going on this time of year. By going out with the family to pick the perfect pumpkin, you’ll be able to use the inside of it as puree for many recipes and then use the shell of it as a fall decoration for your home.

3. Raspberry Tart – http://wholeandheavenlyoven.com/2017/05/26/no-bake-dark-chocolate-raspberry-tart/

Many of us don’t think about raspberries as a fall fruit but fall raspberries are a thing. Add this to your list of picking fruits. Raspberries are the perfect combination of sweet and sour. If you’re not a baker then have no fear, this next recipe is one that is a no bake raspberry tart that everyone will love. This is the kind of dessert that is perfect to bring over to a gathering as most of the time it’s chilling in your fridge. Fresh raspberries will give it peak flavor that you’ll quickly get addicted to.

Apples, pumpkins, and raspberries are just the start of the goodness that fall brings. The crisp air and beautiful colors are breath taking. And what better way to take it all in than with a nice fall treat in your hand. Bill Roberts knows how important family time is. We enjoy giving families ideas to have a good time. We know that a home is everything when it comes to building a family. Come see our homes that we know you’ll love.

Quick List of OKC Area Community Easter Egg Hunts

Edmond’s – Free Hound Hunt

Time and Location: Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m at Edmond Dog Park located at E. 33rd & Rankin

Details: Dog owners can bring their dogs to the dog park to hunt for treats. Call (405) 359-4630 for more information.

Choctaw’s 16th Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Time and Location: Beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 4 at Choctaw Creek Park

Details: Nearly 10,000 candy-filled eggs will be hidden in this event sponsored by the Choctaw Public Recreation Board. The hunt is divided into 5 age groups, and prizes are given for best Easter bonnet. Call (405) 390-8276 for more information.

Rockwell/NW Expressway Chick-fil-A Easter Egg Hunt
Time and Location: Saturday, April 4 from 3 p.m to 5 p.m.

Details: 2015 marks the 4th annual event for this franchise location in northwest Oklahoma City. Call (405) 728-9494 for more information.

Moore’s 33rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Time and Location: Saturday, March 28 from 10-11 a.m. at Buck Thomas Park Football Fields on 12th Street

Details: The Easter Bunny will be on hand at this annual favorite in Moore sponsored by Moore Firefighters and the American Legion. There also will be special prize eggs. Call (405) 793-5090 for more information.

Mustang Easter Eggstravaganza and Egg Hunt

Time and Location: Saturday, March 28 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 at Town Center in Wild Horse Park

Details: Take photos with the Easter Bunny and enjoy the pancake breakfast, large inflatables, games and other activities. The hunt itself features over 15,000 eggs and plenty of prizes. Call (405) 376-3411 for more information.

Norman’s “Best” Easter Egg Hunt
Time and Location: Beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27 at Andrews Park in Norman

Details: In addition to the big Easter Egg Hunt at night, there are typically moon bounces, t-shirts, Easter Bunny photos and much more for kids 8 and under. Call (405) 366-5472 for more information.

Yukon’s “Easter on the Prairie”
Time and Location: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 4 at the Kirkpatrick Family Farm

Details: Head out to the Kirkpatrick Family Farm in Yukon for two large Easter Egg Hunts. Admission is free. Call (405) 354-3567 for more information.