Most of the homes we tend to come across these days in the average neighborhoods are pretty cookie cutter. They’re the same color, size, and shape, with very similar features, but not every homeowner quite fits the mold. There are some creative architects that have made their designs come to life. So, we’ve created a shortlist of some of the most out of the ordinary home designs that might be worth the peek. 

Flintstones Inspired home in Malibu, CA

“Yabba-Dabba-Do!” This single-story Flintstones inspired home is located in Malibu, California and was the product of Dick Clark’s brainchild to duplicate the fictional residence of Fred and Wilma. This rocky home sits on 23 acres of land and consists of one bedroom and two bathrooms with a fireplace and several glass windows offering views of the Boney Mountains. This unique home was listed for sale in 2012 for a whopping $3.5 million but only sold for $1.778 million in 2014.

M-Velope Transformer House

The M-Velope home was created by designer Michael Jantzen and there are only 10 of these houses that exist. This 230 square foot home is a mobile living space that increases in size with slatted wood panels that bend and angle. The walls fold to expose work surfaces, sleeping platforms, and interior benches for sitting. Who needs furniture when you’ve got moving walls?

The Caterpillar House

Shipping containers aren’t just for traveling across the world on eighteen-wheelers or on boats. They can be upcycled into beautiful houses, complexes, and even functional office spaces. Save a few dollars while having fun with unique home designs. Shipping containers are flood and fireproof, which make for great building material. The average container ranges from 20 to 30 feet in length. The Caterpillar House was built with the use of 12 containers on a rocky landscape and designed by Santiago Irarrazaval Architects and Erick Caro back in 2012.

Airplane house in the village of Miziara, Lebanon

This replica of an Airbus A380 which is the world’s largest passenger craft was built by a Lebanese couple that now lives in Australia. The airplane house is comprised of two stories with 41 portholes on each side revealing an amazing view of the mountains. The plane includes elegant features and luxury living room space, bedrooms, and a spiral staircase. Now that is unique!

The Slide House-Japan

This home was designed by Level Architects who specialize in playhouse like home designs and was completed in 2009. This home with a giant slide spans three floors and runs the entire perimeter of the building and also has rounded corners. This is the perfect home the kid in you or actual children that love a good time.

The Keret House- Poland

Located in Warsaw, Poland, this home is known as the world’s skinniest house. It measures only 122 centimeters at its widest point. This structure serves as a temporary home for traveling writers. It has white interiors to give the feel of a more open living space and no windows, but it is semitransparent.

We all fantasize about upgrading our home - but, the thought of overspending almost always turns our dream into a nightmare. According to today’s home improvement shows, the only way around spending a small fortune on DIY home upgrades is to dedicate a minimum of 40 hours a week to DIY projects. Most of us have been scared into thinking that we simply don’t have the time or the money to take on meaningful home improvement projects. However, there are many easy ways to upgrade your home when you’re on a budget! The following five tips will help you turn your house into your dream home and save money and time while doing it.

Add a tile backsplash to your bathroom or kitchen.  

A tile backsplash makes for a gorgeous statement piece - but they’re expensive and require professional installation, right? Nope! Thanks to products like Smart Tile, you can add a professional-looking tile backsplash to your kitchen or bathroom in minutes. Smart Tiles are adhesive sheets that come in many colors and designs and feature an adhesive backing that allows you to quickly install a jaw-dropping tile backsplash without any experience or expertise. 

Give your kitchen cabinets a makeover.

Cabinets define the look and feel of a kitchen, so a simple cabinet makeover will completely transform your kitchen and make it look brand new. Instead of replacing your cabinets, here are a few cheap and easy cabinet upgrades to give your kitchen a custom look:

• Add task lighting or up-lighting with light strips

• Add etched glass door inserts

• Replace the old hardware with modern (or vintage) pulls and handles

• Install crown molding to the top of the cabinets

• Remove the cabinet doors completely

• Apply a fresh coat of paint

Apply fresh caulk in the bathroom.

Facing old, deteriorating caulk in a bathroom is a terrible experience for homeowners everywhere. Over time, your floor begins to look grimy, as the once-white caulk becomes brown and flakes away to leave space for mold and mildew. Thankfully, it is cheap and simple to apply a fresh layer of caulk in order to refresh the look of your bathroom.  

Add texture to your walls with 3D peel-and-stick wall panels. 

Instead of hanging a painting, use adhesive 3D wall panels to add a unique statement to any wall. The trendy panels come in various designs and will breathe life into any room. Plus, the simple peel-and-stick design allows you to apply them or remove them in a single afternoon without damaging your walls.

Renew worn-out floors with paint. 

An easy way to bring personality back into a room is to paint your wood and vinyl floors. Use your favorite paint colors to create a large checkered pattern or keep it simple with a single color that will balance out your walls - either way, using floor paint is a great way to refresh dull floorboards and impress guests.

Your home holds a great deal of value in your life - aside from an investment, your home acts as a sanctuary for you and your loved ones to live, love, laugh, cry, and grow. With the significance of your home as both an asset and as the place you and your family lay your heads, it is important that you continuously make upgrades to your house. Many people believe that money is what stands in the way of upgrading to their dream home, however, there are numerous ways to renovate your home on a budget. So, if you want to make some serious home renovations, but don’t want to spend a fortune, use this list of the best ways to upgrade your home on a budget.

The newly established neighborhood of Magnolia Walk is reasonably priced and comprised of only 94 homes located in Los Angeles, CA. Here you will find a quaint gated community with amenities that can’t be beaten as well as upgraded features and is easy accessibility to nearby shopping, dining, entertainment, and exceptional schools.

The two-story floor plans offered at Magnolia Walk are between 3-4 bedrooms with up to 3 bathrooms and span up to a vast 2,004 square feet of living space. The open concept living spaces offer plenty of natural lighting and incorporate a modern kitchen with an optional island and an upstairs loft that offers flexibility for a spare bedroom, playroom, or even a home office. The master suite in most floor plans provides a spacious walk-in closet, dual sinks, and upscale finishes that will give you a spa-like feel after a long day’s work. The secondary bathrooms include cultured marble countertops, contemporary white thermofoil cabinetry with concealed hinges and chrome knobs, and a chrome centerset faucet. 

These single-family dwellings are also energy efficient and healthy offering several features that will assist in saving money as well as saving the planet. All of the homes at Magnolia Walk either meet or exceed California’s energy-saving Title 24 requirements and include a carbon monoxide detector and automatic fire sprinklers. Auto shut-off motion sensors in all bathrooms, air conditioning with a programmable digital thermostat, water-efficient faucets, and even an Energy Star dishwasher are all available in your new energy-efficient home.

You’ll appreciate the abundance of shopping available at establishments such as the Del Amo Fashion Center, South Bay Galleria, and the Southbay Pavilion. Create lasting memories with family as you explore the ample entertainment Los Angeles has to offer right in your own backyard such as The Natural History Museum of LA, Mulligan Family Fun Center, the LA Zoo, Dodger Stadium, and the Griffith Observatory.

The homebuilder Olson Homes was founded in 1988 to help cities solve the problem of a shortage of affordable housing within urban areas. They have been recognized as the leader in providing urban housing throughout California. This has allowed many families the ability to take advantage of living out the American dream of owning a home while being close to employments, local transportation, and an urban lifestyle. The commitment of Olson Homes is to “improve the local neighborhood experience by capturing the best that exists in each neighborhood socially and architecturally.”

Olson Homes has partnered with the Community Development Commission of Los Angeles County in order to offer an opportunity for low and moderate-income families the chance of owning a new home below market purchase price. Out of the 94 homes constructed at Magnolia Walk, 30 of those homes have been designated as affordable housing with prices ranging from around $358,000 to $373,000 compared to its normal rates within the mid $500,000's. 11 of them will be designated for low-income buyers and 19 will be solely for moderate home buyers. Down payment assistance will also available.

If you’re on the hunt for an affordable new home in Los Angeles, your search stops here. No matter where you are in your new home journey, you’ll find everything you need and so much more at Magnolia Walk by Olson Homes.  

Meridiana, located 10 minutes from Pearland Town Center right off the 288, features Houston's top builders with unsurpassed amenities. This magnificent master-planned community presents affordable new homes, a terrific location, and an array of enriching activity centers that your family will love.

Prices start in the low 200,000’s and feature open concept living. You’ll find all the fine details and contemporary flair that you’d expect from builders of such renown. David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Trendmaker, Taylor Morrison Homes, Plantation Homes, Lennar, Chesmar Homes, Drees Homes, Shea Homes, and Perry Homes are all represented here and they can’t wait for you to take a tour to decide which one is the ideal forever home for you. Builder incentives and summertime discounts are available—be sure and inquire. Helpful Meridiana staff can narrow your search and help match your needs and desires with the perfect new Houston home. 

Master-planned communities are expected to offer parks, pools, and fitness centers, but Meridiana goes above and beyond! Your family can take advantage of all of that and an on-site café, learning labs, top-notch schools, a community yacht, a conservatory, sports fields, a dedicated gaming area, plus much more! Expansion plans include additional schools and even more recreational offerings. This is why Meridiana has been named the Houston area’s “Community of the Year.”

Real Estate experts are saying now is the time to lock in your mortgage rate so get out to Meridiana, choose your new home, and begin your happily ever after.

Our July realtor of the month is DJ Arsenault, real estate broker for Diamond Homes Realty and our Real Estate Market Expert for Spring, TX and The Woodlands, TX.

DJ Arsenault has been in the Real Estate and Mortgage industry since 2002. He is the Premier Listing Agent for the Diamond Homes Realty Team and eats, sleeps, and breathes real estate. DJ puts his client’s needs first and provides a high level of customer service to guarantee that the client experience is satisfactory. DJ possesses unique marketing skills and strives to ensure that his clients get the best deal, leaving them with more money in their pockets whether they are buying or selling their home.  

“This isn’t a job. It’s not something you wake up dreading. This is a career choice and I take pleasure in helping folks meet their goals of becoming homeowners and financially free.” 

-DJ Arsenault

If you’re on the quest to find a new Dallas home or looking to list your current home for sale, contact DJ Arsenault with Diamond Homes Realty to receive proven results and satisfactory customer service!