Frequently Asked Questions

We are glad you asked! Saddlebrook consistently goes above and beyond energy efficiency requirements with HERS index scores as low as the 60’s (the average new home has a HERS index of 100, a used home is often 130).

We take a “whole-house” approach to energy efficiency. It’s the combination of sound, everyday use features of a home that add overall efficiency value.

Our objective is to provide a home that saves you money in the long run. Energy products used in our homes vary by municipal requirements (Town, County, City codes). Here are some of the things Saddlebrook does to ensure your home is tighter, more energy-efficient, and less expensive to maintain than other homes:

– Foam Flashing exterior walls (by the community), as well as caulking between critically located studs, floor plates, and drywall seams (air pressure boundaries)
– Low-E, energy-efficient windows bounce heat back to the source and protect against UV fading inside the home.
– Highly efficient, 14 seer heating and cooling systems with Mastic sealed ductwork.
– Radiant foil roof decking keeps your attic and ductwork cooler by bouncing radiant heat back off of your roof and out of your attic.
– Thermo-ply insulation board is used on all boundaries between finished and attic spaces to prevent air transfer.
– We foam insulate all penetrations exterior to interior (electrical, plumbing, HVAC)
– Offer highly efficient water heating systems like tankless, gas-powered water heaters.

We want you to invest in a beautiful home that is also smart-minded when it comes to energy. Please our customers about their utility bills – you will like the answer!

No, we are a turnkey builder and will only sell a completed house on our lots.

No, we take care of the construction financing and make it as easy as possible for our customers to buy and build a home. Everything about Saddlebrook’s process is geared toward making the home buying process seamless.

Yes! Saddlebrook is a turnkey builder. We sell finished homes that are move-in ready. All prices quoted in the community marketing information include the lot.

Saddlebrook designates certain floor plans to be built in each community. On each Community page, there is a list of all the Floor Plans available at the top of the page details.

Typically, our customers will begin their home search by visiting us at one of our Open Houses. Our sales agents are extremely knowledgeable in new construction and can guide you in the right direction from the start. It all begins by deciding where you want to live, what kind of floor plan you want to live in, and how your lifestyle can be enhanced by the perfect home or community.

Simply put: We don’t cut corners to reduce costs. Ask our customers, local inspectors, and real estate agents about Saddlebrook’s reputation for quality and service. If you are looking for the cheapest construction possible, we are probably not your builder. Cutting corners is the easiest way to reduce costs, and we refuse to do it.

You need to speak with a mortgage lender. Saddlebrook has relationships with lenders who are very familiar with our process, and can often help with some of the costs of buying a home. We are happy to recommend a trusted lender that is transparent, fast moving, and tested in completing the mortgage process. It is always a good idea to do your own research, and work with someone you are comfortable with.

Yes! We have several homes that are already under construction, as well as finished homes that are move-in-ready. If you have a specific timeline for moving into a new home, make sure to check our Quick-Move-In page. You can contact our office at 865-966-8700 to receive more information on the availability of move-in-ready homes.

We frequently designate a community as “maintenance-free”, where the Homeowners Association manages the services that this entails. This ‘lock and leave’ mentality makes it possible to travel out of town for months without considering how your property will look while away. Sell your mower and make some travel plans – it will look just like it did when you left!

HOA fees and services in each community vary, but they typically include services such as:

– Mowing as needed
– Mulching (once a year)
– Trash Services
– Yard Fertilization
– Trimming/Pruning
– Weed Control
– Streetlights and entrance landscape lighting
– Common area landscaping and maintenance

We typically offer two to three “elevations” for each floorplan. Elevation refers to the “look” and overall architecture of the front facade.

The most common Saddlebrook elevations are Classic, European, Traditional, and our newly added Farmhouse elevations. Each elevation has different styles, materials, rooflines, and architecture. This allows us to build popular floorplans more frequently in our communities without creating a “cookie cutter” look in the neighborhood. We recommend you look at each elevation of your favorite floorplan before determining which plan has the most curb appeal. The cost difference in the plans is simply the difference in labor and material costs to build a specific elevation.

Our Design Studio was created to allow our customers to tailor their new home to their lifestyles. You can customize your home to any style while working with our in-house interior design consultants. Whether you are traditional, modern, or transitional in style, our goal is to take the stress out of the design process. We make it easy to make selections in the Design Studio and offer a plethora of options for personalizing your home.

See our Design Studio page to meet our designers and better understand all the ways you can create your own unique designs for a home you will love.

Information regarding the community and its amenities can be found within the individual community’s web page. We can also provide information such as distances to local eateries, hospitals, schools, daycare, and HOA information by request. The agent for the community can provide this to you or you can call our office and we will be happy to assist – 865-966-8700.

Lot Cost and Amenities are different in each community. In terms of lot cost, factors such as land prices, varying development cost, topography, soil composition, market demand, and the overall improvement process play a huge factor in how much a lot can cost.

Our sales agents can provide community amenity and pricing information at open houses, or sent to you directly via email. Additionally, you can contact us from our website, any of our sales agents individually, or call the front office to have pricing delivered to you immediately!

Because we offer customizable floor plans for every type of lifestyle, it is important to think about how you want to live in your home. Our website has high-level sorting features like “One Level Living”, “Master Down”, “Luxury Townhome”, etc. to help you begin your search. Once you narrow it down to only a few plans that match your vision, our sales consultants can guide you with their years of experience with these floorplans. We have never built the same exact house twice. We want you to personalize your home to make it uniquely yours.