After some initial setbacks, this couple was able to achieve their dream of building a custom home on budget with help from Estes Builders.
Heidi and Peter dreamed of building a custom home on the Olympic Peninsula that would meet their needs and design preferences while remaining firmly in their budget.
Believing it to be the best course of action, they contacted an architect to help them design a home that would take advantage of their property’s assets.
“The last thing we wanted,” Heidi says, “was the right house on the wrong spot.” So they chose an architect who would visit the property and draw up a design that would maximize the home’s views and exposure to the sun.
The problem
The architect did visit the home site, but Heidi and Peter were not present at the time. In retrospect they would have preferred to be present to discuss and examine the pros and cons of the five-acre property.
During the design phase, the architect also had Heidi and Peter complete a series of written exercises in an attempt to understand their design preferences. The exercises asked them to choose pictures they liked and examine places in their memories that made them feel comfortable. But no concrete concepts were discussed in the initial phase, and Peter in particular felt that more substantive examples to study would have helped him define his desires in a custom home.
They were also surprised by some of the architect’s material choices, which tended to favor aesthetic appeal. For instance, the design called for wooden window frames when vinyl, the more inexpensive option, would have been a better choice for the wind, salt, and moisture exposure in the area.
The architect explained that he always started with the best materials available and then would change them if they did not fit into the budget. Heidi and Peter preferred working in the other direction of choosing materials that would fit comfortably in the budget and then upgrading later if there was room. “This made us feel more in control of the project,” Heidi says.
They worked with the firm for over a year and were still unclear as to how much it was going to cost to build the house. Due to logistical circumstances they decided they needed to finish the project with a more consolidated and direct approach.
It seemed their dream of building a custom home was just out of reach. But they realized there was still hope for their project when they got in contact with Estes Builders.
The solution
Luckily, Heidi and Peter did not need to start from scratch. Estes Builders and the couple revisited the property to assess the architect’s placement of the home, and both parties agreed that the architect had chosen the right location.
Although the placement was right, Estes believed it was important to go back to the drawing board when it came to uncovering the couples needs and design preferences. Heidi and Peter spent several hours discussing their preferences and how they would be using the home with one of Estes Builders’ knowledgeable custom home advisors.
“Estes was very open to our preferences and actually allowed us to bring in several unconventional and handmade items that were important to us,” Heidi says
It was at this point that their hope for the project had been restored. “When we hired Estes we did so because of their confidence,” Heidi says. “We accomplished a great body of specific information within a few weeks and they were able to determine the cost for our house and where it fit in our budget range with a very small margin of error.”
The result
These thoughtful discussions and consultations with Estes Builders resulted in a design that not only met their expectations but that fit their budget.
The design and specifications made clear the effect each selection would have on the final budget for the project. And because Estes Builders designs and builds in-house, they were able to provide Heidi and Peter with a fixed amount to build their dream home.
After some initial setbacks that almost made Heidi and Peter lose heart, the couple’s dreams of building a custom home within budget in the Olympic Peninsula became a reality.
Estes Builders completed construction of the home for the fixed amount the couple agreed on, despite a few minor changes to the specifications during the building process.
Heidi and Peter are excited to move into their new home soon and would gladly recommend Estes Builders to friends and family members who are planning to design and build their own custom home.
Heidi had this to say about their new custom home: “The favorite thing about our home is that it is comfortable, embracing and different. There is not one room that is not pleasant to spend time.”
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Estes Builders is an award-winning design build firm that specializes in custom homes in Western Washington. We have earned more than 130 customer testimonials and a reputation as Western Washington’s most trusted custom home builder. We build custom homes in Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Port Ludlow, Bainbridge Island, Kingston, Silverdale, Port Orchard and surrounding areas. Contact us for a FREE Project Analysis to discuss your project.]]>
