The decision to build our dream home

Sharing is caring!

Do you ever feel like life takes a very unexpected turn that actually ends up being a beautiful adventure? That’s what has happened this year with the decision to build our dream home.

Late 2019 we were approached by my Dad, who builds homes, about building us a home. At first, the idea seemed crazy. We had just moved into a new home about 6 months prior and the thought of moving again and going through the building process again so soon, seemed insane.

3 Kids pointing at an empty lot where their house will be built

The home we moved into in 2019 was a home we had moved into after I became pregnant with our 3rd child and we needed more space. The foundation was poured which meant the floor plan was set, and while we were able to choose the finishes for the house, many of the “big” decisions weren’t ours to make because of the timing in which we bought the house.

When the opportunity arose for us to build again earlier this year, I rejected it at first. I cared a bit too much about what people would think and let that fear get in the way of a really awesome opportunity.

My Dad builds a beautiful home and we knew we’d be able to have our hands in all the details just like we did when he built our home in 2012. He pays close attention to detail and we would have the opportunity to draw our plans and design our dream home. We knew we could build a home we could grow old in and our family could grow up in.

A child looking at a dirt pile and men putting up a basement foundation

After a few weeks of discussions and logistics we decided to take a leap of faith and move forward and build our dream home.

We spent the early part of 2020 designing our home with an architect and securing our lot, which is actually in the same neighborhood as we were in. We love our community and didn’t want to leave it.

In June 2020 we closed on the lot and then we waited. And waited. And waited on permits. FINALLY, in September 2020 we had a permit and were cleared to break ground!

A family standing in front of the basement of their future home

The initial plan was to build our dream home, but stay in our current home during the building process.

But, with the Coronavirus and instability of the housing market, we made another leap of faith decision to sell our home and move into a rental during the building process.

We sold our home in July and moved into the rental the beginning of August. There were days in the beginning I wondered if we’d ever get that permit to begin building and asking ourselves if we’d made a big mistake by moving out so soon.

We have faith that we made the right choice though. Our home sold within 48 hours with a close date just 3 weeks later.

It took us a week, but we found a rental just a few streets away so our kids have lots of friends close by and we can still attend the same elementary school.

A crew pouring a basement of a families dream home

Though building can be really stressful, I also find it incredibly exciting and fun. My parents have built homes and have owned a construction company since I was six, so being around the construction industry is something very familiar to me.

Since this is our forever home , we are enjoying being a big part of the daily process and designing it.

They began framing last week and we’ve already made a few adjustments.

  • Initially, we had a jetted tub in our master bathroom and we have changed it to a freestanding tub.
  • We added a door in our master bedroom that will go out onto our back deck… I think we will appreciate this decision for many years!
  • We are contemplating casing the opening from our living room into our kitchen since it’s a long space and we think this may help to break up the room a bit.
  • Our daughters room got extended because the roof line needed changed.
a family standing inside their dream home with the walls just framed

If there is anything I’ve learned this year is that nothing in life is guaranteed.

If we have dreams, we should go after them.

If we have goals, we should do what it takes to achieve them.

If something needs to change, do what it takes to change it.

I’m so thankful I didn’t let my fear of others opinions hold us back from this exciting experience. Building this home alongside my parents has been so much fun and honestly, something I will cherish forever.

We are enjoying it, despite a bit of stress, and are so excited to move in in 2021.

My children are watching their childhood home be built by their Papa and in my opinion, that’s pretty darn cool.

Similar Posts

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *