Call it a coincidence, a happy accident, or a surprising piece of luck. A robust housing market doesn’t often leave much to happenstance. For homeowner’s Sarah and Joel of Durham, NC however, it was just that: a fortuitous visit to a local restaurant that would lead them to finding the perfect lot of land on which to build a custom home.
Sarah and Joel’s intentions to build instead of buying an existing home have similar roots to many Schumacher customers. After living in a self-described “starter home” for over ten years, the couple said they’d outgrown their current residence and had been looking to upgrade for many years. Moving into a larger home was long overdue but with three children and the desire to have a bedroom for each of them, options were coming up few and far-between.
“We spent a lot of time viewing hundreds of homes over the years. But we could never find one that was just right,” Sarah recalled how things changed after the housing market shifted. “The market in our area exploded. Houses were being sold the day they were listed.”
Motivated by the chance to sell quickly, Sarah and Joel intensified their house hunting efforts. They soon realized as swiftly as they might be able to sell their current property, they would have to move equally as fast to find a new one.
Several weeks into their search when a home they were heavily considering for an offer went under contract while they were viewing it, Sarah and Joel decided to press pause. On their way home that day they pulled into a local restaurant to re-evaluate their search scenarios and to start talking about options for next steps.
“While we were there, a lady overhead our conversation and told us about a lot that was for sale in her neighborhood.”
At the time, Sarah and Joel didn’t think much of it, but after visiting the location they fell in love with the character and endless possibilities of the area. Immediately, they knew they would build a home of their own and finding a builder became a top priority.
Then COVID-19 hit, entangling building material supply chains, with uncertainties popping up everywhere – delaying financing, communications, and commitments. Having a hard time getting responses from architects and other contractors, Sarah and Joel drove to visit Schumacher’s Raleigh-Durham Design Studio and walked the Charleston model home. Where other builders had struggled to provide the couple with anything definitive in terms of pricing and timelines, Schumacher responded almost the moment their home tour was over.
“Schumacher was able to give us a quote within an hour, going room-by-room with the customizations we wanted. We signed a contract with Schumacher the next day.”
Committing to the Charleston’s sensible but signature architectural design, Sarah and Joel found everything they needed and more in the spacious interior of the modern farmhouse’s graceful aesthetic. The Charleston met their most significant must-haves but also allowed for several key customizations that gave Sarah and Joel full range to maximize their larger lot size including a 3-car garage, additional storage, and an extended primary bedroom suite. This flexible and open floorplan makes the Charleston one of our most popular home designs for families big and small.
Our custom building homeowner stories chronicle a diverse and varied group of individuals and families connected by the happiness they’ve found in a Schumacher built home. Sarah and Joel’s custom build story began by chance in a crowded restaurant’s dining room. Weaving its way through the unpredictability of COVID-19, despite some delays and setbacks, it culminated on the day they finally stepped foot in their finished home, met with feelings of both joy and relief. While this story may have started with what Sarah described “as a fluke,” it continues with a stunning view.
“We now have a beautiful view out the back of our house. Everyone congregates to the deck for the view.”
Where can a custom home take you? Find out by visiting us online or at any one of our conveniently located design studios near you.
About Schumacher Homes
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 32 markets in 14 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award winning company has built over 20,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and model homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends. Stop in today, be inspired and receive your no obligation price quote.
