In the summer of 2018, Sarah and Nick spotted a two-acre plot in their neighborhood that they hadn’t noticed before. Each of them saw the same thing: the site of their family’s dream home. The land wasn’t for sale, but that didn’t stop them. After making some calls to track down the owner, they made an offer. Four months later, the land was theirs.
But there was a wrinkle. Sarah and Nick were living in a pre-built home just down the road that they moved into after having previously built a new home 10 years ago with a different builder. So why build a second time?
“Our first home build did not go very smoothly,” said Nick. By smoothly, he meant working with the builder. Though they felt disenchanted by the experience, Sarah and Nick learned the value of picking the right partner, especially with the home builder. “We wanted to do as much research as we could about our next builder,” said Nick.
The road to choosing Schumacher Homes
Determined to find the right builder, Nick scouted new homes in the area. Early on, a Schumacher Homes build caught his eye on the other side of town. Just like with the two-acre plot he and Sara bought, Nick didn’t wait. “I didn’t have an appointment or anything, I just stopped by,” he said about dropping into that home being built.
The Construction Manager took it in stride. He happily showed Nick what the crew was working on, describing Schumacher Homes’ building process along the way. Not only did the experience leave a strong impression on Nick, but it was also reinforced by his financial planner, who had just finished building a home with Schumacher in the same township. “He said he would not change anything about the process,” recalled Nick. “His home was done in 90 days and he said it was a great experience.”
Sarah and Nick didn’t rush their decision, though. “We went to the Schumacher model home site in Cygnet at least 10 times before we decided to go with Schumacher. We looked at all of the other builders in the area and after talking with Pamela, our New Home Consultant, and Jim, the Construction Manager, we decided to go with Schumacher,” said Nick. They chose the Halsted, a Modern Farmhouse plan designed with busy families in mind, and signed the construction agreement on Sarah’s birthday.
How Sarah and Nick customized their dream home
The first thing Sarah and Nick needed to do was maximize every inch of the house plan. With four children between the ages of 13 and 2, they “really needed all of the square footage to be usable space. We ended up with an almost 2,500-square-foot house with 5 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, and we were under our established budget,” said Nick.
Those space-maximizing changes included converting the upstairs loft into a fifth bedroom for their youngest. They also expanded the garage to park a third car, and chose 9’ ceilings for the basement. Other customizations included:
With their design complete and Selections made, it was time to build.
A chance to be part of the building process
Living just down the road, Sarah and Nick could visit the build site to watch its progress. That meant a lot to Nick after the couple’s first build experience. “Jim had everything scheduled out so perfectly that I only remember nine days when there were no workers at our house. Seven of those days was the curing time for the basement walls, and nothing could be done on those days,” said Nick.
Jim continued to make them feel like partners in the process by promptly responding to their questions, day or night. He also kept Sarah and Nick updated on what crews would work on their house each day, and what they could expect in the coming weeks. “Jim was always very responsive to my questions and explained anything I didn’t understand. It truly felt like we were partners in this experience,” said Nick.
Moved-in by Christmas
After breaking ground on August 28, Sarah and Nick received the keys to their new home on December 7, 2019 — exactly 99 days later. “We were so happy to get into our new home before Christmas,” said Nick. “We have been in our home for five months now, and we are just as happy now with our house as we were when we first moved in.”
Reflecting on the difference between Schumacher Homes and their first builder, Nick said, “From beginning to end, I was always able to get a hold of somebody. I will recommend Schumacher Homes to anyone that I know is building, and if we ever decide to build again, we will be using Schumacher Homes.”
It’s an honor for us at Schumacher Homes to show people like Sarah and Nick how rewarding it can feel to build the home of their dreams, even when past experiences with other builders haven’t gotten smoothly. We look forward to hearing more stories about how their new home grows with their family.
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 19,000 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.