We’re a couple in our 20s and this is our first home. We decided to build so that we could get exactly what we want. Although there are many homes on the market, none were quite what we were looking for, and altering or upgrading them to our taste often wasn’t worth the cost or effort. Furthermore, at least 90% of them had the floor plan I like to call “The Box” (see illustration at right).

The Box typically looks something like that, with the dining room and living room on either side of the entry and the kitchen, breakfast area, and family room across the back of the house. While it works great for many people, there are simply so many houses that use some slight variation on this floor plan (along with an equally unimaginative second floor) that we were bored with it before we even started really looking for a home. We’re not looking for anything crazy — nor could we likely afford it — we just wanted something slightly different. On top of that, we really have no desire for a formal living room; that would be a waste of space for us.

So we started looking at builders, and became very educated very quickly. We enlisted the help of a Realtor who, in addition to showing us houses that were currently on the market, had experience in home construction and helped us vet builders. Once we found a high-quality builder who could build the style of home we wanted for the price we wanted, we knew this was the way to go. Read more about the house we’re building.

We’re doubly excited since this is both the first home we will own and because it’s being built exactly how we want it. There’s sure to be lots of ups and downs…bookmark or subscribe to the blog if you want to find out how it goes!