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I’m so excited that I get to finally type this.
We’re going to be building a home!!
If you’ve been following along these past years then you know that building a home is something we’ve been dreaming about and working towards for a while. We’re very excited and I won’t lie, a little bit nervous too haha. But just like every big life update, there’s usually a story behind it. And here’s ours…
Behind the build
First off, why building? I talked about why we wanted to build in this post, but basically, what we want is pretty specific. We want a certain house style on a certain piece of land and well, that doesn’t easily exist where we live unless you create it!
Building a home is something that Titus and I have wanted to do ever since we got married, basically. Of course, for our first home, we weren’t planning on building and we were happy to have a starter home. For our second home, we really wanted to build and it was disappointing that we weren’t able to, but it wasn’t in our budget at the time.
Looking back now, I’m glad that we didn’t. We would have probably built too small in order to stay on a budget and I think we would have regretted what we built. Plus, living in 2 houses has been invaluable as far as knowing what we do and don’t want in a home.
Even though it didn’t work out to build our second home, this led us to do our due diligence and for about 3 years we have been actively researching, driving around looking at lots, walking through open houses, thinking of plans, and fixing up our home to sell.
“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.”
Proverbs 24:27
Of course, with any goal that’s big and takes time, we (I) got discouraged. It wasn’t going as quickly as I wanted (when does it ever?) and it always just seemed a little out of reach. But I felt God’s reassuring nudges throughout this process and one day when I was feeling particularly bummed out thinking about when we could start the process of building, out of the corner of my eye I saw a paper fly by outside the window. I went outside and saw a “for sale” sign stuck to our house.
As silly as it may sound, I think this was God speaking to me, letting me know that we would be putting our house up for sale soon and that we’d be able to start the building process. It was our literal sign!
Shortly after this, we reached our savings goal and got preapproved by the bank. Things were starting to get real! But…not so fast. A lot of “hurry up and wait” occurred. It was several months of meeting with our builder, designing home plans, waiting, and of course, purchasing a lot.
Yes, it has crossed my mind that we are attempting to build in this current state of pricing and shortages. Though lumber prices are dropping, they are still more expensive than they used to be. But as we see it, interest rates are lower which is the long-term factor and it’s really anyone’s best guess as to when lumber and labor will go back to normal… if it ever really will. What if we wait a few years and interest rates continue to rise and lumber and labor stay the same? Then it’s even more expensive. We figure if we can make it happen now (or soon), then why not go for it. Who knows what the future will bring…
Our Lot
This lot is pretty much our dream place. What we were looking for was 1 acre, wooded, private, and in town without any crazy building covenants. We got close with a few lots, but they either had a minimum size requirement that meant we had to build a huge house that we didn’t want, or there were some lots that had patches of trees on the property, but nothing that felt very private or wooded.
The lot we purchased is very wooded and just shy of 2 acres. It’s in a neighborhood with other homes, but each home has trees on the sides and in the backyard. There is one neighbor that we can see directly across from us which I like. I want privacy but I didn’t want to feel isolated either!
The land feels very natural and like you’re in a private sanctuary, yet you’re still in town and not far from the important things. We’ve talked to people in this neighborhood and they said there’s a valley on our side of the street and the backyard views make you think of Colorado! Titus has always wanted good views and I always wanted woods. It’s a win-win.
Fun fact: When we were first interested in building, we saw a lot for sale in this neighborhood and I thought, “This is my dream place!” It didn’t work out that time around, but the lot that we got is the last one available, just right across the street. 🙂
There’s a dry creek that runs behind our lot and I can already picture taking the boys down there to play and throw in rocks. I have dreams of planting wildflowers and creating private seating areas in the woods. I get excited about finally making the secret garden I’ve always wanted. I picture Will and Max running through the woods, using sticks as swords, and attacking giants (trees). Titus gets excited at the thought of creating trails over time and doing lots of hiking. We both picture ourselves heading out to the trees in the morning, drinking our coffee, and watching the sun.
neighborhood view 
neighborhood view
Of course, nothing is perfect and our lot does come with its cons. The land slopes so there’s not going to be a ton of flat land to play on (unless you hike down to the creek bed- it gets flatter there) and this area is known for being rocky which isn’t great for clearing land on a budget haha. To us, the pros outweigh the cons and over time, you can develop a sloped lot and make it work how you want it to. And as far as rocks and clearing go, well, I’ll be holding my breath until the foundation is in and the house is going up!
House Plans
We are *this close* to finalizing our house plans. Our design style will be…Modern French Country! Seeing as that’s the style I talk about 99% of the time on here, you’re probably not surprised haha. However, I am excited to try something a little different and add a slightly modern edge this time around.
Originally, to save money, we just planned on using one of our builder’s plans and making slight tweaks. Turns out, we’re pretty opinionated about the layout, haha, and we ended up basically doing a new custom design so this will be a custom home. We brought our rough layout and drawing to the home designer and she’s turning them into actual blueprints. My mom even sketched out an exterior idea for us. Thanks, mom!
Even though it feels like we’ve done years of prep work, there are still more steps to do and I’m thinking we’ll start building in the spring. I can’t wait to share more and talk about the design and inspiration but that’s another post for another day. Or let’s be real…many posts!
Thank you for following along on this journey of home projects and now, a home build. I’m excited (and nervous!) and I can’t wait to bring you more updates as they come!
Talk soon and in the meantime, if you want to get your home fix in, check out the posts below:
Up Next: How To Create a French Style Living Room (& Home Update!)
Our Budget-Friendly French Country Inspired Kitchen Reveal
How I Gave My Bed a European High-End Look on a Budget & Other French Country Bedding Ideas
My French Country Cottage Inspired Exterior Reveal!
