Our home is a true custom build that we oversaw from start to finish. This is the beginning of that process.
When I think back on my childhood home, I consider it idyllic. Admittedly that might be the rose-colored view of nostalgia talking, but our house was situated on a large lot on a cul-de-sac perfect for long summer days outside. Inside everyone had their own space. My sister and I had our rooms and toy room upstairs and my parents’ room and the guest room were on the lower level on opposite sides of the house. My favorite part of the house above all was actually not a part of the house at all, it was the backyard. We had a swing set, a trampoline (no safety net of course, this was the ‘90s) and a pool. Once my husband and I decided where we would be spending potentially forever, I knew I wanted a similar living experience for my own kids.
Before moving to Stillwater we lived in Edmond, Oklahoma, a suburb north Oklahoma City. There you basically have the pick of the litter when it comes to home buying. There are multiple quality builders, an endless supply of great neighborhoods in good school districts and a variety of price ranges. Having done real estate marketing for four years I felt confident about the builders and locations available around the area. Moving to Stillwater proved to be a challenge as we started our hunt for the perfect lot with very little knowledge of the area. Luckily we have time on our side.
Drawing the Boundary
“Narrowing down which schools we wanted our girls to attend put a pretty solid boundary around where we would look for available lots.”
We scoured the internet and made multiple day trips to drive around and learn all of the neighborhoods. Finally, we found the neighborhood we’d be looking for.
Choosing a Lot
When we found our neighborhood it was in the very early stages of Phase 1 with 37 total lots and over 30 still available. We poured over the plat. I knew we wanted to live in a cul-de-sac of which there were two. We debated backing up to other homes or a main road; we discussed easements and grading; finally we chose our one acre lot.
Truly Custom Designing
“Armed with a pretty good idea of what we wanted in a home I made a sketch of our ideal floor plan and sent it on to the builder and the designer.”
If I’m being totally honest, this process that I fully expected to be a breeze was a full on nightmare. I knew what we wanted and the basics of the layout, but I also needed to keep everything within a certain size due to the price per square foot. The designer and I had major communication issues, but with the help of our builder, we were finally able to land on the perfect layout for our family with all the space we need.
From the Ground Up
Our one acre lot was covered in beautiful mature trees which were just starting their fall transformation when we broke ground. For the next 9 months we made weekly trips up to Stillwater to check on the progress of our home. In between these visits we met with the builder and his wife to choose finishes and finalize details. I have more posts coming up detailing all of those experiences!
During the spring of 2019 Oklahoma experienced record rainfall that caused unbelievable flooding. All of the rain caused delay after delay but the crew pushed through and we finally closed on the house in July on the day of our 9th anniversary.
After we moved in the fun REALLY started – the decorating! Be sure to stay turned!
All the Radness,
Jenna