Aerospace Physician Erik Anderson and his wife Michelle were excited to learn that their new military assignment would move them from Florida to Ohio, which would bring them closer to family. Although, due to the move and logistics, the design of their brand new home had to be completed from afar.
Selection of the perfect site
For work purposes, the couple needed to live in a certain area, but Drees wasn’t active in a community nearby. Instead, the Andersons worked with the Drees Build on Your Lot team to select a home site perfectly suited to their needs, and one that was near Erik’s Air Force base.
When a traditional Drees community doesn’t fit the needs of the buyer, that’s when the Build on Your Lot program comes in. This program allows homebuyers the opportunity to build on their own lot, in a custom community or via an infill opportunity in a historic neighborhood. And if you don’t already own your lot, Drees can buy it for you.
The Andersons ended up selecting a custom community located near Erik’s new Air Force base for the site of their brand new home.
The virtual design process
Since they were building their new home from several states away, the Andersons relied on a virtual selections process to bring their chosen floor plan, the Alwick, to life. Michelle noted, “The Design Center Director made choosing our exterior and interior options not only easy, but also fun! I had talked to so many friends who said they felt overwhelmed during their selections process with different builders, but we never had that feeling.”
She added, “Our Design Center Director was attentive to our style and vision, and helped provide options that would fit both. She even sent us multiple samples when we weren’t sure on selections, which made the virtual process painless.”
The end result
The Andersons noted, “After months of looking at blueprints, it was so wonderful to see walls go up.” Now that they’ve moved in and are fully settled, the couple says the whole first floor is their favorite place. “We love how open it is and all the windows bring in so much natural light, which is really important to us,” they noted.
Michelle added, “We had a little decorating fun in the powder bath and it makes us so happy to catch a glimpse of it when walking by.” As a family, the Andersons spend a ton of time in their new kitchen and family room but love how the open floor plan makes it easy to host family and friends too.
After wrapping up their Build on Your Lot experience, Erik and Michelle noted, “This is the first home we have built, and we were skeptical about doing it from a distance. When we started, we lived in Florida and were unable to see our home site or a model of the home in person. We relied on the Build on Your Lot General Manager to be upfront and honest, and present us with the best options. He was great to work with and truly made this process seamless, especially during a difficult time.”
Learn More
We invite you to read more about the Anderson family’s building experience and what advice they would give to others in our Homeowner Spotlight Series. Additionally, you can follow along with Michelle as she personalizes her new home on Instagram (@michellepanderson).
Interested in building your dream home in a custom community, on your own lot or via an infill opportunity? To learn more about building and the advantages of the Build on Your Lot program, visit dreeshomes.com. To schedule a free lot evaluation, call (513) 540-2515.
