This past year, Realtor Kristen Robinson and her husband Nick decided it was the perfect time to build their dream home. Growing up in the Dallas area, Kristen was always familiar with Drees Custom Homes. As a child, Kristen recalls touring a Drees model home with her parents and falling in love with it. (You’ll have to read her sweet childhood story here.) Fast forward to a marriage, two children and a bustling real estate career later, and Kristen is happy to report that she is finally settled into a brand new Drees home of her own.
Kristen, Nick and their two daughters said “Yes!” to the address at Trinity Falls, a 2,000-acre master planned community just northwest of McKinney, Texas. This community provides residents with a wide variety of amenities, organized events, miles of hike-and-bike trails and more than 450 acres of open space. It’s no wonder the Robinsons fell in love with this family-friendly neighborhood!
Kristen recently wrapped up the home building journey and has settled into her new Drees home. From her experience as a Realtor, she felt she had a good grasp on new home construction. Now that she has completed the new home journey herself, she has a few new takeaways that will help you make the most of your new home.
Here are Kristen’s top tips and tricks:
1 | Drop the trends and go for fluid style
Drop the trends and go for fluid style that can easily be changed with future décor and furniture swaps. Better yet, choose what YOU love! Case in point: We’ve all heard that white kitchens have already had their moment, but I personally love a crisp, white kitchen, so that is exactly what I did. Then I choose décor elements and selections (e.g., a dark, contrasting island and wood floors) to incorporate added warmth and color. I know that in the future, painting a kitchen island is far easier than repainting every single cabinet.
Also, I selected patterned tile for small spaces. While I love it now, I know I will be over it in a few years. Because of that, I am okay with the fact that a small space may require an update in the future.
When making your selections, take all these thoughts into consideration. Spend some time discovering your true style and create a space that feels like home to you, not a foreign design board.
2 | Review functionality and think through flow
When my clients build a home, I typically attend every meeting from blueprints to pre-drywall to electrical, etc. Having another set of eyes to point things out and pose questions truly helps prevent issues later down the road. I should have taken my own advice. I learned that building your own home is completely different than doing it unbiased and unattached for a client. Truthfully, I missed things I would have caught if I wasn’t the one buying it. Here are a few examples that came out of my own home build:
- Think about your ideal furniture placement and outlets. There are definitely a couple places I wish I had changed the outlet placement or added additional outlets.
- Light switches may not seem like a big deal for placement, but they definitely effect your flow of living. When entering a room, think through what feels natural to you and where your gut will turn for items like a light switch.
- When reflecting on my daughter’s closet space, I now think a pocket door would have been more useful given her setup.
I cannot stress enough to review the functionality of things like door swings, electrical placements and cabinet uses. These items really impact how you live in your home and can easily be adjusted before you get far into the build process.
3 | Visit your home site regularly
While visiting your home site, the most helpful thing you can do to keep your thoughts organized is to create a list of questions for your Drees Builder and give them time to respond. Chances are they are heading to your home to review your list and find solutions, so they can have tangible answers for you. Clear communication keeps you at peace as a buyer and helps give everyone involved a little grace for a smoother process.
4 | Make the most out of your final walk-through
Most people think this is about missing paint spots or dings in walls but it is so much more! Really be present in your final walk to learn about your home. Ask questions, test cabinets, and turn faucets on and off. Also, understand how your HVAC system works, how to maintain your home and how the warranty team operates.
Learn more
We invite you to follow along with Kristen and the Robinson family as they personalize their new Drees home. You can catch up with her on Instagram here. Additionally, you can watch a recap of their home building experience here.
For more information on building a Drees home, visit dreeshomes.com and select your metro area of interest.
