For Josh and Betheny Hanlin, building their dream Drees home was a major upgrade on several accounts, but the biggest perk by far has been creating an outdoor living space that is just as beautiful as the inside of their home.
The Hanlins decided to build when they were unable to get a pool at their previous home because of lot restrictions. Their Drees home, located in the Indianapolis area, is situated on a half-acre lot. The added space gave the family plenty of room for their pool, plus a stunning covered outdoor living space —complete with a TV and dining area.
But it’s not just the pool area that the Hanlins love — Josh said as they were designing the home, it became clear that it was a much better fit for their family. (And Betheny’s parents loved the community so much, they moved in across the street!)
What floor plan did you choose, and what attracted you to this design?
We chose the Belleville, specifically because we felt it truly had an open floor plan with the kitchen, dining room and sunroom all in one large space to entertain. Drees was even able to add a covered porch at our request. We also chose this elevation due to the farmhouse look and feel that we were going for.
As you have watched your new home’s design come to life, what have been your favorite spaces and features?
The sunroom that over looks our new backyard pool. Our landscape designer designed the new backyard based upon the sunroom as the focal point.
What did you enjoy most about the building process?
We enjoyed working with our Builder David Radcliff on making our new house a home. We had a lot of high expectations for this house, and David and his team delivered. We also enjoyed working with Senior Market Manager Lisa Jones on the design of our house. She was able to assist us in getting the farmhouse feel that we really wanted.
What advice would you give others who are interested in building a home?
Be involved in the steps along the way. Make site visits. Tour as many Drees model homes as you can to get ideas before visiting the Design Center. It will help you visualize flooring, cabinetry, trim and door combinations together. By touring the models, we were able to to find a few designs that we didn’t even know were an option to us.
Why did you choose to build with Drees?
Their reputation and the quality of homes we toured were our main drivers. It also helped that they had the perfect home site for us!
Learn More
To learn more about building your own Drees home, visit dreeshomes.com and select your location. Interested in other personal stories from the Homeowner Spotlight Series? Click here.
