For some builders, it’s just a house. For Chris Ragland, it’s a home. There is a family which will live inside its walls….so you build them strong. There is a family which will expand before your eyes…so you give them room to grow. There is a family which will celebrate holidays and birthdays…so you build them beautiful spaces to gather for years to come. This is how custom home builder Homes by Chris builds a home. This is how Chris builds your story.
The Gabriel family, as told in Part One of the Feature Family story, had already experienced building a home with HBC, and they were eager to build a new home with custom home builders Chris and Roy Ragland again. They had been planning and planning and planning for years to build their dream home in the city of Liberty. 2013 was the year when all the details fell into place, and the Gabriels’ dream home was going to be built.
The Gabriels’ quest to build a new home began with the pursuit of the perfect lot. They knew they wanted to remain in the Liberty School District, and they wanted to be close to both of their work locations in town. Roy and the Gabriels worked tirelessly with the city of Liberty to turn two lots into one livable space, which allowed them the opportunity to build on a treed cul-de-sac lot in an established neighborhood. Add in “a good deal,” and the Gabriels had their place to build. Now it would take selling their current home and more research and planning, the two most valuable aspects of building a home.
Fast forward to a lot which was ready to build upon and a sold home, and construction was underway! During the excavation process, some challenges arose….one being a large amount of rock. To save the Gabriels from spending unnecessary money, Roy worked with the excavation company, as well as Chris and Carrie, to move the house plan back a few feet on the lot. Many builders would merely proceed with the excavation of the rock, incurring extra excavation fees, but Roy teamed up with the Gabriels to make the smartest decision for the house and their pocketbooks.
As the building process continued, many decisions continued to arise: some large, some minute. “I want families to build a home with no regrets,” says Chris. The Gabriel family was going to do just that. When speaking with Chris about this home, she indicated the Chris and Carrie Gabriel had done their research, scoured inspirational photos, toured model homes, and thought….really thought…about the home they were building for their family to live in. Together they would build their forever home….one with no regrets.
For the Gabriels, they sat down several times with Chris to discuss the home they wanted to build before the first speck of dirt was moved. They knew how vital it was to figure out details from the top to the bottom….to make sure everything was well thought out. Since Chris and Carrie had walked through several HBC model homes and variations of the Greystone model, it helped them to see what changes they could make to accommodate their family’s needs and overall style.
Carrie said, “When you’re custom building a home, it’s worth it to write down the things you want and ask how much they cost. You might be surprised by how inexpensive something really is, especially if it’s a feature you truly want in your home.”
Some of the things the Gabriels customized for their home include:
- adding a desk to their drop zone
- kitchen cabinets going all the way to the ceiling
- a transom window to divide the kitchen area from the living room
- a mixer lift/cabinet
- an extended island to seat four people
- a vaulted porch for storage and a storm shelter
- an attic fan
- a mantle to the stone fireplace with an outlet in the mantle
- lowered the bookshelves next to the mantle
- pull-out cabinet drawers and dividers
- exterior outlets in the eaves for Christmas lights
Carrie Gabriel says, “I love the personality inside my house and outside, too.” Knowing that Chris would guide them in making strong choices with color, the Gabriels were able to pick paint colors which would accent the natural beauty of their cabinets, tile, and countertops in the kitchen and throughout the entire house. The Gabriels wanted their home to make a statement about their personalities while remaining classically beautiful. They definitely achieved this beauty and have a home which reflects a bold design aesthetic as well.
Looking through the changes and additions, it is apparent the Gabriels thought through their details of their home. They didn’t want to say, “We should have done this or that…..” at the end of building their forever home. Roy and Chris Ragland were intent on building a custom home for this family of five, ready to accommodate their wishes, ultimately making their dreams come true. Their home would be their family’s story….and Homes by Chris helped them build it.