CAROL & BRIAN’S JOURNEY PART 3: HOME SWEET HOME

The final chapter has arrived! Last year, we began the story of Carol & Brian’s Road to Retirement, as they set their sights on a custom home, or “forever home”, within the spectacular beauty of the Bruce Peninsula. They took the time to share their personal journey with Quality Homes, detailing why they chose to build modular (versus renovating or buying new), how our building process matched their lifestyle, and what their vision of the future looked like as they prepared for retirement.

To Delivery and Beyond

Delivery day, the day when your home is transported to your property and installed onto your foundation, is undoubtedly one of the most exciting parts of the modular home building process. It’s also one of the most emotional moments for our homeowners, but that’s not the end of the road! In the following months, our team completed the exterior of the home and installed their garage, porch, and back deck to finish it off. This is followed by some responsibilities of the homeowner such as connecting the home to hydro, septic and well water.

As Carol explains,

“Obtaining the permits, and the site work, such as hydro, well, septic and grading, had to be organized by us as they were not under Quality Homes scope of work. However, if we had questions or needed to coordinate anything on site we always had someone at Quality Homes who was willing to help guide or work with us to get everything coordinated.”

On Carol’s blog, The Cottage Wife, she details the process in her Countdown to Completion, giving potential modular home buyers a sneak peek at the steps leading up to the final step: moving in.

Of course, The Cottage Wife covers the most important milestone of all in Moving Into Our New Build, but we had a wonderful conversation with Brian and Carol about the experience for a more personal recollection of the moment they were handed the keys to their new home.

“It was surreal,” Carol admits, “Everyone left, the place was quiet and empty except for the two of us, and we just sort of stared at each other and said, ‘We’re here! This is ours now!’ It was such a bizarre feeling, because we were in our dream.”

Dream to Reality

Way back in Part 1, Carol and Brian told us all about their selection of our Woodstock design, and how they customized it to suit their lifestyle. But the question is, does it meet their expectations now that they’ve moved in? Their answer was simple:

“We can’t even picture a floorplan that could work better for us, both now and as we age!”

As they took us on a tour of their brand new home, we also got a look at all the customization’s now that they’ve been completed!

With their dreams now transformed into a breathtaking reality, we asked Carol and Brian what their favourite part of their home was. The answer was more complicated than we expected! But these are the answers we love to hear from our homeowners.

“Every room we walk into and every outdoor feature is our favourite part! But if you’re making us pick just one, it would be the open concept kitchen/dining/living room. It’s perfectly sized for the two of us and easily accommodates company. Or maybe it’s the big pantry. No, the covered porch and deck! See what I mean?!”

Form Vs. Function

Every home has to have a healthy mix of both, of course. As you can see in the modifications Carol and Brian made to their Woodstock design, they first made sure that the layout would be as functional as possible, and then added the cosmetic touches they were interested in.

“We were actually surprised by how reasonably priced they were,” Brian shares, “We went through with every modification we asked for. So not only did we check off all the essential boxes, but we also got the other boxes checked.”

Functionally, the width addition, pantry, and larger ensuite were key elements, but when it comes to style, nothing beats the natural light and forest views through the extra windows, the bright and airy feel of the vaulted ceilings, and the custom peaked front porch that Carol and Brian designed themselves.

They chose the Woodstock model with 5 customizations:

• Moved the front door into the foyer. This effectively added an additional 4’ to the overall length of the house, it also added pantry space and extended the third bedroom.
• Vaulted the living room and dining/kitchen ceiling – a modification they just can’t picture without!
• Changed the roofline of the front porch – opening up the area and letting in more light.
• Added windows to the south wall – to maximize views and natural light in the kitchen, dining and living rooms.
• Added a covered deck on the back, off the kitchen.

Adding these unique elements to their custom home was one of the most exciting personal touches made. As Brian explains, “Even though this is a modular home and they’re building hundreds of these houses, right, I don’t know how many Woodstocks they’ve built, but we know ours is custom. Ours is different than any other house in Ontario because we added that feature.”

The Road Goes On

Even though they’ve happily settled down in their beautiful new Quality Home, this isn’t the end of the road for their home journey. Next year, Carol and Brian will be building an additional garage structure for some extra storage, plus oodles of landscaping and forest management to fully transform their property. Not only that, but they’ll be taking on another challenge inside over the next few months—bringing some colour into their home!

“We’ve already started enjoying the whole thing and we’re looking forward to being able to paint the interior to really make it home,” they explain, “That being said, keeping the walls white for the first year has allowed us to watch the light as it travels through our rooms in a day and through the seasons. We’re pretty sure this will influence our colour choices in the end as we’d like to feature, and blend with the outdoor setting.”

Of course, with any home build, there are bumps in the road. We’ve been doing this for over 35 years, after all, and we know better than anyone that no home is built without a complication or two. As Carol says, “We’ve had a few minor items come up since our inspection day – you know, the kind of details that you find once you’re living in a place.” But we’re incredibly proud that they both felt confident throughout the entire process, including while addressing repairs! “Anything that Quality Homes could take care of, they did well and quickly.”

“What makes a builder stand out and solidify confidence is how they handle those bumps and respond to the customer’s concerns. In that, Quality Homes excels. And if you’re curious if I’d choose them again – without a doubt I would!

Reflections

Though the end of every journey is bittersweet, Quality Homes is beyond thrilled to have helped this amazing dream come to life. Working together with Carol and Brian was an absolute delight, and we appreciate all the extra time and effort they gave to share their story with not only us, but all of you. Carol even went as far as to write her own FAQ on her personal blog, answering so many of the questions our clients may have from the buyers’ point of view—an invaluable resource!

When asked what their favourite part of the overall process was, Carol and Brian shared that it was “knowing that our home was being built to the highest current standards, and that we’re able to live in a solid, safe, and efficient home for many years to come. How easy the build process overall was is really no surprise at all considering Quality Homes’ reputation.” But “as for actual events that were the most exciting, our Personal Selection day, factory visit and of course delivery day are tied for ‘OMG this is really happening!’ excitement levels.”

In the end, it’s Carol and Brian’s happiness, comfort, and lasting satisfaction that matters most to us. And from their response to how others reacted to their new home says it all.

“Of course everyone says they love the place. We even have family considering a Quality Home of their own now! More important though is the number of times we catch ourselves saying “I wouldn’t change a thing” or “I love it here” or “I love our home” or “I’m so happy” – that happens all the time.”

Congratulations, Carol and Brian. Thank you SO much for sharing your journey with us!

Watch the final chapter below!

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