Q.You have grown the custom home building part of the company significantly over the last couple of years. Tell us how you got started.
Paul: I spent 15 years in finance and real estate working for Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers. During my time there, I had numerous real estate clients doing developments in and around major urban areas. I learned how the capital and financing arrangements were structured to fund the larger projects. In 2005, we just happened to come across a couple of opportunities. One of them was WatersEdge at Bellevue. There was a development plan in place but the owner at that time couldn’t finalize the equity and financing. We were able to purchase the land and obtain the financing to execute the plan.
The condominium units at WatersEdge are just like luxury custom homes, so we learned early on how to design and build custom “homes” even if they were within a condominium building. Excluding the exterior finishes, the selections and finishing process is no different than a luxury custom home.
Building from the success of WatersEdge, we developed a niche in high-end, urban residential developments with spectacular views. WatersEdge served as our key springboard. We are currently building luxury homes and condominiums in numerous projects in and around the urban core.
Q. Walk us through your process.
Bryan: We work with each client through the customization process. We integrate each client into the “co-design process.” Sometimes, it’s overwhelming for people to start from scratch. So, we bring some framework and concepts, and then design the home with them so they are part of the process, with our design architect. Our whole team contributes throughout the process.
Paul: When developing new view-oriented properties, it’s helpful to think about where you are going to spend most of your time and how are going to experience living and entertaining there. For example, where do you put your kitchen sink and your island so when you are at the sink and you look up, you get a view of a beautiful city, not your backsplash? It’s helpful to think through these aspects of design and to visualize yourself in the space before it is built.
Q.Do you typically start from scratch, or do your clients come in with their own plans?
Bryan: It’s a little bit of both. Homebuyers typically bring in their own ideas or they say, “I’ve seen a house like this, can you do something similar?” And we work with them to tweak their ideas.
People may bring pictures of homes they like, or a sketch of a floor plan they like. We encourage them to provide a wish list of what they would like in their home. We have our architect there to listen as well. It usually takes a couple of hours for the first meeting, then we sketch something from that. That’s how the design process starts. We work to make it an enjoyable experience.
There are a lot of decisions to make, but we always say, “Don’t get overwhelmed. If you’re not sure what color cabinets you want, go to dinner, get a bottle of wine, and talk it through. Don’t worry. We’re going to make this as enjoyable as we can.”
Q. How do you help a client stay focused during the process?
Bryan: It is one of the challenges of doing custom high-end buildings. A customer will often show us a photo of a house they like and ask us, “Can I do this?” I always say, “We can do whatever you want, it’s just a matter of how much you want to spend.” We work to be transparent and provide a framework for the overall process.
While we want each client to enjoy the experience, we are up front that it’s not going to go perfectly, but we commit to making it right. If something does go wrong, we will make it right.
Paul: We take pride in the fact that we get a lot of second and third-time buyers who have built with us before. Our customer service team takes great pride in satisfied and happy homeowners.
Q. What is your favorite part of the process?
Bryan: Probably the final walk-through before the closing because it’s the first time everything is clean and polished, and it’s kind of the WOW! We see their eyes light up. For most people it’s their dream home. They’ve been thinking about it for years and years. Even if they’re involved every step of the way, the first time they see it complete, and it’s finally a reality, you can see their excitement.
Paul: I always enjoy the initial design process and then watching the vision become reality. We’re taking a blank piece of ground and a collective vision and turning it into a place where clients call home and then create wonderful memories with family and friends.