Build It, and They Will Come — Pretty Little Lawyer

Well, not exactly. It’s been over a year since I signed a contract for a new construction home as a Birthday/Christmas present to myself while on my way to Ghana to close out the Year of the Return...

That makes my manic decision sound way more glamorous and exciting than it actually was. In all honesty, I was heartbroken and had decided I was done for good with trying to move out of my home state. In an effort to force myself to plant roots…and in doing so, to actually start a life here, I emailed the builder and told them I was ready. It was my plan to host glamorous dinner parties, visit the city often with friends and, generally expand my social circle.

ENTER COVID: Because I cannot do anything the normal way…I bought my first home in the middle of a global pandemic. I’ve been told the loan process has become increasingly electronic in recent years which worked to my benefit because I had no face-to-face interactions with many of the main players during the process. I signed the contract over email in December 2019. We broke ground in late February 2020 and the country went into lockdown about 2 weeks later. (So much for that brand new social life lol).

Luckily for me, I had an amazing team and knowledgeable parents who walked me through each step (sometimes more than once). So, while the process wasn’t exactly what I expected, it was smoother than I ever imagined and obviously WORTH IT!! Instead of dwelling on what hasn’t happened, lets look at some of my favorite moments from the process:

Watching this plot of dirt become a livable space

There is something so special about watching nothing become something. Even after moving into my home, I spent many days watching the builders work on the houses behind me. My friends and I often joke that we now know how to build a house because before I got a TV, that was how I entertained any visitors.

Buying a house is supposed to be fun!! While I often found myself saying “I can’t wait for…xyz” I tried to enjoy every moment of the process. One of the easier times to do that was the day I got to pick out what my home would look like. This was one of the reasons I chose a new construction. I knew the house would be 95% to my taste, and I wouldn’t have to take on any large renovation projects right away.

If you have very specific tastes, new construction homes are a great option. While renovations are all fun and games on HGTV, this was much less dramatic (and maybe even cheaper since I don’t have a general contractor bae). Even in the midst of a global pandemic, I ended up closing a month earlier than projected. Unlike a renovation, a new construction timeline is typically more concrete. Any delays impact the sellers bottom line so they are more inclined to complete projects on time. Also, if you go with a community builder, the chances that you are being scammed by someone who will take your money and not complete the project are pretty low. Still, I read a million reviews online and checked the BBB complaints on each company I considered.

Aside from closing, the pre-drywall meeting was THE MOST exciting day of the entire process.

I would say this was the best day of my life, but SO MANY good things have happened since then. I can’t wait to fill you in.