Deciding to build their forever home was a special decision for Allison and Mitchell. Not only would they be across the street from Allison’s mom, but they would also be building on her grandfather’s old property. Having family nearby meant that Allison and Mitchell could continue creating memories with their two children, in the same spot that Allison made so many of her childhood memories.
Not only were they building for their future, but they were also building with ties to the past. With such a monumental milestone, they both agreed that to honor Allison’s grandfather and those memories, it was important to do it right. To do that, they wanted to find a home builder that felt like family and was more focused on the quality of builds than just making sales.
Shortly after walking in the door of the Pittsburgh Design Studio and meeting with Jacki, they knew that Schumacher Homes was the perfect choice for building their dream home. “I never felt pressured,” Allison remembered. “She was so patient and never felt like she was trying to sell.”
Before building, both Allison and Mitchell had an idea of what they wanted in their new home. At the top of their wish list was space for a home office. With Mitchell working from home, it was important for him to have a dedicated area to work from daily. They settled on the Aurora American Tradition since it had plenty of space and could be customized to meet their family’s needs.
Designing the layout of the home was truly a family affair as even the two youngest family members got involved in the process. Allison remarked, “They came to all the design meetings and got to help pick how their future rooms would look like.” Looking back, she knows that those moments are now core memories as both kids got to help design the home. One of the customizations was made with specifically the kids in mind. The fourth bedroom was removed and converted into a rec room that the kids now love.
An unexpected customization has since become the couple’s favorite space in the house, now that they have moved in. Instead of having a front porch on the home, they posed the question, “What if we moved that porch to the back of the home instead to enjoy their view?” With a few strokes of a pen, their home blueprint was transformed and both Allison and Mitchell knew that the back porch was going to be super important. Since moving in, the space has become a go-to gathering spot for them.
Not only was their own family involved in the building process, but both Allison and Mitchell agreed that they gained an extended family through the process. “We took the time and got to know everyone who helped with our house and formed relationships with them,” said Allison. Any question they had was answered, and their whole team was patient.
From start to finish, their home-building journey was more fulfilling than they could have imagined. Having their home go from stock photo to blueprint, then to framework and then finally finished in a year time frame was a surreal experience. By having the opportunity to be on-site so often, it was special to see their home transform stage by stage and turn into a physical space that they can call their family’s forever home. Now Allison and Mitchell have a home that will last a lifetime, and they couldn’t be happier with having a space that was designed to be the perfect fit for their family by their family.
About Schumacher Homes
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 26 locations in 12 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award-winning company has built over 20,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and model homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends.