Megan sat up in bed late at night scouring the Internet for realty websites in their hometown of Raleigh, NC. Frustrated by the lack of inventory and available options, she roused her husband Chris awake with a question that would become the first step in building their dream home.
Megan and Chris’s homeowner story starts here but their story as a couple began many years earlier.
“Chris and I met in high school and were great friends. In 2005 he was involved in a car accident resulting in his paralysis. We remained friends throughout such a tough time and then sort of lost connection after graduating. We reconnected in 2010 and began dating.”
After living in several different residences as boyfriend and girlfriend, Megan and Chris tied the knot in 2016 and purchased Megan’s parent’s house, the very same home Megan grew up in. A few years later they realized the limitations to the home but still wanted to somehow stay connected with the property. Conveniently Megan’s family, including her parents, grandparents, and brother were all in very close proximity. Even though the house was not ideal for Chris’s needs, the location was beyond perfect. And that’s when Megan asked Chris the question.
“I said to him, ‘What do you think of trying to sell this trailer and building a house right here since we already have the land?’ and (Chris) was totally down for it so that got the ball rolling.”
Chris’s affirmation was all Megan needed to envision a dream home that would be 100% accessible for him. It was time to find the right builder to make it happen.
Dedicated To Accessibility
“The main thing that caught my eye with Schumacher was the fact that they have a section on their website dedicated to accessible homes.”
Even with Megan and Chris’ prior knowledge of how to make their home as accessible to Chris’s needs as possible, Schumacher’s design experts still brought new ideas and unexpected innovations to the table.
“There were things that we didn't even think of that were mentioned so that was very helpful and important to us.” Megan said on their decision to choose Schumacher.
The Importance Of A Flex Room
Megan and Chris were interested in several of Schumacher’s designs but ultimately found the Santa Barbara to be the right match for them. With 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a flex room, and an open kitchen with a spacious adjacent living area, the floorplan seemed to have everything they needed. As a photographer and creative professional, the flex space in the Santa Barbara layout had a particular appeal to Megan.
“Having an office was very important to me because I work from home. It just had everything we were looking for and fit into our budget.”
To be absolutely certain, Megan and her mother drove to Columbia, SC to visit the nearest Santa Barbara model home.
“And as soon as I saw it in person, I was sold!” Megan exclaimed after their tour that day.
Experience and Expertise
Megan and Chris chose Schumacher for not only their experience in creating accessible custom homes but their expertise in reorientating spaces with accessibility at the center of the layout.
“One important feature we wanted and needed in our home,” Megan said, “was for the home to be one-story and ground-level for Chris. There are no stairs anywhere, so it is very easy for him to enter and exit the house.”
Schumacher’s design experts and builders presented Megan and Chris with an array of customizations in each room to make every day living as functional as possible. Here are a few of them:
Megan left us with some infectious laughter when she admitted the short distance between the laundry and the walk-in closet was her idea.
“Laundry is my least favorite chore so I figured if it was connected to our closet, it would make the chore a little less painful.”
Loving the Light
As a photographer, part of Megan’s job is to understand how light can manipulate and affect a space.
“Natural light is a big part of my job so I wanted as much light coming into the house as possible --and obviously those big windows are absolutely gorgeous so who wouldn't want them, right?”
It’s why she’s claimed the living room as her favorite spot in their new home. The big feature windows really add to the space depending on the time of day and, in Megan’s own testament to the room, “make you feel like you're somewhere magical. I could just sit on our couch all day and stare out the window into our backyard.”
Making It Theirs
It’s safe to say Megan and Chris are a couple unafraid of challenges. In a very short period of time, they were proposing to sell an existing home and break ground on a new one. Fate added some additional urgency to their construction timetable in the form of a new addition.
“Actually, we found out we were pregnant the same week that we had our initial meeting with Schumacher to get a quote.” Megan recalled. “Our New Home Consultant, Josh, was the very first person to know we were pregnant before we even told our families because we wanted to know if it was possible at all to have a house built before our baby arrived.’
Megan and Chris knew there was a chance they would have their baby before the completion of their home’s construction but citing their confidence in Schumacher’s timetable and comfort-level with how the process had gone thus far, they pressed ahead anyway. By early February 2021, they’d sold their existing home, had it moved off their lot, broken ground on their new home with construction underway.
“I'm not going to lie,” Megan said, “I was skeptical of the house being finished before the baby arrived because so many things were on backorder (due to Covid), but we had an awesome builder who kept everything on track and made sure our dream home was finished before we gave birth.”
In just 86 days from dig date to close date, Megan and Chris were unpacking boxes and setting up a nursery an entire week before their baby’s arrival. In these last few days, Megan and Chris both recalled feeling a sigh of relief – and overwhelmed with excitement – to finally be in a space they had created together. A space designed around Chris’s abilities, Megan’s home office needs, and now – a new baby.
At Schumacher Homes we design and build homes to improve the lives of our customers and their families. If you’re curious about how to get started, contact or visit us today.
About Schumacher Homes
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 32 markets in 14 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. Stop in today, be inspired and receive your no obligation price quote.
