Jim and Lisa Bacon had been residents of Atlanta for several years before Jim retired and Lisa started working from home. Their adult children had moved on, and it was time for a change of pace and a break from the heat and traffic of Big City life. They set their sights on the mountains of Western North Carolina and bought land in the Sundrops on Caney Fork community in Cullowhee. According to Jim, “We [knew] we were going to be in this home for a very long time … We built it with the idea of aging in place over time.”

The Bacons knew Sundog Homes’ co-founder Joel Sowers very well and knew he was also involved with the development of Bear Lake Reserve, another community in Tuckasegee. Because of their relationship with Joel, they trusted Sundog’s reputation of building quality homes, and were convinced to hire us to build their home.

• A home that would allow them to “age in place”.
• Main bathroom on the main floor.
• A center island in the kitchen.
• Chair-height toilets and counter-height vanities.
• Easy access to outdoor decks.

The biggest challenge was finding suitable soil. They found out while excavation was going on that the original location they chose on their lot had soft soil. Another difficulty was the fact that they lived 3 hours away from the home they were building.

One solution was to choose a different spot on their land on which to build the house. We conducted soil studies and found that the best decision for them would be to consider a different location on their lot to build on. We developed a site plan from there.

To bridge the distance gap, we used BuilderTrend, our construction management software program, to help them track the progress of construction with pictures and details. According to Jim, “That allowed us as remote customers to feel totally involved in the entire process”.

Since they were so far away, all of the decisions on finishes, paint, fixtures, and even placement of electrical outlets had to be done remotely - and on time to keep the build on schedule. For decisions that weren’t so easy to do via phone or online, the Bacons had to make several trips to different vendors along our supply chain to get it all right. Despite the minor inconveniences, Jim said, “While it was somewhat challenging, Sundog’s partners made the process pleasant with their knowledge of the products and the allowances in our contract”.

Although they started with our River Dog plan, the Bacons wanted to change a few things to better suit their needs. “Sundog Homes worked with us on these changes to make sure we got the house that we wanted,” Jim said. He also acknowledged that some of the changes they wanted to make to the plans couldn’t be made, but our team explained why that was so in detail.

In the end, they’ve been happy with their home. Although it was a long process, Jim acknowledged that “The best day is the day you get the keys and know that what everyone has worked so hard to make happen has happened. There are no more big decisions to make, no more change orders and no more long trips to visit the site”.

It’s going pretty well, considering they’ve lived in the house for six years. Jim said he and Lisa “... would recommend Sundog Homes to anyone who wants to build a quality home to their own specifications. They give great advice, possess strong resources and are straightforward and professional”.