So, my guy and I decided about a year ago that after more than 3 decades of marital bliss, we were going to put our commitment to the test by building a custom home. Yep. We, who have a hard time deciding what kind of vacuum cleaner to buy..” but wait, this one has turbo boost, but this one is $15 cheaper”… you know, those kinds of conversations when faced with choosing between this, or that. Nine times out of ten we end up walking out of the store without making a purchase.
Yeah, we’re those kind of people.
And we’re going to build a custom home. You know, where you have to make decisions about big things like floorplan and flooring and cabinets and colors. But also lots and lots of little decisions like what kind of hinges do we want, door height, and should the door open in to the left or in to the right. As we’re about 6 months into our plan design, we’ve had a few conversations about what the heck we were thinking.
BUT….having purchased 8 homes throughout our marriage, I have to admit the idea of having something exactly almost exactly (there’s no perfect house, ever) like our dream home, with a dream view was what convinced us to take the plunge.
And here’s where the magic will hopefully start taking shape soon.
We’ll be building a 3 BR 3.5 BA Rambler in a new community in Chelan, called Legacy Ridge. We were able to snag one of the few lots that will accommodate a Rambler with no steps. This is definitely going to be our age in place home.
So this weekend we decided to head out to the BNCW 2018 Home Tour in Wenatchee to get some inspiration. 
Here are a few of our takeaways:
High Ceilings are a Must
We’d planned to do 9′ ceilings, but were wondering if we needed to go even higher, like maybe to 10 ft. Most of the homes either had vaulted great room spaces or 9 ft. ceilings and those were plenty high. No need to go to 10 ft, so that’s good. I think there was only 1 home that had 8 ft. ceilings and you could definitely feel the difference. That extra foot of ceiling height made a big difference.
Taller Doors Look Very Cool & are not that Expensive
I’m tall, so I’ve always loved homes that have taller doors. This home we toured in Malaga has 8′ tall shaker interior and barn doors throughout. This home was occupied so out of respect I didn’t take any interior photos. I asked the builder how expensive they are (because I’d been told they’re not worth the cost). He told us about $150 per door. We don’t have that many interior doors in our plan due to an open concept, so I think this will be an upgrade we’ll make.
Custom means Custom
One of the homes in East Wenatchee was very customized and you knew as soon as you walked in that the owners were into entertaining and having fun. The homeowner was there and gave us great information on radiant heated tile floors, surround sound systems, interior lighting and little tips and things she learned along the way. Here’s a picture of her game room, which is right as you walk into the house. Stamped tin ceiling, and a mural on the far wall.
Not necessarily my style, but I bet they love it!
All in all we came away encouraged that we’re on the right path and ready to make at least some of those tough decisions.
If you’re thinking about building in the Lake Chelan area and have any questions, I’m happy to share information about different communities, land availability and current trends!