Ali

Building a custom home with Atmos was not only a dream come true, but also a saving grace in a seemingly impossible market.

Like many homebuyers in major cities throughout the U.S., Ali Yahya, 31, was at his wit’s end at how overwhelming and disheartening the process had become in the competitive Chapel Hill, NC market. He’d been on countless showings, placed offers on multiple homes, and spent innumerable hours on an unsuccessful house hunt. After spending over a year struggling to buy a home and feeling like he’d been willing to compromise on his must-haves enough, Ali was ready to start exploring new options for buying a home. 

In other words, he was ready to consider custom homebuilding.

Building a home had always been a dream of Ali’s—the ability to design a space based on what you liked rather than what was available had always appealed. But he’d been cautioned away by the idea that it’d be too expensive and time-consuming. His full-time job as a Senior Cloud Security Engineer at a media collaboration technology company was demanding enough—he didn’t have much spare time to waste on over-sacrificing and frustrating back-and-forth. 

Before finding Atmos, “everything felt like a compromise,” Ali reflects. He wasn’t particularly picky about style and location, but he did have a couple of non-negotiables: a large yard his dog Rhubarb could enjoy, and a single-story floor plan. Even with this level of flexibility, “it was hard to find something to check off all the boxes within my price range.” 

And yet, he continued playing the game that has become a requirement for most buyers (unless you can make an all-cash offer!) in today’s market: a bidding war. On multiple occasions, Ali began the process of purchasing an existing home in the Triangle, only to lose the bid or to come across issues that kept him from wanting to move forward. 

Throughout the frustrating showings and lost bids, he also considered building a home. But as he investigated builders in his area and further understood the options available, he was disheartened all over again. “The big box builders just give you A, B, and C options, and you can’t really customize much. You can’t get exactly what you’re looking for.” Plus they didn’t help with navigating the entire process—he knew he’d have to manage all on his own.

He knew that with an investment as significant as buying a home, there’s only so much time or money a person should need to sacrifice.

One day, Ali chanced upon Atmos on a Slack channel. 

Atmos solved the problems that had deterred him previously—what he calls a choice of extremes: either a low lift but cookie-cutter home, or a custom home that would require too much of his time. “Between work and day-to-day things, it’s really hard to do by yourself. It’s pretty much a full-time job.”

That’s why, Ali says, it was such a relief to talk with Atmos project managers and realize the process and timelines were exactly what he needed. “I didn’t have to hand-hold the builders or have constant back-and-forth phone calls. I was able to just communicate my overall plan with one person and then have a granular approach, as hands-off as I wanted it to be.” 

Instead of Ali having to coordinate with all of the different players and aspects of the homebuilding process (which would overwhelm just about anyone), his project manager handled everything while he weighed in and expressed his end goals. Atmos helped Ali find Toledo Builders to build his single-story ranch in Chapel Hill, complete with a gorgeous covered patio and a few extra-special features he knew he’d never find in an existing home.

“I always thought about building a custom home, but I just didn’t know where to get started,” says Ali. “Where Atmos really helped was in providing someone I could talk to who was very knowledgeable about construction and home styles. They walked me through the various options to get me to a point that I felt comfortable with the home we were going to build for me. On top of that, all details were coordinated through her, and they was my single point of contact.” 

Just like anyone who’s ever purchased a home might expect, there have been a few bumps along the way, including the challenge of buying a lot to build on. “There were issues with many of the lots we found, because the specific floorplan I wanted wouldn’t fit on them, but eventually we found a three-acre lot that would work for what I wanted.” While the right circumstances didn’t just fall into his lap, and the lot search took some time, Ali soon began to see his Atmos home take shape.

Toledo Builders at Ali’s jobsite.

Next came all the interior details that would finish making his space into a home. Here he ran into another situation he hadn’t foreseen—rather than feeling he had too few options for what he wanted, at the design center he was given too many options. “When we went to the design showroom, it was pretty overwhelming,” he remembers. “There are a lot of options that are pretty similar, but slightly different.”

A day that could have become overtaken by decision fatigue became somewhat more enjoyable with Atmos guiding him in the right style direction he’d indicated he wanted. “Atmos was able to narrow down a general style so I could make targeted decisions, rather than having to look at every single option there.” With her help, he chose the finishings that will tie the design of his home together. 

While Ali may not have particularly cared about the number of notches on a faucet handle, he especially enjoyed the opportunity to give his input and share the overall idea of his home. That input got translated into the special amenities and few unique twists he’s adding to his custom house that fit him and his lifestyle. 

One such unique twist? A dedicated dog shower. Ali is determined to provide only the best experience for his four-legged family member Rhubarb, and ensuring a place to wash up after any muddy adventures or long romps through the sizable yard was a no-brainer. Doggy spa day? Yes, please!

His floorplan also flaunts a design element that every millennial has secretly (or not-so-secretly) always wanted: a trick bookshelf that’s also a doorway. To access his home office from his living room, Ali opens up a two-way bookcase that matches on each side of the wall. Who hasn’t dreamt of a hidden, secret room to retreat to for a productive work-from-home day? This intricate design detail gives off a serious secret agent or Harry Potter vibe. 

“These features were things I already had in mind, but before I found Atmos I wasn’t sure how all that would be implemented.” Without a few fairly intense rounds of renovation, it’s hard to imagine a preexisting home meeting these specific criteria, and most of the big box builders Ali looked into didn’t have customization options like this. 

He also had the chance to incorporate the beautiful views of his 3 acres into the home itself by choosing sliding glass doors in the main living area. Natural light and fresh air (and Rhubarb!) flow easily into Ali’s home. 

Besides appreciating the help of one focal person throughout the building process, Ali also names the ability to prioritize as a perk of building with Atmos. During the planning and design phase, Atmos helped him pivot when needed in order to keep his ideal budget alignment. He’s fully in the driver’s seat and can prioritize and compromise exactly how he wants to. 

“The elements that are most important to me are those lifestyle details and the vibe of the house especially. So it wasn’t such a heartbreak, when it came down to making a few sacrifices, to substitute the siding of the house for something more cost effective, or swap out a few aesthetic elements that don’t have a large impact on the overall feel.” When trying to tackle the competitive seller’s market, he’d found himself making concessions on aspects he’d once considered priorities. In the building process, the power of compromise and choice remains in his hands. 

Above all, Ali appreciates the balance of required time and available options. “I definitely wouldn’t have had the time to do it on my own,” Ali reflects. “Having one point of contact to help with all of the little details and not having to spend my own time on that stuff gave me the ability to think about what I really wanted to customize without having to devote a ton of time to it.”

In reflecting on his decision to build custom with a young company, Ali points out the importance of giving new tech a chance and the undeniable societal shift toward customization. With increased customization of everything from clothes to cars, it makes sense that something as personal and important as a home is also worth customizing. Ali definitely sees the trend lines headed in the direction of custom homes and has already been referring Atmos to his friends and colleagues if he knows they're looking for a home.

Ali and Rhubarb and their own custom home are living proof of what can happen if you’re willing to update your expectations and look for other options when things aren’t going your way. In today’s housing market, the way to get exactly what you want isn’t just being able to afford an all-cash offer, but in buying land and building a custom home (with Atmos, of course!).

Ready to follow his lead? Get started on your Atmos home today.