Dayn and Aurelie
When Dayn and Aurelie bought their lot, they knew what they wanted in a home... they just didn’t know how to get it built.
Having bought a lot without much background knowledge about how to build a house, Dayn and Aurelie soon worried that building a home would cost even more than buying an existing one, even in the competitive North Carolina market. Still, they knew what they wanted in their new home, and they knew they weren’t likely to find it on Zillow. So the search for the right builder began.
Ready to move out of their first home and begin growing their family, Dayn and Aurelie weighed their options. While Aurelie grew up in a rural area, Dayn was used to city life. The couple knew that in order to cater to both of their tastes, they’d need a location that was secluded, yet near enough to a downtown area to feel convenient. While their locales growing up varied greatly, they both spent their childhoods in single-story homes and wanted the same style for their future house.
A bit of browsing quickly revealed that even these simple criteria made it impossible to find a fitting home near Durham. Especially without extensive renovations, a one-story home with enough peace and quiet for Aurelie and enough city proximity for Dayn just wasn’t out there.
Before they even knew how they were going to be able to build a home, they found the perfect lot and jumped on it. Two acres in Durham, large enough for their single-story floor plan and a serene, secluded outcropping of trees. Coming from a one thousand square-foot starter home, they were ready to spread out. Their ideal home vision included plenty of living space and outdoor areas to relax.
With a lot purchased in their ideal location, they began looking into builders, excited to see their new house come to life.
But inquiry after inquiry only brought more confusion. Changing or unreliable prices — or no quotes on price at all — deterred them from signing on with any of the builders they found initially. Fear quickly set in about whether or not they’d manage to find a builder and floorplan that met their needs and offered a predictable budget.
Finally, Dayn stumbled upon a Facebook ad for Atmos, who helped them find the right builder for their vision: Toledo Builders, based in Durham.
Dayn and Aurelie with their PM Allyson and Danny from Toledo Builders
Envisioning the Future
While Dayn and Aurelie were a step ahead of many hopeful buyers because they already owned a lot, they were still stuck in neutral until they found Atmos.
Both being millennials, the pair was drawn to the Atmos platform and the ability to easily make their own choices on the details of their home. While other builders couldn’t be clear about costs at the outset of their home building journey, Atmos allowed them to see exactly what they’d be spending on each aspect of the house. With that knowledge, they could finally make intentional choices about what they put their money toward.
Dayn and Aurelie enjoy the freedom of choosing what to be more hands-on about, and what to let their project manager handle. “We see it as a kind of hybrid model,” they explain. “Since we did not want to pick and choose every little thing, we avoided some upfront costs, but we’ll have chosen enough that makes it unique to us and will not end up with a house that looks just like everyone else’s on the block.”
Getting started was simple, and they browsed the many layout options until they settled on a ranch style floor plan with a large, stunning back porch — a perfect fit for their lot.
Bringing a Dream to Life
Despite being new to the homebuilding process, Dayn and Aurelie didn’t hesitate to dig in and get involved in determining the specifics of their new build. Alongside their project manager, they’ve tailored their new home’s design around their lifestyle and priorities, all tied together with a charming farmhouse feel.
“Atmos helped us find a plan that fit what we were looking for, but also kept us within the budget we felt comfortable with,” says Dayn. “It was so helpful to have them guide us and say, ‘this is what you should be thinking about next, this is what I would do.’” Being new to the process yet having a specific vision for the outcome, they needed their guidance in order to translate their overall desired feeling into an actual home plan.
Of course, in the last year, we’ve all become intimately familiar with how little it really means to have a “plan.” “We’ve had to get creative with shortages,” the couple reflects, referencing the ever-changing landscape of supply issues with lumber and appliances this year. “Since we’re not experts, we needed expert input in order to avoid a headache down the line.” Their project managers were always there to jump in and help pivot whenever unforeseen circumstances popped up and threatened their dream home.
Through each twist and turn, Dayn and Aurelie were happy with how much time they spent personally customizing their home. Working in startups themselves, they found comfort in hunting for the creative solutions alongside Atmos, and testing things out to work around issues out of their control.
“At the end of the day, house building is not that simple,” they point out. “We’ve had a lot of questions.” Although not every answer was immediate, the team always did what was required to get an accurate response, from connecting with their builder Toledo on patio materials to looking deeper into the big details like foundation types. At the heart of every conversation, the trust built with their project managers and the honest, “what would you do” advice kept processes smooth and Dayn and Aurelie’s minds at ease.
Despite the unpredictability of lumber and other supplies, the Atmos team have not only kept Dayn and Aurelie to the contract, within budget, and “shielded from the day-to-day operational issues,” but have even kept them ahead of schedule.
Having bought the lot before deciding on what they wanted, they had the space to really work out the details. Plus Atmos helps with getting a timeline in place for when to sell their current home. “For anyone who’s in a starter home and is ready for more space, this is a great route to take,” Dayn reflects. “This made more financial sense than buying an existing home and renovating it.”
Favorite Features
In discussing the best perks of their new custom build, Dayn and Aurelie hardly know where to start. “We used to have to store our larger kitchen appliances in the guest bathroom closet,” Aurelie confesses. “So in the new house, we’re building a large walk-in pantry!”
Above all, they’re just excited to have more space to spread out. Moving from one thousand square feet into a 2,300 square-foot home mostly translates to extra living space and a designated dining area. With three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, most of the square footage remains in the living room, plus a separate, out-of-the-way laundry room.
In sitting down to fine tune their selections for the new home, Dayn and Aurelie each came in with aspects that were most important to them. Dayn’s? An over-the-stove pot filler, sure to speed up the cooking process and add convenience and ease to their everyday lives. Aurelie was excited to build a big bathtub in the guest bathroom.
They both agreed that they’d need plenty of outdoor space for the dog and for lounging. With both front and back patios and convenient outdoor areas to eat and work, they’re well-equipped to enjoy the nicer North Carolina days — with the help of an outdoor ceiling fan during those humid summer evenings.
For Dayn and Aurelie, Atmos was the missing piece in their puzzle of building their dream home. Whether or not you’ve bought your lot already, Atmos is ready to help you connect the dots to build your own custom home. Get started today!
