What It's Really Like to Build a Custom Home

Season Three, Episode Ten | Transcript

To wrap up Season Three of The Art of Custom, we shift the focus from industry experts to the homeowners themselves. This season finale digs into real client stories to bring every phase of the custom home process to life, from design to move-in day.

Hear from four Hibbs Homes clients who built across different neighborhoods and life stages, including Amy DeSart, Larry and Kathy Vandeven, Mark and Gail Friz, and Rick and Meredith Schaper. Each family reveals what inspired them to build, how they navigated challenges, and what it feels like to finally live in a dream home built around their lifestyle.

The Client Perspective

Over the season, listeners have heard from architects, designers, lenders, and builders. We closes the loop in this episode by giving voice to the homeowners themselves. These home stories come straight from the people who took the leap to build fully custom homes designed for their families, priorities, and long-term comfort.

Learn how building custom is equal parts technical process and emotional journey. Every family began with a dream and a vision that, through trust, collaboration, and patience, turned into a reality.

Amy DeSart's Story: Travel-Inspired Modern Home

Amy’s custom home in Town & Country, Missouri, was built during the pandemic and became a test of patience, creativity, and teamwork. After years of living in production-style homes, she wanted a residence tailored completely to her lifestyle and inspired by her global travels.

She worked closely with the Hibbs Homes team and architect Jim Bujeleski to translate years of ideas into a truly personalized design. Challenges like soil issues and budget adjustments required flexibility, but the final result exceeded her expectations and is a home that reflects her style and functions perfectly for her daily life.

Her advice to future homeowners: plan ahead, stay flexible, and make sure your builder and architect communicate seamlessly. Despite the occasional stress, she says the process was worth every moment:

“Even the challenges are hard to remember now because I love my home so much.”

The VandeVens: Building for Family & Efficiency

Larry and Kathi VandeVen wanted a home that could serve as the heart of their family gatherings after selling their lake house. Their dream was a spacious ranch with a finished lower level, a pool, and energy-efficient performance.

They found Hibbs Homes almost by coincidence. They were a house across the street from their lot that turned out to be a Hibbs build. After meeting the team, they felt an immediate connection and moved forward.

Their project highlights the importance of trust and communication. With daily updates through Hibbs Homes’ project-management software and close coordination on selections, they felt confident every step of the way.

Months after moving in, they were amazed to find that their new home, which is twice the size of their previous one, costs less in utilities, thanks to the Hibbs Homes high-performance building techniques.

The Friz Family: Efficiency and Sustainability to Age in place

As first-time home builders, Mark and Gail Friz chose to prioritizing long-term comfort, accessibility, and sustainability by building instead of buying from existing inventory. Their home was designed with geothermal heating, solar panels, and allergy-friendly materials.

As part of the design, they worked closely with the Hibbs team to design and build a home that accommodated large family gatherings with open dining space, and even room for a grand piano. The result was a warm, open layout that balances beauty and performance.

Their home demonstrates how thoughtful, science-based construction pays off over time through lower bills, cleaner air, and long-term adaptability.

The Schapers: Building a Forever Home in a Beloved Neighborhood

For Rick and Meredith Schaper, owners of Dogtown Pizza, location was everything. They wanted to stay in the St. Louis neighborhood they loved and near family, friends, and their business. That meant finding a narrow infill lot and designing a custom home that fit the historic character of Dogtown.

The team created a two-story design with dual bedroom suites for multi-generational living and a large front porch that kept the community connection central to their daily lives.

Their build wasn’t without surprises: pandemic delays, unexpected excavation challenges, and even the discovery of a century-old cistern filled with antique bottles. But through every setback, trust and communication carried the project forward.

For the Schapers, the result is more than a home, it is a legacy. They now enjoy a quiet, highly efficient home that captures the neighborhood’s charm while meeting their family’s modern needs.

The High-Performance Home Building Advantage

Across every story, one theme stands out: performance matters. Hibbs Homes’ commitment to energy efficiency, comfort, and healthier living sets their process apart.

High-performance construction includes:

• Advanced insulation and air sealing.
• Proper HVAC design for balanced comfort.
• Cleaner indoor air with reduced allergens and pollutants.
• Durable materials that lower maintenance costs.

In these client stories, they consistently report lower utility bills, more consistent temperatures, and quieter interiors compared to their previous homes. And they all agree that better-built homes truly make a difference every day.

Lessons from the Build Process

From weather delays and design revisions to unexpected site conditions, building a custom home comes with challenges. But homeowners who stay flexible and trust their builder find the process deeply rewarding.

Common advice shared by clients:

• Be patient: custom homes take time and thoughtfulness.
• Budget realistically and leave room for surprises.
• Communicate openly with your builder and design team.
• Visit the site often, but trust the professionals.
• Enjoy the process because the end result is worth it.

Moving In: Living in Their Dream Home

These stories also emphasize that when they finally moved in, the challenges of construction faded, replaced by pride and comfort. Several homeowners describe their finished homes as feeling like a vacation retreat, a space they never want to leave.

These homes are more than structures they’re expressions of the homeowner and the craftsmanship of custom building. For the Hibbs Homes team, that sense of joy and connection is the most meaningful part of the job.

The Value of Relationships

Building a custom home is about relationships. The process works best when builder and client communicate openly, trust one another, and share the same vision.

Many Hibbs Homes clients remain long-term friends, staying in touch years after their projects are complete. That ongoing partnership is what transforms the building process from transactional to personal.

Wrapping Up Season Three

This season, we walked listeners through every major step of building a custom home. From finding land and designing the floor plan to selecting finishes, integrating technology, and creating sustainable spaces - we touched on every piece of the process.

Season Three closes with one clear message: the art of custom homebuilding is equal parts collaboration and craftsmanship. Stay tuned for Season Four, which will take a deep dive into the design process!