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Community Corner

Assembling Your Homebuilding Dream Team

Putting together a great team is among the most important aspects of building a luxury home. It’s not, however, as simple as it sounds. With a project of this magnitude it is essential to create a team that 1) combines the right players and 2) is accustomed to working together. The team is almost always led by an architect and builder who work closely with others, including:

Landscape architect

nterior designer

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Structural engineer

Civil engineer

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Plus, says Orren Pickell, the company’s president and chief executive officer, you might need to select a lot in which case a real estate agent will join the team. “It might also be wise to have someone in finance as part of the mix,” he adds.

With top-notch professionals on board, the construction process flows more smoothly, details are attended to, and the overall experience is positive. “When you take the time to assemble the right team, a strong team, you’re making an investment in what may be the biggest expenditure of your life,” says Pickell. “Rather than having one stick that can easily break, you have a bundle of twigs that’s very tough to break.”

A solid team will not only build a beautiful and functional home but can also save you money along the way. Changes are inevitable during the process and while some modifications will increase the cost others can bring the total price tag down. “Everyone is watching for the quality of the project and the price of the project,” says Pickell.

To stay on track and on budget, Pickell maintains a dedicated web site for each homebuilding project. All the changes, product selections, client action items, schedules, photos, and all other processes are posted on the site.

Another of Pickell’s strengths is its ability to pull everything together within the last phase of construction. “We have a whole separate team that comes in to help our superintendent finish the project,” says Pickell.

You can hear Orren Pickell talk about building a great team in the accompanying video. 

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