Earlier this year we shared a story of how Abel and Kara West toured their Stratford Home while it was being built in the Stratford Home factory. Their home construction has since been completed and they’ve settled in nicely. The West’s documented their home build process and enjoy sharing the story, so we’d like to share their story with you.

The West’s Home Story

Abel and Kara live on a family farm and previously resided in a Schult Homes manufactured home that they purchased from Excelsior Homes a number of years ago. They had a goal to upgrade their home eventually and their dream came true this year. 

When the West’s originally began the process of considering their dream home they didn’t think with a modular home they could build what they wanted. They anticipated limits, but realized that even with a modular home they could design their home however they wanted with no limits. They loved the flexibility at an affordable rate. Stratford Homes offered customizations that they were looking for such as a multi-level home, custom cabinets and white trim. 

Stratford Homes was easy to work with and offered numerous options we desired in our home. – Abel & Kara West

An Interview with Abel & Kara

We met up with Abel and Kara West and visited their home after they settled in to ask them a few questions about the home build process. Here’s what they had to say.

How long did your home building process take?

The time frame was impressive. We were living in our home within two months versus if we would have chosen to stick build it would have been at least 6-8 months at a minimum.

Did you consider a stick built home?

Yes, we did our research and to build the same home with a stick builder it would have been almost double the expense.

Are you glad you purchased a manufactured home years ago to live in initially?

We are glad we waited a few years to build our current home. We didn’t have to cut corners and could do it right, the way we wanted.

Is there anything about your home that surprises visitors?

Most people are surprised that our home is a modular home. They don’t believe it when we tell them. Most people picture modular homes only being one level without any customization.

What is your favorite room in the house?

Our favorite room in our new house is the kitchen. We centered the kitchen design to overlook the field, garden and apple trees.

The kitchen is what I was most excited about. I walked in and saw it and freaked out. – Kara West

Our second favorite area of the home is the front porch which also overlooks the field, garden and apple trees. We love to sit out on quiet evenings and our dogs love it too.

What is one feature in the home you enjoy?

We love the big windows. They allow a lot of natural light in the home.

What would you change about the process you went through to be in your new home today?

We wouldn’t do anything different – loved every part of the home building process and love every part of our home. The process worked well for us.

Building a modular is 10x better I think. It is built inside in a controlled environment, therefore not exposed to all the weather conditions. We built the home we wanted at an affordable price. -Abel West

Abel and Kara both expressed being very happy with Excelsior Homes and Stratford Homes. At Excelsior Homes, we are grateful for customers like the West’s. The fact that they’ve been repeat customers is even more exciting. We enjoy seeing people move into their new homes and embrace the process. Building and purchasing a new home are big steps in people’s lives, often the largest single purchase they’ll make ever. We appreciate having the trust placed in our hands. 

If you’re interested in creating your own dream home, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through the process. 

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