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. 

Fall is here. Leaves have changed colors. Harvest is underway. The temperatures are dropping. Halloween is right around the corner, with Thanksgiving close behind. This is the perfect opportunity to make some home decorating updates. They can be seasonal changes or more permanent updates. 

Earlier this year we shared some of the latest home design trends, which we’re still finding to ring true. Take a look at that post to learn about the colors, patterns, and textures that are popular in home design. If you’re looking at making some permanent style updates to your home decorating this may inspire your approach.

Fall Home Decorating Tips

If you’re looking to add some updates for the season there are many places you can start.

• Home Entrance – Welcome your guests with style. Decorate your front porch or front steps for fall. Think about mums, pumpkins gourds, and natural accents to add color and a welcoming first impression. Add a fresh door mat to help stop fall and winter from entering your home. Think about the condition of your front door. If it could use a fresh coat of paint, now is a great time before it gets to cold.
• Add Seasonal Color Accents – Does your dining room, living room or kitchen have some decor accents that could be switched out with fall accent colors. Think about warm shades like orange, red, yellow with subtle greens and metallics.
• Fireplace – If you have a fireplace now is the perfect time to start using it. It feels cozy on those cool evenings and helps keep the chill out of your home. Carefully add decorating accents around the fireplace keeping safety top of mind. Also, make sure your fireplace and chimney are clean and safe for your prior to lighting it for the first time of the season.
• Prepare for Cold Weather Clothes Storage – As temperatures drop your family and guests bring more cold weather attire into your home entrance. Are you prepared for this influx of coats, boots, hats and mittens? Clean and arrange your entry closets, hooks and get creative with storage options that look great too. It provides a space for all of the things, keeps your home tidy and can look great too.
• Update Rugs – When was the last time you updated a rug? Consider switching them with the seasons or occasional rotating them for a new look. In the summer you might deal with more sand from the beach and winter provides melting snow puddles by your doors, manage it with a rug that looks good. Add a pop of color or bold pattern to create a fun new look.

Give a couple of those ideas a try and see how it adds a beautiful seasonal update to your home. Welcome guests with ease and pride. HGTV offers many more ideas for home decorating if you’re looking for more inspiration. Pinterest is another fun option to find home decorating ideas.

Do you wish you had a new home to decorate? Take a look at all the great modular and manufactured home options we have to offer. Use some of these home decorating tips. Decorating a new home is exciting!