Elevate by Drees Homes helped make this happen for the Allen family. Through this Build on Your Lot program, Drees empowers homebuyers to move beyond traditional subdivisions, constructing their dream homes on cherished land, within upscale custom communities or in historic neighborhoods. Elevate by Drees Homes allows homeowners to elevate their home building experience, whether they desire five acres, a custom community or rebuilding on an existing site.

The year 2020 gave Daserae perspective. Between COVID hospitalizations and cancer diagnoses, it was clear that a new living arrangement was needed. Although Mama T lived nearby, they started to envision the possibilities of having everyone under one roof. With additional consideration of Daniel’s younger brother who has medical needs as well, Daserae pitched the idea of building a new home where everyone could live together. This idea was so well received that Mama T graciously decided to gift Daniel and Daserae her house and the land, which made the new build much more meaningful. 

“We’ve now gone from a family of four to a family of six, my husband’s childhood address is now his forever address, and we’ll get to keep this home and lot in the Allen family for another 30+ years. Our dream home is such a blessing, and it wouldn’t have happened without Drees.” 

Daserae shared with us her favorite parts of building her dream home, what went into the decision making process and more. You can also find photos of their old ranch home, the demo and everything that went into the new build on her Instagram page. 

What floor plan did you choose and what attracted you to this design?

The floor plan we chose was the Somerville. Although, this floor plan actually chose us. Our original plan was to build the Dresden. Our family is multi-generational, and we loved the independent living suite, the formal dining room and sixth bedroom. However, due to the pandemic’s impact on the cost of building supplies, we had to pivot and consider other floor plans that were slightly more affordable. Thankfully, our Market Manager Danny B. worked with us very closely as we considered other options.

We toured several of the Nashville area model homes as well as some additional homes that were under construction. We quickly fell in love with the Somerville plan. It is an open floor plan, and it is very spacious. We love that there are multiple spaces for gathering on the first and second levels, including the gameroom, media room and upstairs deck. We also loved the dreamy, modern farmhouse-style front elevation. Additionally, because Drees allows for customization, we were able to add an additional garage and expand the living space on the first floor to accommodate our needs for a second primary suite and larger laundry space.

As you have watched your new home’s design come to life, what have been your favorite features?

Our home’s favorite features are easily the open kitchen, living and dining areas. Drees has MASTERED the ability to provide dream kitchens. We love our huge Island, double ovens and gas cooktop. Plus, the pot filler is fun to show off as well! Honorable mention would be the fireplace. We chose a brick fireplace with a beautiful cedar mantel and it’s a showstopper for sure.

What did you enjoy most about the building process?

We really enjoyed seeing our dreams come to life! We built our home on a lot that has been in our family for 30+ years. It was very emotional to see the demo of the old house, but it was also such an amazing experience seeing all of our selections for the new house come together. It was especially fun to see the additional carriage garage, expanded second primary suite and larger laundry room become reality. Those spaces weren’t on the original floor plan, nor were they in the model home, so it was so exciting to see it in person vs. the drawings. Through the entire build, we rarely missed a day visiting the lot and seeing the progress made. We also enjoyed our weekly calls with our Builder Mike and Market Manager Danny B. They did a really good job of keeping us up to date on what was happening and what to expect next. They both made this process so enjoyable.

What advice would you give others who are interested in building a home?

Trust the process! There are so many moving parts and so much happening all at once throughout the build process. We had some delays and some other unexpected surprises, but the team was there to reassure us every step of the way. Keep all of your records/contracts/documents and reference them often throughout the build process. Most importantly, HAVE FUN! Building your dream home with Drees is such a magical experience. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds, but be sure to take a step back and live in the moment. Trust yourself that you’ve made the best selections for your home and trust Drees to make it reality!

Why did you choose to build with Drees?

There are SEVERAL reasons we chose to build with Drees. We spent several months praying, researching Nashville area builders, reading reviews and reviewing floor plans. We were looking for a company that built quality homes, had great customer service and also was transparent with pricing. Since we already owned the land, we needed a team who would listen to our unique needs as a multi-generational family. Drees quickly stood out as the top choice. The customer service has been unmatched since our very first email back! Our first conversation with Danny B. lasted almost an hour. He was very patient, addressed all of our concerns, and walked us through the entire build process from demo to completion. We also have friends who have built in a few Drees communities in the Nashville area so we were already aware that Drees builds high-quality, luxury, custom homes. The floor plans are so well thought out and initial pricing info for the Build on Your Lot program is available on the website. Drees has exceeded our expectations at every stage of the build process. We couldn’t image a better partnership to build our dream home. We are truly blessed and forever grateful.

Allen family photo | Kaptures by Kesha

Learn More

To learn more about building on your own lot, click here and select your location. Interested in other personal stories from the Homeowner Spotlight Series? Click here.