If you have been looking for a home in the Kalamazoo area for a while, you may have discovered that finding a nice house isn't necessarily the problem. There are plenty of nice houses.
Finding one that really fits can be much harder.
Maybe you're ready for main-floor living, but you don't want to give up the space you enjoy when your family comes home. Maybe you're caring for a parent and would love to have them closer, but you also know that everyone needs some independence. Maybe you're thinking ahead about aging and would rather make good decisions now than remodel a house later because it no longer works well for you.
Or your list may be completely different. You want a great kitchen and a place to entertain. You need a real home office. You've always wanted a workshop or a barn. You want enough garage space for the cars, boat or hobbies that are part of your life.
It isn't unusual to walk through a house and think, We could make this work.
But if you're considering spending $800,000 or more on your next home, there's another question worth asking:
Instead of spending that much money making someone else's house work, would it make sense to explore building one that actually fits?
That's the conversation we think is worth having about the last available building site in Far Hills.
A Little About Far Hills — and the Builder Who Lives There
Far Hills is a small established neighborhood in the Kalamazoo area, and there's something unusual about its history.
Steve Hoogstraten built every home in the neighborhood.
Steve is a longtime Kalamazoo custom builder and a very detail-oriented craftsman. Over the years, he built Far Hills one home at a time for the people who chose to live there. Most of the homes have barns or additional outbuildings that were designed to complement the architecture of the homes rather than looking like an afterthought.
And somewhere along the way, Steve made Far Hills his home too.
We think that tells you something.
A builder can say a lot of things about the quality of a neighborhood or the homes he builds. Steve chose to live among the homes he built.
Today, 6029 Far Hills Way is the last available building site in the neighborhood.
It's approximately 1.87 wooded, rolling acres, and unlike buying an existing home, there isn't already a house sitting there dictating which compromises you'll have to make.
You get to start differently.
Far Hills Estate is a luxury neighborhood in Alamo Township. All of the homes have been built by Steve Hoogstraten.
Do You Need a Floor Plan Before Talking With a Custom Builder?
One thing we sometimes hear from people is, “I'd consider building, but I don't even know what I would build.”
That's okay.
In fact, we're not marketing 6029 Far Hills with a predetermined floor plan because there doesn't need to be one.
You might come into the conversation with a plan you've loved for years. You might have a collection of saved pictures. Or you might simply know what isn't working in your current home.
That's enough to start talking.
A custom home can begin with questions about the way you live before anyone starts deciding exactly where the walls belong.
Do you want the primary bedroom, laundry and most of your everyday living on the main floor? How often do the kids and grandkids come home? Do you entertain? Would you use a walkout lower level? Do you want a workshop? What do you need from the garage? Do you want outdoor living to be an important part of the house?
Those aren't really floor-plan questions yet.
They're life questions.
And the answers are what eventually make one custom home very different from another.
Are You Trying to Find a Home for the Next Stage of Life?
This may be one of the best reasons to consider building, and we don't think it gets talked about enough.
We work with people who are looking at their next house very differently than they looked at the house they bought 20 or 30 years ago.
They aren't necessarily looking for a smaller life. Quite often, they still want a beautiful kitchen, generous entertaining space, room for family and a home they're excited to live in.
They're simply thinking more carefully about how the house will live.
A primary suite on the main floor may suddenly matter. So does laundry. Steps that didn't deserve a second thought years ago may be something worth thinking about now. A bathroom can be beautiful and still be planned in a way that makes it easier to use later.
That's really what good aging-in-place design can be. It doesn't have to announce itself as an “accessible house.” It's simply a well-designed home that has a better chance of continuing to work as life changes.
And when you're starting from the ground up, many of those decisions can be made naturally as part of the design rather than becoming expensive changes later.
What If You're Caring for Someone You Love?
This is another home search that can become incredibly frustrating.
Try searching the existing inventory for a beautiful home that gives you the space you want and provides the right living arrangement for a parent or another family member.
There usually aren't many choices.
And even the term “multigenerational home” doesn't describe what every family needs.
One parent may simply need a comfortable bedroom and private bath close to the main living areas. Another family may want a separate sitting room. Someone else may benefit from a more independent living space, perhaps incorporated into a walkout level.
There isn't one correct answer.
That's precisely why custom building can make sense.
Instead of trying to find a house designed around another family's circumstances, you can sit down and say, This is who we need to care for. This is what independence looks like for them. This is what privacy looks like for us. How could we make this work well?
That's a much better place to start.
The lot comes first and then the plans.
Can You Build a Barn at 6029 Far Hills Way?
Yes.
And if you are looking for a great place to enjoy your hobby, this could be one of the things that makes Far Hills particularly difficult to duplicate.
Most of the homes in Far Hills already have barns. The requirement is that the barn needs to fit the architecture of the home. We like that.
It means someone who needs a workshop, room for collector cars, boat storage, recreational equipment or simply space for a serious hobby doesn't have to choose between having that space and having a beautiful custom property.
The barn can be considered along with the house from the beginning so that the buildings belong together.
For someone who has been searching for a high-end home plus that kind of space, you probably already know how difficult that combination can be to find.
Custom home built by Steve Hoogstraten, a fine custom builder in the Greater Kalamazoo area.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Custom Home in Kalamazoo?
We understand why people search this question. We would too.
The trouble is that a generic cost-per-square-foot number isn't particularly helpful when you're talking about a truly custom home.
Two 3,000-square-foot homes can have very different budgets depending upon the architecture, site work, windows, cabinetry, mechanical systems, exterior materials, flooring, bathrooms, interior finishes and dozens of other choices.
The land itself also affects the equation.
That's why we'd rather help someone get to a meaningful answer than give them a simple number that may have very little to do with the house they eventually want to build.
If you're contemplating a home that is likely to have you investing $800,000+ the early conversation should include what you want the house to accomplish, what matters most to you and the budget you want the builder to respect while you're figuring it out. Then you can begin making real decisions.
Steve Hoogstraten, builder, craftsman, artist with custom home building in Kalamazoo MI
How Do You Choose a Custom Home Builder in Kalamazoo?
We think this question matters every bit as much as choosing the property.
When you're walking through a completed home, it's easy to notice the things you can see: the cabinetry, flooring, countertops, trim and fixtures.
A builder has to care about a whole lot of things you'll never see in the listing photographs.
That's one of the things we appreciate about Steve Hoogstraten. He is a craftsman, has architectural and engineering training and experience and he pays attention to details and he is a 2nd generation builder.
We're actually going to spend some time with Steve asking him about those details—what he notices when he first walks a building site, what he wishes people knew before designing a custom home, where he believes quality really matters and what buyers should ask before choosing a builder.
We'll share those conversations here because we think they will be useful whether you eventually build at Far Hills or somewhere else.
For now, there is something fairly compelling about being able to walk through a neighborhood and see an entire collection of a builder's work.
At Far Hills, you can.
And if you want to know how Steve feels about the neighborhood after building all those homes, there's another pretty good clue: He lives there.
So What Would You Build at 6029 Far Hills Way?
We don't know. And we don't think we should decide that for you. The lot is a walkout lot and is 1.87 acres. There are a couple of options for placing a barn and a couple ways to position a home on the land. Steve has some great ideas about that…and he has some plans that he thinks would be stunning on the property. AND he is also a man who listens to what you want and need. A conversation with him brings clarity. He understands what is possible, he understands the art and science of building and creating and he has the skill to implement even some of the most intricate designs. He is a true craftsman. The last time we talked to him he was talking about the house he was working on. It was the 3rd home that he had built for a particular customer and he loves what he does.
Maybe you're looking for a beautiful custom home with a main-floor primary suite and room downstairs for the family when everyone comes home.
Maybe you're thinking about caring for a parent.
Maybe this is the house you want to be able to stay in for the next 20 or 30 years.
Maybe you've wanted a barn and workshop forever.
Or perhaps you've looked at enough $800,000+ existing homes to realize that you're about to spend a significant amount of money and still make a long list of compromises.
That's when we think building is worth exploring.
You don't need to decide to build before talking with us. You certainly don't need to have a floor plan.
Come walk the land.
Look around Far Hills. See the homes Steve has built. Think about what you would want to do differently if you had the chance to start with a blank piece of paper.
Then we can help you get some of the practical questions answered and, if it makes sense, introduce you to Steve.
Building isn't going to be the right answer for everyone.
But if you can't find the home that fits the way you want to live, it may be time to find out whether you can build it.
Want to Explore This Last Remaining Opportunity to Build in Far Hills Estates?
6029 Far Hills Way | Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Approximately 1.87 acres | Final available building site in Far Hills
Custom building opportunity with Steve Hoogstraten Builders
The Veenstra Team | eXp Realty is the contact for 6029 Far Hills Way and for exploring a build with Steve Hoogstraten.
We can help you walk the property, talk through the building process, explore financing a custom build, think through how selling your current home might fit into the timing, and get your questions in front of Steve.
Veenstra Team | eXp Realty
269-350-5514
sold@veenstrateam.com
Helping people make wise real estate decisions.
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