Before starting recent construction on a large home in Greene County, we at  Keith White Custom Homes spent the better part of two months getting to know the client, sharing thoughts and ideas and gathering data.  Several meetings took place before we felt that our visions were in synch and our goals in harmony. This process consumed a lot of valuable time, but we at Keith White Custom Homes feel that time is an essential price to pay.  Most homebuilders will just not make that sacrifice.  They seem too focused on breaking records or meeting overly ambitious goals to take time getting to know their buyers.  Besides, they know more about homebuilding than the customer and dwelling on details will slow down the process.  One day the builder finds himself more than halfway through a project when he realizes he never understood the customer's desires to begin with, and then it is suddenly the customer's fault.  The homebuilder grumbles: "I wish you had told me you wanted that from the beginning."  Chances are he was  told, but at the  time he just wasn't listening. You can build a 2,000 square foot home for $120,000 or $200,000. Keith White Custom Homes has done them both;  It depends on what that client wants. Well $80,000 is a big difference.  You'd better take the time to know which one you're building before you ever get started.

Likewise, a good builder takes time to get to know his workers and subcontractors and to be sensitive to their needs, both personally and professionally.

A good builder must be willing to devote the necessary time to any and all aspects of the business, and that may well translate into a lot of 70 or 80 hour weeks. Every year we turn down about half of the custom built work that comes our way  because we don't feel we can devote sufficient time. Some years the temptation is tough to resist, but If we can't do the job right then were not going to take it on.