Building a house is equal parts exciting, overwhelming and a little bit surreal. For years, my husband, JoeI, and I dreamed about what our “forever home” might look like and now, we’re finally in the thick of turning those dreams into walls, windows and a roof over our heads.
From choosing the right lot to sketching out a floor plan, every step has come with its own lessons, surprises and decisions I never thought I’d have to make (who knew door handles could cause so much debate?).
This series is where I’ll share the journey – the wins, the setbacks and everything in between. Whether you’re curious about the process, planning to build someday yourself or just want a peek behind the scenes, come along as our house takes shape from the ground up.
But before we could start picking tile samples or talking trim, we had to answer the biggest question of all: where was this dream home going to be?
Goodbye, D.C. Hello, Bethesda.
I always knew we’d eventually make our way to Maryland, where Joel grew up, but I tried to delay it as long as I could. I’ve loved living in D.C. – more specifically, Petworth – where we’ve lived since 2020. I’ve never felt such a strong sense of community as I have these past few years. But as the DMV shifted away from remote work and back into the office, Joel’s commute into Maryland only got longer and harder to ignore.
We started casually looking, but nothing felt right. Not only could I not find the one, but I often couldn’t even find a single home I wanted to see in person. Maybe it’s a mix of my work in real estate and Joel’s background in construction, but the options just weren’t lining up with our vision for the home for the next 20+ years.
That’s when we started to wonder if instead of finding it … should we build it?
The Search for the Right Spot
Once we decided to build, the next question became: where?
We had narrowed our focus to a few neighborhoods in Bethesda, but we weren’t exactly sure which one was the right fit. We spent countless hours online reading local blogs, mapping school districts and figuring out how far each area was from parks, restaurants and grocery stores.
I always tell my clients that when you’re thinking about moving to a new area, the best thing you can do is experience it. Not just on a Saturday afternoon, but on a random Tuesday night, too. Walk around and see who’s out and about. Feel the energy for yourself.
That’s exactly what we did and ultimately, we landed in Huntington Terrace, drawn to its mix of charm, convenience and community. It felt like the perfect place to start our next chapter.
In the next post, I’ll share how we found the lot, how we began making design decisions and some of the unexpected lessons we learned along the way. it’s the part of the journey from blueprints to builders, where dreams start to take shape – and I can’t wait to take you along.
