8 Tips for Building a Long-Distance Dream Home

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There’s a classic which-comes-first dilemma: You love Northern Michigan and are ready to put down roots or build a vacation home, but you’re not actually here full-time … yet. So how can you have a hands-on, bespoke homebuilding experience when you live hundreds (or thousands) of miles away?

It’s no secret that building your dream home can be equal parts unbridled joy and total overwhelm, due to the sheer scope of the logistics, the financial undertaking and the thousands of decisions building a custom home requires. And when you’re from out-of-area, that stress is only magnified by distance.

The trick to making it all work, says veteran custom home–builder Rob Mossburg, is to assemble the right team to navigate these two hurdles: Managing the process and making the decisions. Mossburg, who founded Cottage Company of Harbor Springs has more than 125 luxury custom builds under his belt in Northern Michigan, and virtually all of their new construction and interior design clients live out of town; over half are from out of state.

“We love when our clients visit frequently, but often actual site visits only occur at key times such as groundbreaking, completion of framing and during finish installations,” he explains. Mossburg adds that clients may have every intention of being on property often, but life intervenes, or sometimes, the climate: “It’s tough for a customer from Florida or California to be up here on a site in February,” he says. “But we find clients feel less pressure to visit once they’ve experienced our management and communication processes.”

That ease of execution Mossburg references is all about balance, and then some—like assembling an in-house design-build team that walks long-distance clients through the process, from site evaluation and lot purchase to adding the last perfectly hued pillows fluffed on the guest-room bed.

Here, Mossburg and his team share their best tips for success when undertaking a long-distance custom-home build in Northern Michigan:

Assemble an all-star team. Include your architect, interior designer, builder, and landscape architect, Mossburg says. If you begin with one trusted relationship in your desired market (e.g. your builder) who is experienced working with out-of-town clients, designate them as project captain and let them help you assemble the team. “And make sure you like the individuals personally,” Mossburg says. “You’re going to be spending a lot of quality time together.”

Onboard the team early. Enter into professional contracts before the first sketch is drawn, he adds. “Experienced, well-rounded professionals are in high demand and you want to book them quickly—and pros at this level welcome collaboration and make things much easier.”

Then, trust them. Remember the part about finding people you like? Developing a personal relationship with your team builds trust and allows each specialist to really absorb and intuit your vision and execute it while sparing you headaches. While trust is paramount, you also have to verify; that’s why project reporting and monitoring is crucial.

Invest in a great set of plans and specs. A custom home may start with the first dreamy sketch on a cocktail napkin, but to best see it through, invest in a beautiful set of detailed blueprints. “The cost of full architectural plans with thought-out finishes and selections already made can be substantial and take time, but is soooo worth it,” Mossburg says. Why? The plans save money in the end, streamlining the bidding process and setting expectations for subcontractors and suppliers. “It’s a lot easier to enlarge the window framing your lake view using a pencil instead of a sledgehammer,” he adds.

Set clear expectations—especially with the budget. Clients are excited to start the building process right away, but avoid the temptation to begin construction without a detailed budget. “Remember that a thorough budget includes design and builder fees, permits, insurances, utilities, landscaping, waste removal and final cleaning, not just ‘sticks and bricks,’” Mossburg says.

Communication is key. And just as in any relationship, it goes both ways, Mossburg says. “We use weekly reporting tools and ask our clients how they like to be reached: text, phone or email? During business hours only? Weekends?” For long-distance custom-home projects, Mossburg’s team relies on technology to make communication easier. Building software such as BuilderTrend and interior design software such as StudioDesigner help keep transparency high—clients can log on anytime to review project history, invoices, progress photos, videos, and outstanding decisions that need to be made—even see if their custom fabric has made it to the sofa manufacturer. “We have clients call and say, ‘Hey Rob, I see an invoice from Ace Hardware for $27.50, can you tell me what that was for?’”

Be a supportive client. Even from afar, positive feedback to the team can serve as a motivational force. Building a custom home is hugely rewarding for tradespeople, but the actual work can be difficult. (Think: setting roof trusses in below freezing temperatures and windy conditions along Lake Michigan.) A brief email thanking the team for their hard work the previous week (posted on site by your builder) or an onsite group lunch compliments of the owner does wonders to enhance morale and promote good project karma.

Lastly: Celebrate. And do it along the way, not just at move-in. Milestones, money savings, a great new subcontractor idea, early task completions and a super-clean job site are all opportunities to ring the bell and share a high five with your team.

It’s important, Mossburg says, to embrace the creativity and fun in a project, despite the intensity and high stakes of creating a custom home from the ground up. The important thing for homeowners to realize is that there are going to be times when it is better to simply trust their team, loosen their grip, go with a recommendation. It’s not easy to let go of control. But when you have a team you trust to execute your vision and decide on your behalf, then the building process becomes a symphony of creative collaboration and synergy.