A Dream Home Created by a Dream Team

When Jeff and Christine Johnson decided to move to Raleigh, they never expected to build their custom home in the Triangle.

The couple made several trips down to Raleigh during the pandemic, driving through neighborhoods and looking for a home to meet their needs. When they couldn’t find something that would quite work, that’s when they started to consider a build instead. “We talked with local architects, like Carter Skinner, who ultimately designed our home, about local builders in the area. Rufty Homes was consistently mentioned as one of the leading builders in Raleigh,” Jeff says. 

As it turns out, the Johnsons were drawn to Rufty-built homes without even realizing it. “When we would take day trips down to Raleigh and look through homes in the area, we made a note of the ones that stood out to us as inspiration for what we wanted in our own home. We later realized that many of our inspiration homes were built by Jon Rufty and his team,” Christine goes on to say. 

When the Johnsons met with the Rufty Homes team to talk about their build, they were immediately impressed. “We could see that they had the resources, reputation, and infrastructure knowledge to make us feel more comfortable about taking the risk associated with building a custom home. We just felt comfortable with them and felt confident that they’d do high-quality work,” says Jeff. 

Jeff and Christine approached this build with a particular goal in mind: to create a comfortable living space on the main floor, with amenities and spaces for entertaining throughout the rest of the house. “We’re in our late fifties and wanted to have everything we’d need on the main level so we can age in place. This includes a work area, multiple gathering areas, an outdoor and indoor kitchen, and our master bedroom and bathroom that has everything we’ll need in the future. Then, we added a nice gym, laundry room, and media room, as well as three ensuite bedrooms so anytime we have guests, they’ll be comfortable,” Jeff explains. 

Of course, with all the other things going on in their lives at the time, navigating this build would have been overwhelming without the help of their stellar team. As an accountant, Christine was particularly impressed by Rufty’s reporting and reconciliation. “It was so easy for us to track the project along the way, understanding what was coming up, when fees would need to be paid, etc. This was especially helpful as we were managing so many other aspects of our life at the same time,” she says.

But, it wasn’t just Rufty Homes that impressed the Johnsons. “Everyone that played a role in our project was key to its success,” says Christine. “From Carter Skinner, who drafted an incredible plan to our Rufty project manager, Brett Burnette, to our talented interior designer, Jenn Frost, they all worked together so well, putting us at ease.”

Jenn, of JSF Designs, agrees, saying, “My favorite part of working on the project was the team itself. This was my first time working with Brett and he was wonderful. He listened to our ideas and made them all happen. The combination of JSF’s design ideas, the client’s fun attitude on the project, and the professionalism and execution from Brett made for a flawless project experience.”

Nearly two years after securing their lot, the Johnsons finally moved into their custom Rufty home in July 2022, and it’s everything they hoped it would be… and more.  Christine says, “We love how everything turned out and know we’ll be very happy and comfortable in this house for years to come. If you want a high-quality custom home builder that gets things right the first time, there’s no better choice than Rufty Homes.”