07 The journal
The first-meeting talks, written down.
We publish the conversations most builders save for the closing table — costs in real numbers, and how to vet builders, us included. Read these before you interview anyone, and every interview will go better.
All journal entries
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May 2026 · 9 min read
What a custom home really costs — the numbers nobody puts on a website
Per-square-foot ranges, the three budgets, why allowances sink more projects than markets do — the talk we give at every first meeting, written down.
Tom Whitaker — Preconstruction Director
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February 2026 · 8 min read
How to choose a builder — including how to vet us
Green flags, bid-comparison tactics, the references that actually tell you something, and the questions we hope you'll ask everyone — us included.
June Hartwell — Founder & Principal
Two entries, on purpose — the two conversations that decide whether a project succeeds. Everything else we'd rather tell you across a table, where you can interrupt.
Begin
Read them, then bring your questions.
The best first meetings are with people who've done the homework. These two posts are the homework.
The studio: studio@hartwellhomes.example · +1 (555) 019-2400