| Q |
John, tell us a little bit about the other members of John Bynum Custom Homes. |
| A |
Well, first there is my father David
Bynum. My father retired after a successful career in the auction
business and to my benefit, decided he was not ready to sit still yet.
He is currently very visible on all of our job sites directing
contractors, meeting with customers, and generally looking out for the
good of our business. Next, there is Joey Hatcher. Joey spent over 12
years framing custom homes in our area before joining our team. Joey
is very
active helping our customers with punch list and warranty issues. Joey
is very responsive and takes pride in resolving customer requests
swiftly and accurately. Joey is also a talented craftsman and
currently builds our custom decks and porches, as well as helping in
the cabinet shop. Our latest addition is Bobby Brown who spends his
days in our shop building and finishing custom cabinetry and trim.
Bobby has over 10 years in the custom millwork and fabrication business
and he is always finding new ways to make our homes unique. |
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| Q |
So, with a team of four people, how many homes can you build a year? |
| A |
Well, I am sure we could build more but we
limit production to 8 to 12 homes per year, depending on the size and
complexity of each project. We want to continue to
be a hands on builder that can spend the time needed on each project to
carry out our customer’s objectives. Our customer relationships are
most important to us, and to dedicate enough time with each homeowner,
we must limit our projects carefully. |
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| Q |
You say your customer relationships are most important to you. Why? |
| A |
There is so much builder to client interaction involved in building a
custom home. Forming a personal relationship with each client is key
to a successful project and communication between the builder and
client is essential. I believe that by forming a personal
relationship, I can better relay the client’s ideas and preferences
into our finished product. Furthermore, good relationships and happy
customers generate more customers down the road. That is the
foundation our business is built on. |
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| Q |
Do you obtain most of your business from referrals, or from building speculative homes?
|
| A |
About 90% of our business comes from our past customer referrals and
references. We do build a few speculative homes each year, but most of
our business is custom contract homes built to a customers
specifications. |
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| Q |
Are these homes in certain subdivisions or will you build on land owned by that customer? |
| A |
No, we will gladly build a home on a lot we own, a lot or piece of
property a customer already owns, or we can find a lot or land tract
for a customer and help them acquire the property for construction. |
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| Q |
John, I see unique details in your homes that seem to be different than most builders. What would you credit for these ideas? |
| A |
I would credit the 10 years I spent
managing custom millwork and woodworking shops. During that period, I
was involved in so many custom projects so there is not much I have not
seen or made in the past. I am now able to pull details from my past
experience together to create a custom design in each home that is
unique. |
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| Q |
I understand you are still involved in
woodworking and that you actually produce many of the trim and
cabinetry details in your own homes
|
| A |
Yes, I personally design all of our trim,
mantles, entry ways, and cabinetry. I am a woodworker at heart and I
really enjoy designing and taking part in producing
these details. We work as a team to pool our talents and
manufacture these items in our shop in Sharpsburg. We also build most
of our custom decks, porch railing, and exterior details such as flower
boxes and gable vents. |
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Q
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So, do you have a woodworking company as well as building custom homes? |
A
|
Well, we do have a fully
operational shop, but we only build products for our own homes. I
often have requests to do outside work, but I feel like it would take
attention away from our own customers. Also, we build these items
because we enjoy making our homes unique and by producing them in house
it is possible to make new ideas a reality.
Also, we love to experiment in the shop with new designs, and finishes
that could become the next new “look”. We only work on select projects
in our shop, so we continue to work with a few local craftsmen to
complement our work on site.
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Q
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Would you say that this is why you are a true Custom Home Builder? |
A
|
The custom woodworking shop is
a part of it, but there is much more to it than that. My definition of
a true custom home is a home that satisfies all the dreams, visions,
and needs of the customer the home is built for. Each customer is
different, so each home will
be different as well. If I can produce a home that meets the customer’s
exact criteria, than it is truly a custom home for that client. The
home may be quite elaborate with intricate details and ornate finish
work, or the home may be very classic with clean lines and simplistic
details. Either way, it must be a creation that captures the persona
of each client. The largest misconception about a “custom home” is
price and size. Just because a home may be large and expensive, it is
not necessarily custom, different from those around it, or suitable to
it’s owner |
Q&A With John Bynum 