Author: ianmcIntyre

Why do people choose Milton to build their luxury custom homes?

Many people have chosen Milton to build their luxury custom homes, but we wanted to dig deeper to tell you why.

At Milton Development, we take pride in our dedication to building quality homes. In fact, it’s the first of our core values: quality, transparency, and commitment. So how do we ensure quality? It starts with a great team of experts striving to always exceed expectations.

Over the last decade, we’ve built incredible relationships with designers and subcontractors who understand the quality of work that is expected in a MILTON home. We take these relationships very seriously, because these are the craftsmen that are putting their time and talents into your dream home.

Our highly experienced project managers help oversee each process from start to finish, and every detail of your custom home build is held to a higher standard of quality. Every member of the team – including you – helps ensure that the quality of our product is top-notch and consistent. As we say, it’s quality craftsmanship that you can see and feel.

We understand a custom home is an important investment in your future, so we never cut corners. Ever. Make sure you are getting a quality custom home build! If you are considering a custom built home or have any questions, please contact Milton Development at 203-613-8889 or fill out the form at miltondevelopment.com.

Luxury Custom Homes Deserve Luxury Service: The Milton Way

Our customers are looking to build luxury custom homes, so we give them luxury customer service.

A home is one of the largest investments a family can make. Without clear and effective communication between a home builder and its clients, families could be left with a home that wasn’t exactly what they envisioned. At Milton Development, we place a heavy emphasis on customer communication and make it a top priority. That’s just part of why we’re better than the competition when it comes to customer communication.

We also take the time to listen to, get to know, and make sure we understand each family that we work with. This commitment to empathy helps us to better create a home that works for the entire family. Our goal is that each family will think of Milton Development as a partner, and not just a builder, which is why the family is included in the design and building process of their custom home from the beginning.

Transparency is a must with effective client communication, which is why clients see each and every quote and proposal throughout the process, and can feel free to weigh in at any time. In fact, our experts and contractors encourage questions, so they can better address any concerns that may arise throughout the process.

It’s vitally important to our business and to our relationships that each client knows that they can turn to us at any time. We don’t simply walk away from the home once it’s built; we service our brand and we’re proud of each home we build. Staying accessible before, during, and after the build is complete is a hallmark of the builder/client service.

In the end, we treat our clients the way we would want to be treated – with integrity and honesty, every step of the way.

Custom Built Homes: Quick design tips for outdoor living spaces

Custom built homes require both the customer and designer to think of every detail. Here, we’ll take a look at some quick design tips for outdoor living spaces so you and your family can enjoy your home – inside and out.

With summer in full swing, you’re bound to start spending more time in your outdoor living space. The perfect outdoor oasis can be an incredible compliment to the rest of your home. So what can you do to touch up that space to make it something truly unique?

The key is to develop an outdoor living area that has function. You should ask yourself what purpose you want the space to serve. Once you’ve decided, then you can begin to adjust your outdoor space to serve your needs.

How the space interacts with the rest of the home is also important. Do the materials, colors, or design clash? Does each space seamlessly flow into the next? To make sure each space is working together (landscaping, hardscape, etc.), take a look at your entire outdoor space and picture it within the larger design of your home. Does it fit?

Finally, and most importantly, you need to feel comfortable in your home – both inside and out. Once utility and flow are covered, you can begin to consider how to make your outdoor space more comfortable. Lighting, cover, furniture, and landscaping are just a few things to think about.

When creating outdoor living spaces, it’s important to treat them with as much care and consideration as you would the interior of a home.

To learn more about building a custom home, or for general inquiries, contact Milton Development at 203-613-8889 or fill out the form at miltondevelopment.com.

Where does Milton Development draw its inspiration for outdoor living spaces?

The magic of a brilliant outdoor space can complete a home and bring it to life. Oftentimes when designing the perfect room or, in this case, the perfect outdoor living space, inspiration can be elusive. At Milton Development, inspiration for your outdoor oasis comes from a number of places.

First, we draw from foreign and exotic places where outdoor living is the norm. In many of these places, utility is as important as design. When function meets beauty, you have an outdoor space that you’ll have a hard time leaving. You may also develop an impulse to show it off to your friends.

Most importantly, we draw a lot of inspiration directly from our clients. Each family is different, which means they have a unique interaction with the outdoors. Some prefer a quiet place to read, others want a spacious outdoor dining space to entertain guests, or a cozy corner to congregate by a fire. Some just want to be able to throw epic pool parties, or walk to their backyard tennis courts for a quick weekend set. It’s important that we learn everything we can about a client so we can translate it into a one-of-a-kind plan that fits the client’s personality.

The interior of the home tells us a lot about the family, and inspires the perfect outdoor living space to compliment the rest of the home. If an outdoor living space is a part of your dream home, consider it one of the advantages of building a custom home. To learn more about building a custom home, or for general inquiries,  contact Milton Development at 203-613-8889 or fill out the form at miltondevelopment.com.

What are some advantages of building a custom home?

Building a custom home can be a huge step, but it’s also extremely rewarding. There are a variety of great advantages to building a custom home.

First, it’s yours. Completely. From roofing materials to mechanical systems, down to counter-tops and beyond, you and your family get to fully customize your future dream home, ensuring you get exactly the home you envisioned. Each choice you make in designing your home makes it more a part of you and your family. Start to finish – it’s your dream and your home.

It’s also cheaper to build in the long run. Building your own custom home means cutting out the extra contractor expenses hidden in the margins. Get the exact home you want, right from the start.

Lastly, designing your own custom home is fun! Everyone in the family can enjoy a hands-on, interactive process. It’s exciting for families to be a part of each stage, and to watch the progress as the months go by!

Since it’ll be your home, you should be empowered, informed, and confident that their house is built to your specifications. For more information on the advantages of building a custom home, or to make an inquiry, contact Milton Development at 203-613-8889 or fill out the form at miltondevelopment.com/contact.

Learn more about Milton CEO Ashley Schaprio.

Interview with Relator Linda Raymond, “Did You Give Up on Your Dream of Your Own Custom Home?”

Earlier this year, our own Ashley Schapiro (CEO) sat down with Linda Raymond to discuss custom home building.

You can find the original post on Linda’s website.

Did You Give Up on Your Dream of Your Own Custom Home?

Have you ever dreamt of living in a home perfectly suited to your every taste and need? Did you quickly push the dream aside feeling overwhelmed by the daunting process and decisions you would have to make? You are not alone. But many people have jumped on the opportunity and now relish the sanctuary of their ultimate dream home!

Building custom homes is the current focus of many area builders. Read on to see how one Fairfield County Connecticut builder has evolved as an expert in catering to this special homebuyer. linda-raymond-at-milton-1

I met with Milton Development, a luxury builder in Fairfield County Connecticut, to discuss why they cater to this niche and what’s special about how they do it.  I sat down for a Q and A with the company owner, Ashley Shapiro, to find out why Milton is now a custom home builder, what makes this approach a win-win for everyone, and how they tackle barriers that often make people hesitate to pursue a custom-built home. Here’s what I learned-

Linda: What made you decide to become a custom-home builder? 

Ashley: After building only spec homes for about 12 years and working with buyers to customize the finishes, we discovered that we were really good at working with people to give them what they want.  We realized that we truly want to create the home that is perfectly suited our customers. We learned how to gain a clear understanding of how our clients live and what they love for their home design.  miltonhouseOur motto now is, “We build a lifestyle”.   Almost anyone can build a house, but we are now experts at creating a home that fits one’s lifestyle like a glove.  Not only do we love building the perfect home for our customers, but when we custom-build for people, we are better able to manage our business by avoiding the uncertainties of putting a speculation house on market, and we can pass the savings on to our clients.

Linda: Have you seen an increased demand for people wanting custom homes?

Ashley: It’s more a function of creating a niche.  After years of building homes that people loved, we began to get asked if we could build a home for them.  Word spread, and more people asked.  miltonsink

We currently have 10 custom home projects in the works and have been doing custom-built homes for about a year and a half now. We build in Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk and Greenwich.

Linda: Is there a typical buyer profile you see?

Ashley: It varies, but many come from big cities, often working in the financial sector, and they are coming out here for the schools.  What they all have in common is that they are looking for something different.

Linda: What are the common barriers, questions, and concerns you see from your customers?

Ashley: Number one is timing- how long will the whole thing take? How long to get the land, to do the design process, to complete the construction?  We walk through the timeframe for each phase with them. The land is found by their agent or by us, and we are always involved in that phase to help give our clients a vision. We also explain that some of the phases can overlap. For example, while waiting to close on the land purchase, we can get well into the design phase.  We are very skilled at managing the timing and utilize an online program with the timeline and deadlines for everyone involved, including decisions to be made by the buyer.  Everyone has the same real-time view of the schedule, responsibilities, and progress. So our clients know the timeline and understand that they have as much a role in the timing as we do.miltonkitchen

Many are concerned with all the decisions they have to make in a limited period of time.  We have an in-house designer who is very skilled at helping our clients make decisions based on our understanding of their tastes, desires, and budget.  We also have four renowned designers from outside our firm that we work with.

The next big question is about cost and cost per square foot.  Of course, there are many variables that can impact cost per square foot, which could range from $270 up to $500.  But the beauty of our model is that it is completely transparent.  Our customer buys the land, they pay our direct discounted cost to build, which is all determined in advance, and they pay a fixed fee for our work.  So they know up front what their cost is, and we know how much we will make on every project as well.  Most people think we are more expensive than we are because of our high-end image. We do exceptionally high-quality work and market our services and products accordingly. Our print ads look like Vogue photo shoots, but the reality is that we have a lower cost to build than most builders, so we are less expensive!

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Linda. So how would you summarize your differentiators?

Ashley: Our image is very high-end and expensive, but our costs are less than our competitors. Our formula is to alway be completely transparent with the cost to build. We take the time to completely understand how our clients live and what they want, which enables us to create the ultimate home just for them.  We are extremely organized and skilled at guiding our clients so they know what to expect and are helped with decision-making.  We make the whole process as easy as it can be for them. Our background comes from branding and the fashion industry.  We use a select talented group of European designers, and we create homes that are truly unique. Our difference is in the details. We build a lifestyle, and this is a win-win for us and our clientele.

To learn more about the process and the builders that do custom home building, start looking for land for your new home, or to get a personal introduction to Ashley at Milton Development, click here.