The house has always been a keystone of the American Dream. Regardless of origin, class, or creed, our homes have a tremendous influence on our lives. It comes as no surprise, then, that some aspiring homeowners aren’t content to pick from the existing houses made for someone else.
Unable to resist the allure of building their dreams from the ground up, some resolve to construct their home brick by brick. To others, the prospect is daunting. Wading through a sea of ordinances reaching for permits all to turn an empty lot into a launch pad for… what? A ranch? Split level? Do you want granite countertops or marble floors? Where do you start? How long will it take?
Is it worth the trouble?
Martha McCartney, for her part, seems to think so. “It was marvelous! I had a really good experience,” she says of her time building her home in Mathews, even in the midst of the pandemic when supply chains ground to a snail’s pace.
It all started with the interstate. When the highway went in near her p...