Eclectically Frugal

Breanne Davis is a licensed real estate agent in Aberdeen and owner of Century 21 Investment Realtors. She built her home in 2022. Photo by Troy McQuillen.

Breanne Davis is a real estate agent for Century 21 Investment Reality here in town. She’s been a licensed agent since 2011 and as of this year, has become sole owner of the Aberdeen Century 21 franchise. So what does a realtor do when building a new house? Most presume they’d build a show-stopper high-end house, destined for resale. Not so with Breanne. As a single mom (with three kids), she had to stay frugal she says. “If I had to define a style for my house it is: eclectically frugal. I tried to go as modern as I could, while maintaining a single mom budget. I wanted some of the newer trends like contrasting custom cabinet colors, but still have classic wood-colored mantels and flooring. I got the counter tops from Grassland Granite at a truckload sale, so I was able to fit that into my budget as well.”

Breanne built her house in the summer of 2022 in a relatively new housing development north of town. It is in the Bellika development, just south of a Homes Are Possible, Inc. development that’s on 32^nd Avenue. She chose this area because it’s walking distance to schools for her kids, and its near their friends.

You may recognize the style of her house is similar to those built in HAPI developments. It’s a split level featuring two floors of finished living space. She notes, “Split levels aren’t always a client’s first choice, but I wanted to go this route because it’s safer for ground water in Aberdeen as its foundation is only four feet in the ground instead of an eight or nine foot full-basement home. And it’s actually cheaper when you’re only pouring half the concrete!” Her home has 2,224 square feet of living space between the two levels.

As a realtor she considered a myriad of options she’s noted in other homes on the market when building her new home. Even though she started with an existing floor plan she was able to make alterations that were more functional for her lifestyle. “I made the master bedroom larger, with an access to the main bath, and I was also able to add dedicated storage in the lower level, because like most I have an abundance of extra stuff!” she says.

Building new may not be for everyone. Breanne says it works well for buyers who need low maintenance living, want input on their floor plans, and are prepared for the building process.  Partially finished new homes allow for sweat equity as a way to save on the initial investment if homeowners finish areas and landscaping on their own. Moreover, reselling a newer home is typically easier than one that may need significant updating, when priced right. Breanne concludes, “I will probably consider selling, but right now, this is our home. It’s comfy, and perfect for our family.” //