One Family’s Update on Another Family’s Vision

In April of 2022, Nick and Barbie Billig did something they hadn’t done before. From the comfort of their cozy home in Alaska, they purchased a house in South Dakota. Aberdeen to be specific.

Barbie and Nick Billig and their five kids came to Aberdeen from Alaska in 2022. They purchased their north Harrison Street home online then relocated to Aberdeen.

Nick is retired military (served four tours) and Barbie is an interior designer, so with no direct ties to a location they were looking to relocate closer to one of their sons who was starting a business in Minnesota. The house they bought is located on north Harrison Street. Most will recognize it as it was designed very specifically for the Choa family who used to live in Aberdeen. Some say it has an Asian flair, but in its current state, it simply appears to be a unique home.

We are always appreciative when we are invited into peoples’ homes to feature in Aberdeen Magazine. We’ve been in touch with local realtor, Abby Franks from Experience Realty, about unique houses that might come on the market. When she met the Billigs and saw all the work they’d put into this house, she thought the community might want to see it.

As it turns out, Nick and Barbie are relocating to Omaha for Barbie’s career and need to sell this 6,000 square-foot home. It boasts seven bedrooms, many upgrades, three-stall garage, outdoor space, two balconies and pear tree popular in the neighborhood.

“We love Aberdeen so much,” Barbie says. “The restaurants know our names, our favorite dishes, and our kids.” She and Nick met so many great local contractors in town that have helped them with their remodeling. “It will be hard to leave,” they say.

In Nick’s retirement, he utilizes a portion of the garage as a woodshop and creates commemorative plaques for fellow service-people. Substantial rewiring had to be updated to use his modern-day power tools. The garage not only accommodates three vehicles but lots of storage as well and is climate controlled for all seasons.

The house was designed by HKG Architects for the Choa family in 1988. The Billigs have begun major renovations and hopes the next owner will appreciate their progress and continue with the updates. The Choas operated a shoe repair shop on Main Street years ago. They also built the location where Pounders is, which was then an Asian style restaurant. //