Panama City Beach Custom Home Builders

Heidi: We went riding on the dunes down 30-A and on Thomas Drive.

Nathan: It wasn’t the normal dinner and a movie thing. Yeah, before all those condos were built, there was nothing but sand dunes and a few old motels. We’d go four-wheeling, build bonfires.

What was it like going into business together at such an early stage in your relationship?

Heidi: He got his Florida Contractors License in March 1983, and we got married in October 1983.

Nathan: She didn’t have any knowledge at all of construction, and every year I taught her more and gave her more responsibility. So, now she does everything, and I go golfing.

Heidi: < Laughing> He doesn’t even golf.

Nathan: No, I don’t play golf… but, every year, she got more involved in the business, and now she’s 100 percent involved. We started out pretty daring in our work because we were in agreement; we were daring and different from the start, but we’ve become more daring as we got older together, more experienced together. I did a lot of colors and designs that nobody else wanted to do because they were afraid to get away from the standard. So to compete, I made up designs that just came to me, did things that were just different, and Heidi was on the same page with me, and that’s how we became successful.

Heidi: What he designed got attention. His homes had a wow factor.

Back then, he was building 1,400 square foot homes with 12- foot ceilings and three-stage crown molding. People loved it. Over the years, we’ve gotten better and more unique, and the homes got bigger and bigger. We build all sizes of homes, but our niche has brought us into a more dramatic style, but we build anything.

Nathan: Yeah, people were building big luxury homes that didn’t have some of these features. All we did was add some nice trim, arches, and some interesting touches, that people would see only in a large luxury home, into our smaller homes from the start.

Heidi: His floor plans would make a 1,500 square foot home feel like a 2,000 square foot home just because of the way it was laid out. He’s always excelled at drawing out plans and then building them. While he still sketches out a spec/model home plan, we also work closely with various local architects to build one of their own unique designs.

Nathan: Heidi is always on the same page. When she picks out fixtures, plumbing, and lights, she finds things that aren’t widely available… high-quality, artistic fixtures that people have never seen before.

Heidi: I try to find the best bang for the buck. I shop wisely for every product needed and work with different suppliers to find good quality at the best pricing. I take time to find things that are unique, and that require a lot of thought. My mind is twirling 24/7. But I try to think about the client and try to put their personality into the home. I love to find out who the client is, and I may try to push them a little beyond their comfort zone because I know they’ll love it once it’s done. The final decision is always theirs, but I like to present different ideas to them, get their creative juices flowing, so they’re a part of the whole project. That is, to me, very rewarding. It’s a service that we provide, and we don’t charge for that.

Did you ever think about opening a separate interior design business?

Heidi: I’ve had people want to hire me to design their own home, but I feel like Nathan and I are so connected that we’re a package deal. Now if they hire us to build the home, and they hire someone else to do the interior designs, I have no problem. But I wouldn’t want to go off and work with another builder when I have my partner right here.

With your business office inside your home, are you ever “off the clock?”

Nathan: Not really. Things will pop up after the day is over, so we just fit it in however it works. It depends on the situation.

Heidi: You can’t help but talk about things, because it’s a part of our lives. Our home is where we do most of our work, and we’ve always opted to have our office in our home, so our home life and work-life have always been blended.

What’s the best thing about working together?

Nathan: We know each other so well… If there‘s a problem, we work it out. The same thing with subcontractors on the job, we try to work things out. If we’re not working out well together, we work through it to fix it. We don’t just give up.

Heidi: Good moral ethics, being honest, treating people right. That’s how we’ve always felt about each other, and we’ve carried that over to our work and our clients.

Does working together ever become difficult, especially since you sit across from one another in the same office?

Heidi: Sure, we rub each other the wrong way occasionally. He has to put me in my place, but he can’t fire me. I had to learn to be, according to what the Bible says, in subjection to my husband. We both believe in the Bible’s principles, very much so, which is why we have the good work ethics that we do. We are like polar opposites, I think when it comes to personalities. I’m more flamboyant and open, and he’s more subdued… he’ll sit back and calculate it all and then give his decision. So, I may say a hundred words, and he says five. We had to learn to get along with our personality differences, but I’ve learned over the years that there’s one head, and he’s the boss. And things are better when I just listen to my boss. But is it difficult? Of course, it is. Any relationship is difficult, but we’ve learned to manage it, and that’s how we can sit across from each other. Right away, our marriage became our business… This is how our life has always been. I’ve never known it another way. We learned how to make things smoother, what I needed to work on, what he needed to work on…

Nathan: Yeah, we learned together.

Heidi: We’ve grown up together, worked together, and been successful together.

So, what do you do together for fun?

Heidi: We have a boat, and we love to fish… we’ve always enjoyed the outdoors.

Nathan: Offshore fishing… diving…. anything on the water.

Heidi: We play together a lot, and we’re still best friends.

What advice can you offer to other couples?

Nathan: Be flexible, be understanding…

Heidi: Always communicate, apologize…

Nathan: Be honest and upfront… plan together so things work as a fine running machine.

What sets us apart from other builders?

For a lot of people, building their own house, from start to finish, is the ultimate goal. What could be better than having a home created just for you? Once the property is built, it will be one of the most satisfying and proud moments of your life. Nevertheless, getting there can be a fun and exciting adventure – so you need to approach it in the right manner. With that in mind, read on to discover the important things you should know before building a house.

You need to work with people that understand your vision and have a portfolio with houses similar to the one you envision – The first thing you need to do is make sure you choose a custom house builder with knowledge and expertise. This includes selecting a good team with a good level of experience and a positive reputation. You need to make sure they have the same vision as you and that they carefully consider your desires and wants and have built houses that fall in line with the type of property you envision. At Graben Homes, you can have complete peace of mind that we will make your vision a reality! All you need to do is give us a call and we can start the process with you so that you can achieve your goals.

Consider green building processes and property elements – In addition to the points that have already been mentioned, you need to think green when you are planning your property. This is important because it will ensure that your home is designed to maximize energy efficiency. Do you want to install solar power? Add a geothermal system? In addition, utilizing construction methods such as concrete block and ICF (insulated concrete form) method ensure greater strength and high insulation factors, and Graben Construction is highly experienced in all methods. Particularly the ICF method is a good choice as it can withstand up to 200 mph winds, save you an average of 50-80% on heating and cooling costs, make for a quieter home, and reduces the chance of allergens, mold, and dust. These options mean that they will save you money year-on-year while also enabling you to do your bit for the planet. You will also have a sustainable home for the future.

Hopefully, you now feel more prepared for achieving your dream and building your own house. If you follow the advice that has been provided above, you should find that the process runs a lot smoother and you will enjoy the process of building your dream home!