Are you ready to start building your dream home? Designing and building a custom home in Atlanta, Cashiers, or Highlands is an exciting undertaking, and a little preparation up front makes all the difference. Before you begin, it helps to think through a few key questions: What part of town do you want to call home? Do you already own a lot, or will you need help finding one? What architectural style speaks to you, and do you picture an open, flowing floor plan or something more intimate?
A custom build can feel like a daunting project, but it doesn't have to be. From start to finish, the process typically takes about two years, from finalizing architecture and selections to permitting and construction. The team you choose to spend those years with matters as much as the plans themselves. We encourage every client to meet with a few builders, talk to their past clients, and ask how those projects actually went. What would they do differently? Would they build with that team again?
Here is how we walk our own clients through that process, from the first conversation to move-in day.
1. Choose Your Location
The site you build on shapes nearly everything that follows, from how easily utilities and services reach your home, to traffic and noise patterns, to how the local climate affects construction and long-term durability. A homesite is also where your family's specific wish list starts to take shape, whether that is room for a pool and cabana, a putting green, or even a practice field.
If you don't yet have a lot, our sister company, The Loudermilk Group by Roane, specializes in luxury listings across metro Atlanta, Cashiers, and Highlands, and can help you find the right lot in the right neighborhood.
2. Find the Right Builder
A luxury home is one of the largest investments you'll make, and the builder you choose should earn that trust. Ask pointed questions about their process, their transparency, the quality of their craftsmanship, and their standing in the community. Have they been recognized by respected industry organizations? What do their past clients say?
Sherwin Loudermilk and Roane began building and renovating homes in 2005, and founded Loudermilk Homes as a company in 2009. Loudermilk Homes has twice been named a finalist for Custom Home Builder of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders, and regularly receives OBIE Awards from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, where Sherwin serves as President of the Inner Atlanta chapter. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Georgia Tech College of Design and the Georgia Tech School of Building Construction, helping ensure the curriculum reflects current construction techniques and building technology.
3. Define Your Style and Must-Have Amenities
Designing your home should be enjoyable. Our in-house architectural team and our sister company, Loudermilk Designs, work together to reveal your personal style, starting with overall architectural direction. We build across a range of styles, European Modern, French Country, Transitional, Contemporary, and more, and no two homes we build are ever the same.
As we shape your floor plan, we'll also talk through the details that make a home truly yours: a dog-washing station, dedicated storage for sports equipment, a built-in bar or poker room, a climate-controlled wine cellar, a second prep kitchen for entertaining, or built-in bunk beds with charging ports for sleepovers. Families planning for the years ahead sometimes add an in-law suite, an elevator, or simply leave a room unfinished until its purpose becomes clear.
Before any paint or stain color is finalized, we'll apply it directly to a window or wall in your home so you can see it in person, sometimes trying a few alternates, before committing. We'll also help you choose smart home technology that integrates with voice control and manages HVAC, lighting, sound, security, and irrigation from a single system.
4. Set Your Budget and Schedule
Once architecture, design, and special features are finalized, we'll estimate the full cost of your home and set a baseline budget with a payment schedule tied to specific milestones. Our Loudermilk Connect app gives you real-time visibility into both, with a 24/7 video feed and the ability to submit and approve change orders from any device, so there are no surprises along the way.
We also look for ways to build value into every project through what we call progressive value engineering, things like stacking walls, shortening HVAC runs, and orienting your home on its lot to take advantage of natural sun and shade.
5. Bring Your Vision to Life Through Design
Every project begins with an Inspiration phase, where we get to know your lifestyle and preferences and build a Mood Board that guides the project from there. If you're not sure how to describe your style, our Design Questionnaire is a helpful starting point for revealing your preferences before the first design conversation.
6. Prioritize Security and Smart Home Technology
As construction nears completion, security deserves real attention: a quality system with cameras, motion sensors, and alarms; doors and windows built from materials that resist forced entry; and exterior lighting that keeps your home visible and deters unwanted visitors. Many of our clients pair this with full home automation, woven into daily life so it simply works.
Building Dream Homes That Leave a Legacy
Loudermilk Homes has spent nearly two decades designing and building custom homes across Atlanta, Cashiers, and Highlands. We take the time up front so the construction phase moves efficiently, and we stay by your side through every decision in between. Explore our design gallery for inspiration, or take our Design Questionnaire to start uncovering your own.
