The Ubuildit Way

LEXINGTON (Sunday, August 21, 2005) - This is the story of two Central Kentucky couples who initially planned to hire builders to craft their dream homes.

But when they encountered complications, they took a different route. They built their homes themselves with professional guidance and support from the UBuildIt franchise in Lexington.

Both families admit such a hands-on home-building process wouldn't work for everyone, but for them it was the blueprint for a happy ending.

The Gullatts in Woodford County

Kim and Randy Gullatt had spent a decade preparing to build their dream home on a hilltop on Twin Creeks Farm in Nonesuch in rural Woodford County.


First-level owner's suite bathroom in the Gullatts' home.

Randy Gullatt is the farm's manager. He oversees the 170-acre, 40-thoroughbred farm, which breeds and sells horses.

The Gullatts and their son, 15-year-old Taylor, a freshman at Lexington Christian Academy, had lived in a 1,500-square-foot house on the farm for 10 years.

For years, Kim Gullatt had attended new home tours throughout Central Kentucky and clipped ideas from magazine after magazine.

When the couple decided it was time to find a builder, they interviewed three companies who each quoted a price above $750,000, including allowances for selections such as flooring, cabinetry, appliances and lighting.

"But we couldn't iron out the price for a custom house," Randy Gullatt said. "It was going to be hard to get what we wanted."

A friend suggested they explore the UBuildIt franchise. "We went to a meeting and thought this would probably work for us," Gullatt said.

One of UBuildIt's architects took Kim Gullatt's sketches and drew plans for a 5,000-square-foot ranch-style home with a walk-out basement. The architect's fee was $1,800, compared to a $10,000 quote from an architect the Gullatts had previously consulted.


Randy and Kim Gullatts' new home in Nonesuch in rural Woodford County features panoramic views of Twin Creeks Farm, which Randy Gullatt manages.

The home's main level features 10- and 12-foot ceilings, an office, a living room, a formal dining room, a kitchen and breakfast area, the owner's suite, a powder room, a laundry room and a mudroom.

The lower level, which is Taylor's domain, features 9-foot ceilings, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a family/game room and a mirrored fitness area.

Both levels offer panoramic views of the surrounding horse farm.

The Gullatts liked UBuildIt's budgeting system and step-by-step guidance. "They have a nice program that plugged in numbers and gave us an estimate of where we'd be," Randy Gullatt said. "And they give you the ABCs of the process. With that, we said we think we can give it a go."

The cost savings UBuildIt offered allowed the Gullatts to add more upgrades to their home, which they say is their last.
Their house features Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, granite countertops, Mouser custom cabinetry, KitchenAid appliances and $11,000 worth of lighting fixtures.


Kim and Randy Gullatt's kitchen featuring Mouser custom cabinetry, KitchenAid appliances and granite countertops.

One builder they interviewed had given them a $6,000 allowance for lighting fixtures. "They would give you allowances for what you could spend in different areas," Kim Gullatt said. "But that wasn't the way I wanted to do it."

The UBuildIt system worked for the Gullatts because Randy was always on site, working on the horse farm. He devoted a minimum of five hours a day, six days a week to the construction, which took 11 months because of rainy weather.

"The hardest thing about building a house is that people aren't going to show up when they say they will," Kim Gullatt said. The self-described perfectionist finally surrendered to that reality and turned that issue over to her husband.

"We were wanting perfection, so I spent a lot of time with the subs," Randy Gullatt said. "You want to get perfection (from them) or as close as you can."

His wife agreed. "If you aren't there and they have a question, they're just going to do it their way," she said. In their situation, Randy Gullatt was there to discuss changes such as ceiling heights and closets.

And they weren't shy about calling the UBuildIt consultants when they encountered problems. "They'd give us advice and get us out of the snags," Randy Gullatt said.

When a subcontractor failed to show up, Don Butterfield investigated, Kim Gullatt said. "We were able to take their program and adjust it to our way of doing things."

The Gullatts moved into their hilltop home on June 1. Although they still have minor projects to complete, their home is already beautifully decorated and furnished.

It cost them $525,000 to build, not the $750,000-plus they had been quoted by various builders. "I got a lot more house for a lot less money," Kim Gullatt said.

"We knew this home is it for us," she added. "We wanted to make it perfect with no regrets. So far, we have no regrets."

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