Eight clear steps from your first conversation to groundbreaking.
The Makarios Design+Build Journey gives you a clear plan from day one. You'll know your budget before anything is drawn, see the price three times before anything is final, and have one person to call the whole way through.
Designed to keep you confident at every step.
Each step below keeps your budget, your schedule and your project in good hands.
Your budget leads the design.
You get an estimate before design starts, a preliminary budget with the concept plans, and a verified budget at contract. We design your home to fit your budget from the very first sketch.
You always know what's next.
Every build runs on a milestone timeline we walk through together before we break ground, with weekly updates after.
One person, start to finish.
You have one point of contact for the life of your project, so the answers always come from someone who knows it.
The eight steps.
Discovery, design, contract, selections, then the build. Here's what happens at each step and what you walk away with.
-
01Discover
Getting acquainted
It starts with a conversation. We talk through what you want to build, when you want to be in it, what you'd like to spend, and where. If you already own a lot, we'll walk it. If you don't, we'll help you find the right one.
What you get
- A clear picture of your goals, timeline and site
- Our honest read on what your budget can build
-
02Discover
Our work and early budget guidance
We take you through finished homes and homes under construction so you can see how we build. Then we prepare an initial cost estimate based on the size and features you're after. This is the number everything else is designed to fit.
What you get
- Tour of current and completed projects
- Initial cost estimate
-
03Design
Preliminary design and service agreement
Once you sign the design agreement and place a deposit, we get to work. From here we're actively working alongside the architectural designer on your behalf, so your plans are drawn with the budget and the build in mind from the first sketch.
What you get
- Signed design services agreement
- Design deposit
- Your designer and builder at the same table
-
04Design
Conceptual home design
We meet to develop the early design concepts, then turn them into a house plan package with floor plans and elevations. Alongside it you get a preliminary budget estimate, so you can see what each design decision costs while it's still easy to change.
What you get
- Concept floor plans and elevations
- Preliminary budget estimate
-
05Contract
Budget estimate presentation and contract signed
With the plans set, we present a verified budget and you sign the main construction contract and place the builder deposit. Then comes the fun part: picking your interior and exterior materials.
What you get
- Verified construction budget
- Signed construction contract
- Selections begin
-
06Selections
Home design complete
Our design team works with you to lock in every detail: cabinets, counters, tile, flooring, fixtures, exterior stone and stucco, roofing, windows. Every choice is made up front, so your price reflects the home you actually picked.
What you get
- Every interior and exterior selection finalized
- A finish schedule for the whole house
-
07Contract
Updated price presentation and addendum signed
We present the finalized plans and pricing for your review. You sign the final contract price addendum, and we submit the plans for HOA and architectural review approvals where the neighborhood requires them.
What you get
- Final contract price addendum
- HOA and ARC submittals
-
08Build
Pre-construction meeting and groundbreaking
Before the foundation goes in, we sit down together to go over the structural details and walk through the milestone schedule, so you know what comes next at every stage. Then we break ground, and we celebrate it with you. From there you get an update every week until you move in.
What you get
- Pre-construction alignment meeting
- Milestone schedule
- Groundbreaking celebration
- Weekly updates through construction
Step one is a conversation. Set up a meeting with Demitri and talk through what you want to build.
Then we build your home.
From groundbreaking to keys, your build runs on the milestone schedule with a weekly update and the same person to call the whole way.
Groundbreaking is where the eight steps end and the house starts. From here your project runs on the milestone schedule we set at the pre-construction meeting: foundation, framing, dry-in, mechanicals, insulation and drywall, finishes, punch list, move-in. You'll hear from us every week, and the person you call stays the same from the first meeting to the day you get the keys.
After you move in, our homeowner warranties will keep your investment in perfect shape, safe from damages and defects out of your control.
Questions about the process.
When do I find out what the house will cost?
Three times, each more precise than the last: an early estimate in step 2 before any design work, a preliminary budget with the concept plans in step 4, and a verified budget at contract in step 5. The final contract price addendum in step 7 locks it after selections are complete.
Do I need my own architect?
No. We work alongside an architectural designer on your behalf starting in step 3, or you can start from one of our floor plans and adapt it.
How do I know what's happening during construction?
You get a milestone schedule at the pre-construction meeting, weekly updates during the build, and a single point of contact for the whole project.
What if I don't own a lot yet?
We'll help you find and evaluate lots before you buy, including some that never reach the open market. Check out the neighborhoods and communities we work in.
Does the process change in an HOA or gated neighborhood?
Only step 7. That's where we submit your plans for HOA and architectural review approval, and the final price waits until they're approved.
Step one is a conversation.
Tell us what you'd like to build and where. Demitri will walk you through how we'd approach it and what it would likely cost. There's never any pressure at this step.