Blending Design Flare with a Customer-Centric Approach

This leading home builder has its fingers on the construction pulse building homes with its clients’ vision in mind

Constructing premium homes that stand out from the pack is an art form. Only those home builders who have an eye for detail and pay meticulous attention to finishes and key design elements are able to produce homes that have the wow factor and can stand the test of time. Understanding the client’s vision is also key.

Perfecting the craft and always putting the client first, MDS Homes has sliced through the local competition and taken its rightful place as a leading custom home builder that has also earned priceless client loyalty.

Exceptionally clear on what its vision is, MDS Homes is laser-focused on becoming the custom home builder of choice in southwest Idaho.

“There are 9 of us and we are continuing to grow and one thing that we are clear on is our vision,” Morgan Jolley, Managing Partner of MDS Homes.

“We look to elevate the quality of life for our clients and build inspiring homes that reflect their vision and lifestyle.”

Averaging around 10 million a year in revenue and constructing 15 to 20 builds annually, MDS Homes builds homes ranging in size from 3000 square feet on the smaller end to up to 10,000 square feet. Properties valued from 600,000 to 3 million dollars and over make up this leading home builder’s portfolio.

“As a home builder, we are probably the busiest we have ever been,” Jolley estimates. “We have the most demand on us right now.”

MDS Homes’s mission is clear, Jolley states. “We exist to build great homes through an intentionally curated experience.” “A lot of our time and effort is thinking about our build process-thinking of what the experience is for our clients from beginning to end.”

Designing a lifestyle

With well-thought-out design planning for each of the homes MDS Homes constructs, this design-build firm keeps at the forefront of its design process how the client will live within the home and works diligently to embody the homeowner’s lifestyle.

“We are a design-build firm so we do have an in-house design team so this is one thing that we focus heavily on and there is considerable planning that goes into this build up front,” Jolley outlines.

Providing a talented, in-house design team that brings with them exceptional training and design flare, Jolley notes that the client is always met with a team that will translate their vision from the planning stage to home completion.

“We have some younger designers that have gone through some good training programs in college and bring a depth of knowledge.”

Jolley relays that once a set of plans is in place for a new build, MDS Homes will also focus on the element of laying out the home’s interior design as well as the exterior design.

“We actually also do furniture,” he states. “Our designers can fully stage a house for a client and it is not that uncommon that we will actually furnish their home as well.”

“Then we do get into landscaping design as well. It is all-encompassing when it comes to the design team.”

Flexibility is also key, Jolley notes.

“We keep up with the evolution of the design. We also attend trade shows such as Parade of Homes, which is a big thing here where builders are showcasing their best homes, and we get to go to these other regions and walk through these homes,” Jolley articulates.

Although MDS Homes utilizes all the standard design and construction software, the team also boasts an in-house design center that centers on cutting-edge technology. “We are set up where we have very good digital technology that provides us very good digital interaction with our clients.”

As Jolley adds, “We are not married to any specific design which allows us to showcase the different types of designs we can do.

“We are trying to incorporate more of the AI component in the design process which allows us to do quick renderings, both internal and external for clients and have a little bit of a visionary session with us in terms of where they are trying to head with the build,” Jolley summarizes.

Jolley outlines the design process from initial client interest to home completion as being carried out in phases. The first phase involves a client reaching out with a new build request digitally.

“Then we schedule and meet with them in our design center and start to explore where they may be at.”

The next phase involves outlining the client’s vision and aligning the build with their preferred options.

“We want this to be an experience for our clients and we expect our clients to work with,” Jolley says.

After these initial phases, construction can begin. MDS Homes brings its clients on the construction-phase journey to experience their dream home coming to life- a house to call home that will reflect their design preferences and lifestyle.

Values to build on

With an open dialogue and working together through the home build process, MDS Homes ensures a seamless process. As Jolley points out, the work is carried out resting on a core foundation of values that the company lives by.

“The first value is to work together- this is collaboration. The second one is to take responsibility. If a problem surfaces, make sure you take ownership of it and find a resolution.”

“The third core value is to be creative-we want to bring creativity into our builds and we want them to be unique for our clients,” Jolley reflects.

Adding to the list of core values that is at the heart of MDS Homes’s business model is honesty.

“You had better have that trust built with the builder and vice versa. We are very honest with our dealing and transparent on how we operate with our clients.”

With the time investment of each project averaging two years or even more if the project is on a larger scale, Jolley also highlights that building and maintaining strong relationships with its clients is paramount.

“The way we view it is that they are interviewing us, but we are also interviewing them because this is a long-term commitment and those relationships matter from a business development perspective.

“Clients are the best advocates when it comes to promoting our brand and our business to other potential clients that are within their networks,” Jolley expands.

Trade partners built for success

Part of the relationship business model that MDS Homes is so proud of extends beyond its client base and relates directly to the long-standing and respectful relationships it holds with its valued subcontractors. This relationship, Jolley highlights, is integral to ensuring projects run smoothly, are cost-effective, and are completed on time.

“There is a shortage of trade workers in East Idaho. For all of our finished carpentry work, we do in-house, and for the rest of our build process, we work through trade partners.

“The unique thing for our network of trade partners is that we have worked with these individuals for a long period of time and they have been able to grow with us- for the most part we have known these people for a lifetime and we have a very tight network and are committed to growth with us as needed,” Jolley highlights.

Jolley draws attention to the effort and consistency in the way MDS Homes works with its valued subcontractors from the invoice to the accounts payable process. “We turn payments around and directly deposit into their accounts- all of it has been thought out.

“It is thought of as exactly how we make the trade partners’ lives better,” he adds.

Building into the future

When asked what piece of advice has resonated with Jolley over the years and what he applies to his successful working business model, he is quick to answer.

“Find a partnership that works for you. It is important to find a partner that brings a unique set of skills to the table and allows you to build something.”

Speaking of building, the construction horizon looks bright for MDS Homes. With a passion for the design process, this leading company will continue to keep doing what it does best.

“Our goal is to get up to 40 builds a year within the next couple of years and this is where we are headed.”

“We have the team to do it and the process to do it and we are now a well-known home builder in this area,” Jolley concludes enthusiastically.

AT A GLANCE

Who: MDS Homes
What: A well-known design builder specializing in custom options and keeping the client part of the home build process
Where: East Idaho
Website: https://mdshomesidaho.com/

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