D & E Custom Building and Design

Custom Homes, Tailor-Made for Families

By Jackie Byers

“My dad was in the commercial construction aspect, and my dad’s dad was a true craftsman, straight from Germany. Dad would come home and ask if I wanted to go to work with him, and I’d instantly jump in the truck and go. It was fun for me to spend time with my dad.”

During college, Elaine worked for the juvenile court system. Once her second child was born, Elaine worked in sales, traveling all of Nebraska and Iowa three months out of the year and working from home the other nine months. It was important to her to be there with her two kids every morning, every day after school, and during vacations. After the kids were in school full time, Elaine earned her real estate license.

Elaine’s husband, Dennis, managed a restaurant and worked part time in the construction industry for many years. Once their second child was born, Dennis quit his job and created D&E Custom Building and Design. He started with decks, framing, and finish carpentry. Soon, Elaine’s dad joined the business, so he didn’t have to travel. D&E Custom Building and Design broadened their scope of work, taking advantage of Elaine’s dad’s skills and contacts to keep busy.

After Elaine’s dad passed away and Dennis was on his own, the business broadened their scope of work again to include their first new construction residential home. Elaine quit her sales job to sell new homes and keep up with the managerial aspects of the business. “Once the business was on track, everything felt like it fell into place and this is what was meant to be,” Elaine shares.

“We won’t build the same home over and over; we build specifically for the family that will live in the house. We work closely with clients and keep them involved in the process.” This close working relationship means Elaine and Dennis gain a deep understanding of what the family wants and needs in their home—and that leads to a more satisfied homeowner. “They get a finished product that just suits them,” Elaine says. “We were blessed to make it through the recession without financial fallout.”

D&E Custom Building and Design has always been a family business, and it is becoming more of a family business all the time. Dennis and Elaine’s son Joey and their daughter Cassi’s husband are now part of the team. “Our family business means we talk shop around the dinner table. Each of us will put in our ideas, and

we all contribute our hard work on every project. We may have differences of opinion, but the final vision of the project works well for the client.

D&E Custom Building and Design works in a variety of communities in Nebraska, from large cities like Omaha to small towns like Manley and Ashland. "We like to find where homes are needed," Elaine explains. With the financial recession fading, the demand for residences, especially in small towns, is huge, she notes. "I think the desire for small-town life continues to grow, and there is no inventory of homes in many small towns to purchase."

It’s not just new homes, either. D&E Custom Building and Design does a lot of updating and remodeling work. “Those who already have homes in these communities want additions, modern kitchens, bathrooms, and mother-in-law suites. We do all of this, as well as finding the lots for building new homes. We recently added a mother-in-law suite to a property in Papillion. The mother was living in midtown Omaha, where she loved living, but it wasn’t working out with the family. We were able to consult with the family and the mother to create something we hoped would be a great solution.”

In some markets, D&E Custom Building and Design purchases and remodels existing homes, similar to some home-flipping shows on TV, but Elaine expresses that it’s not as simple as TV shows. “The TV shows are entertaining but are far from realistic. We keep some homes we renovate to offer them as rental properties, and we resell others.”

“It’s enjoyable to work in every phase of the business,” Elaine concludes. “Because it is our family business, we want to have the family we are serving involved in the entire building process. It shows we care, and we build a lifelong friendship, and people are very satisfied with the end result.”

Whatever your home needs might be, Dennis and Elaine of D&E Custom Building and Design will help you reach your goals. For more information, visit their website at www.decustom.com or call 402-690-3735.