At the end of Day 6, PBS had finished our off-site construction, and the home was just awaiting the countertops before they shipped it to Easthampton. We traveled down to Middleburg last week to inspect the almost–finished product, and we’re impressed with both the craftsmanship and the team that pulled it together.

We met Lori Gaugler, who is in addition to taking all of these photos, is tasked with staying up to date on the finishing options for homes from countertops to corner boards. Her office was full of sample house pieces and cutting edge knowledge about the best finishings to use to optimize quality and budget.

We met Nicholas Lust, who is the director of engineering. He showed us plans for a 6,500 SF mansion on long island that PBS is helping build (wow…). He also enlightened us on the enormous amount of thought that goes into stacking and scheduling their factory floor to keep costs down for future homeowners. His attention to detail even goes as deep as the thickness of the tires on the trucks used to transport home components.

We met Raph, who is in charge of quality assurance for the finished homes. He took us on a tour of our home and pointed out all the work they had done. It was clear he knows how to manage a team and ship quality.

We met Kevin who heads up transportation. He oversees a fleet of trucks and skilled drivers to make sure the houses get to their resting places safely. His work includes getting permits, checking for low bridges, powerlines, hazards, and keeping the truck in safe working order.

We also met up with Janice Willits, who is PBS’s lead sales engineer and has been crucial to the formation of Backyard ADUs. Her depth of knowledge in off-site construction, design trends, and willingness to help a newcomer learn the industry has been instrumental.

Kitchen Awaiting its Backsplash

The kitchen is looking great! The homeowner went with an elegant combination of black quartz, white cabinets, and a custom backsplash that we will finish onsite and is going to be a show stopper.

We will also be installing three pendant lights above the island when the house reaches Easthampton.

LIving room and the back door

Here is a view of the living room and rear door, which is required by code as the second form of egress on dwellings with more than 400SF of living area. However, we think that the door will get plenty of use behind emergency egress as the homeowner venture into the backyard to her family’s house 40’ feet away!

The space to the left of the door fits a 7’ couch comfortably. We also designed the window sill to be slightly higher than the others to accommodate the back of a typical sofa.

Minimize hallways in small homes

The photo below shows the only hallway in this house. It connects the bedroom, bathroom, and front entrance. Minimizing hallways is crucial to optimizing floor space in small homes.

Bedroom door and window

The bedroom has a large southern facing window, which will bath the bedroom with light rear round. Also, notice the beautiful crown molding and craftsman headers.

Bathroom Vanity and Shower

The full-size bathroom is equipped with a 24” vanity, medicine cabinet, and full shower/bathtub. We also snuck in a window to add natural light.

Meanwhile, back on Mayher St–

We are just about ready to receive the house. We stubbed the water, sewer, and electric connections, and then backfilled the foundation in preparation for setting the house.

Below you can see the sewer pipe and water line ready to be connected to.

The foundation is poured, backfilled, and almost ready for the house. The walls are just waiting for 4” of rigid foam board insulation.

Mayher Street– Day 6