ANY REFERENCE TO CONTRACTOR - BUILDER - CONSTRUCTION - BUILD IN THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGES SHALL BE FOR DESCRIBING EXPERIENCE ONLY. ANY AND ALL FUTURE PERFORMANCE BY MILL CREEK CUSTOM HOMES, INC. SHALL BE CONSIDERED CONSULTING.
ANY REFERENCE TO CONTRACTOR - BUILDER - CONSTRUCTION - BUILD IN THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGES SHALL BE FOR DESCRIBING EXPERIENCE ONLY. ANY AND ALL FUTURE PERFORMANCE BY MILL CREEK CUSTOM HOMES, INC. SHALL BE CONSIDERED CONSULTING.
"I build homes, not houses," declares Frank Hanson, owner of Mill Creek Custom Homes, Inc.
Hanson has been a home builder since 1962, getting his start in Northern California. He has been a Clark County-based contractor since 1983. He especially enjoys building homes in period architecture, including Victorian, Craftsman, French Country and Georgian style homes. "I'm an antique nut," he confesses.
When it comes to contracting to build a home, Hanson utilizes a unique building program. Even before a contract is signed, "I tell (clients) I need 10 set of blueprints," said Hanson. He then takes the plans and solicits estimates from subcontractors. Leaving nothing to chance, "We hard bid everything," he said. Hanson also makes sure the future homeowners have priced their light and plumbing fixtures, floor and wall coverings. Once all the bids are in and the costs are totaled, Hanson then determines a flat fee rather than a percentage markup - to charge the client. "The biggest complaint I've heard over the years (concerning) homeowners' and builders' relationships, it all boils down to one common denominator: money." By having hard-and-fast costs for all elements of a home even before signing the contract, "We take (money-related disputes) out of the equation as an argument," Hanson concluded.
Hanson enjoys the opportunity to make a good home plan better. "People bring me (home) prints out of a (mass market) magazine and I play with it," customizing it to better fit the clients' needs and the Pacific Northwest environment. He also said he's not shy about speaking up when he sees a potential deficiency. "I bring it to the (clients') attention and back it up with a reason why" it should be done differently, he explained. Sometimes the floorplans are "just a concept we're working with," he noted.
Hanson builds about five or six homes per year, most of them pre-sold customs. He welcomes homeowners on the job site. "It's their home, their money. They should get what they want. I'm there to serve them."
While many builders leave home interiors up to trained designers and decorators, Hanson often takes that part of the job himself, as was the case with Granny's House. "I love doing that part of it, too," he said of interior design. "I'm having fun. You have to like what you're doing... I don't have a job, I have an occupation I love and am good at," he summed up.