We specialize in building what you want where you want to live.
"We never felt like we were being sold something, Joe would share his insights and then let us make our own decisions." - Dinah
A builder so nice we’ll go ahead and do it twice!
Dinah and her husband, Cary, looked at hundreds of houses before they decided to build their own. This was a big step for the couple, having never worked with a home builder before. And after visiting with friends in a newly constructed Lemel Homes build, they felt they found “their builder.” Highly recommended and “vetted; “Joe was their guy. That was back in 2002; fast forward to 2019 and the Haakenson’s desire to make a move and build with Joe all over again.
- Friends assumed that at this point in their lives that Dinah and Cary would be moving into a condo. The Haakensons had other ideas; working with Lemel Homes again was at the top of the list. They had envisioned certain features along with a pretty specific want list for their next new home.
- The Haakensons had such a good experience the first time building with Joe that they looked forward to this next construction experience; finding the staff at Lemel Homes helpful, friendly and truly determined in making their dreams come true.
- Aging in place was a design concern for the couple; wanting this home to be their last. To that, Lemel Homes incorporated many design features addressing those “future” concerns. All the doors are 36” wide; making them wheelchair accessible. The counter tops are 2” higher than standard; providing a more comfortable work height. Details down to even the door knobs being door handles; knowing levers are easier to open and close. Add to that zero-step entry garage and no-curb walk-in showers and this house becomes very friendly as the demands of natural aging occur.
- Dinah very much appreciated the punch-list and 1 year warranty on their newly constructed house. The 3 little things she noticed during their first year living in the home were immediately taken care of. She noted that Lemel stands behind their work. The quality is there.
Wish List
Fortunately for Judith, she knew exactly what she wanted for her third and final new custom home she was building on a piece of farmland in Saukville next to her sister, Rita. The last piece of the puzzle was finding a builder to listen to her needs and desires.
- Judith appreciated how the Lemel Homes team listened to her specific wish list and had the patience to sit through her detailed-oriented involvement with her home.
- She needed aging-in-place amenities since this was the last house Judith intended to build, and Lemel Homes delivered all her needs within budget.
- Not only did Lemel Homes adhere to Judith’s list of needs, but the staff made thoughtful suggestions to enhance the floor plan of her dream home.
- Judith praised Lemel Homes for working with her to find solutions to any problems she encountered during construction, despite how “particular” she was.
“While I was thrilled to see my home finished, I was sad that the process was ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with these people throughout the entire process.” – Judith
“If you are a person like me who cannot easily visualize a concept on paper, you can trust Joe's artistic vision and the creativity of the rest of the team to guide you." - Rita
Numerous Amenities
Rita and her husband, Michael, knew exactly what she wanted for the custom home they planned to build in Saukville. More importantly, she knew she wanted she wanted to spend her retirement years living next to her sister, Judith, on a piece of undeveloped farmland in houses with similar prairie-style designs.
- Since this would be the Rita and Michael’s aging-in-place home, Lemel Homes designed the single-level house with all the main necessities – i.e. master bedroom and bathroom, laundry, kitchen, dining room, living/family room and den/ office area – on one floor. There is a no-threshold entrance from the attached garage to the house, and a very low threshold step up into the master shower.
- Lemel Homes also used energy-efficient materials that require less maintenance, which cuts down on costs over the course of the home’s life.
- Rita and Michael wanted to recreate the expansive open feel of their existing prairie-inspired home as well as other homes they lived in while abroad. The Lemel Homes team ensured this would happen by bringing the new home plans to their existing home and conducting a room-by-room walkthrough to show the similarities.
- As a dog-lover himself, Joe Lemel included numerous amenities for the comfort of the Webers’ pets. Knowing their dog, Wally the Vizsla, would be in the mud a lot, Joe designed a dog wash installed in the garage with nonslip steps leading up to the washing area. The laundry room doubles as a feeding area, housing a cabinet designed for the dog food with an easy-access drawer featuring ample space for different foods – in case the Webers adopt a puppy. For Sander, the family cat, Lemel Homes designed an architectural decorative ledge to run throughout the lower level at window height.
Fit Their Lifestyle
Since Juliet’s son was so pleased with the spec home Lemel Homes built for him in Cedarburg, she called upon Joe Lemel and his team to build a home for her and her husband, Glen, 20 years later in the same town. Moving from Chicago’s northern suburbs later in life, Juliet hoped to move on from her “architect’s home” and into something more practical.
- At 75 and 80 years old, respectively, the Juliet and Glen aimed for a single-level home with amenities that fit their lifestyle at this age.
- Joe Lemel and his team provided a remarkable level of client service, including numerous visits to Juliet and Glen’s home in Illinois to take note of how they lived.
- Lemel Homes included an interior brick wall for ambiance and aesthetics – a carryover from Juliet and Glen’s previous home.
- Joe suggested adding a large foyer to create an inviting space that would make the home appear larger.
- Aside from having the company owner involved with her home every step of the way, Juliet also was impressed by the professionalism and communication from everyone involved.
“Like my mother would always say, ‘Do it right, or don’t do it at all.’
And one could say that about Lemel Homes.” – Juliet
Home Expansion
Cara and Fred had two goals for the expansion of their home in Menomonee Falls: update the master suite and add an office. The challenge was matching these areas with the interior of the rest of the home, which recently had been rebuilt after a fire. The couple called upon Lemel Homes to design an addition to their home that would give them the space for these needs while matching a recent renovation of the rest of the house.
- Lemel Homes completed a two-story addition to the home that expanded the existing master suite and added space in the basement for an office.
- We converted the existing master bedroom into a walk-in closet after creating new space for a much larger bedroom.
- Fred’s office doubles as a music space for the couple’s son, so Lemel Homes added soundproofing to this space.
- What once was the office has been converted to a guest room for the children’s grandparents and other visitors.
- The new master suite features an open concept with large cathedral ceilings and windows that allow plenty natural light.
“If you want good, quality, honest work, you go with Lemel Homes.” – Cara
Anything is possible. Anywhere you want to live. Since 1983.
Lemel Homes specializes in building your dream home where you want to live, rather than restricting your options to subdivisions or land we own. We design the space to maximize the unique opportunities associated with your lot, whether that involves new construction in a suburban subdivision, building on a site in an older, established neighborhood, or remodeling your existing home to better serve your needs and desires.
We consider it a great privilege to help build someone’s dream home, and we’d be honored to work with you to make your dreams come true. Your personality will show through in every detail, from the floor plan to the countertops and light fixtures. And our quality construction will assure that your home will remain beautiful and comfortable for generations.