B. Wallace Design & Construction has been building semi-custom homes in Durham, NC since 2005. Think of it this way: we've done the hard foundational work so you don't have to. The floor plans are thoughtfully designed, and we've already made the expert calls on things like framing, insulation, siding, and architectural details — the elements where our experience and the character of the community should guide the outcome.

What's left is the fun part. Every B. Wallace buyer gets to make the choices that give their home its own personality — things like paint colors, plumbing and lighting fixtures, hardwood stain, and cabinet hardware. If you want to go further, there's a menu of optional upgrades available, like screened porches, fireplaces, or a professional appliance package. And if there's something specific to your family or lifestyle that really matters to you — a curb-free shower for aging-in-place, a larger window in your favorite spot, a little built-in nook for the family cat — we have a process for that too.

It's the sweet spot between moving into someone else's choices and the open-ended complexity of building fully from scratch.

All B. Wallace homes are built to the same quality standard — the series distinction is about size, price point, and the depth of the selection experience. Here's how they break down:

Select homes are typically 1,800 square feet or smaller, with professionally curated selection packages that make it easy to choose finishes you'll love. If you want a beautiful, well-appointed home without an overwhelming number of decisions, the Select series is a wonderful fit.

Premier homes are typically 2,000–2,500 square feet, offering expanded selection opportunities with a mix of pre-defined options and allowance-based choices for greater personalization.

Reserve homes are typically 2,700 square feet or larger, with many luxury finishes already included and an extensive allowance-based selection process for the ultimate semi-custom experience.

All three series include the same high-quality finishes — site-finished hardwood floors, fully tiled bathrooms, soft-close cabinetry, and HardiePlank siding. The series is often determined by the home and community you fall in love with first.

Fewer than you might think — and never all at once. Rather than sitting down before construction begins and trying to pick everything from a blank slate, we work through selections together in stages as your home takes shape. We'll have several meetings along the way — some at our selection center, some at your home, and sometimes at a vendor showroom — so each decision builds naturally on the ones before it.

We organize choices into four categories:

• Standard specifications — The decisions we make as the builder. Structural, mechanical, and architectural elements where our expertise or the character of the community should guide the outcome.
• Standard selections — The choices that give your home its own personality. Things like paint colors, plumbing and lighting fixtures, hardwood stain, cabinets & counters, and hardware.
• Standard upgrades — Optional add-ons available at an additional cost if you want them, like screened porches, fireplaces, or a professional appliance package.
• Special requests — For those few things that are uniquely important to your family or lifestyle. A curb-free shower, a larger window in your favorite spot, a little built-in nook for the family cat.

For selections where you're choosing from a pre-defined list, every option has been personally curated by Britney to be well-suited to the home's style while giving you enough variety to mix and match successfully and truly capture your own taste.

By the time you're choosing something like interior paint colors, you'll actually be standing in your home, seeing how the light moves through the rooms, with tile or cabinets already installed. You're not guessing — you're deciding with context.

One more thing worth knowing: our list of standard upgrades is intentionally short. We include all the key elements of a quality home in the base price, so you can go through the entire process without spending a dollar beyond your contract price and still end up with a beautiful, character-filled home you'll love.

Every B. Wallace buyer gets a personal account in Ressio, our online project management platform, and it becomes the central hub for your entire build from contract to closing — and beyond.

Through your Ressio account you can make and track all of your selections, monitor any changes to your budget, communicate with our team in an organized and searchable way, and schedule meetings as needed. After closing, your account stays active as the place to log and track any warranty needs as well. It keeps everything in one place so nothing gets lost in a text thread or email chain.

You'll work directly with Britney throughout most of your build. She'll meet with you for your electrical walkthrough at the house before drywall goes in, she'll guide you through your tile and cabinet selections, and she'll meet you back at the house when it's time to choose your interior paint colors — so you're making those decisions with real context, not just paint chips on a white wall.

Beyond those key meetings, you'll have access to our full team through Ressio, our online project management platform. Through your account there, you'll interact with both Britney and Melissa to discuss additional selection items, schedule other meetings, track your budget, and stay up to date on your build every step of the way.

Within our communities, every floor plan has been thoughtfully selected specifically for that community and the available lots — and those are the only plans we will offer there. That said, it doesn't mean you're locked into every detail. Our special request process allows for a meaningful range of customization, including some minor structural changes, so there's quite a bit of flexibility available within any given plan.

If you're interested in building on your own lot with one of our plans, a modified version, or a completely custom floor plan, see our Custom Home & Your Own Lot section below for full details.

Build times typically range from 6 to 12 months depending on where you enter the process, the complexity of the home, and any queue time before construction begins. If you purchase a model home that's already under construction, your timeline will be shorter. We'll always give you a realistic picture of timing upfront. While we work hard to stay on schedule, factors like permitting, weather, and material availability can occasionally affect timelines — we'll always keep you informed if anything changes.

We build in phases — foundation, framing, mechanical rough-ins, insulation, drywall, finishes, and final walkthrough. We love that our buyers want to stay connected to the process, and we'll do our best to accommodate site visit requests with at least 48 hours notice. For safety and liability reasons, all visits require a B. Wallace team member present.

During the final two weeks of construction we do ask that buyers step back from site visits — and we'd actually encourage this even if we didn't require it. Every new home has a handful of final touch-ups and inevitable last-minute corrections that we will be sure to take care of for you. By giving us time to do that, we can be sure that when you walk through your home at your new home orientation, you see it the way it was meant to be seen: complete, polished, and move-in ready. That first impression is worth protecting.

Signing your purchase agreement is an exciting milestone — here's what the journey from contract to keys looks like:

Account setup — You'll be given access to your personal Ressio account, which becomes your home base for everything from this point forward.

Lender confirmation — Within five days of signing, you'll need to provide a pre-approval letter from one of our preferred lenders, or share your chosen lender's information so we can provide them with our Lender Information Form.

Active construction and staged selections — As your home takes shape, you'll work through your selections in stages with Britney. As construction progresses and your completion date comes into view, we'll advise you on when to lock in your mortgage rate — we recommend at least a 60-day rate lock.

Final price confirmation — Approximately 21 days before closing, once all selections and upgrades are finalized, we'll confirm your final purchase price and provide it to your lender.

New home orientation — On the day of closing, we'll meet you at your home for a thorough walkthrough using our comprehensive checklist.

Closing — That afternoon you'll head to the attorney's office to sign your paperwork. Once the purchase is recorded with the County, the home is yours and you get your keys.

It depends on where we are in the build and what you want to change. Because we work through selections in stages throughout construction, many decisions are made at the right moment naturally — so there's less pressure to lock everything in at once. That said, some changes, particularly to structural or mechanical elements, become difficult and costly once we're past certain stages. We'll always be transparent about what's feasible and what it would cost before you commit to anything.

Building a home involves a lot of moving parts — our construction team, weather, product and material availability, municipal inspections, and yes, the timeliness of buyer selection decisions all play a role in how smoothly a build progresses. Because of that complexity, we're intentionally careful about how we communicate timelines.

Rather than committing to a specific closing date early in the process, we provide closing window estimates that we narrow down as construction progresses and we have more certainty. We'd rather give you a realistic range we feel confident about than an optimistic date we can't guarantee.

If anything changes that affects your timeline, we'll let you know as early as possible. We handle delays with honest, proactive communication — and we work hard to make sure surprises are rare and, when they do happen, you hear about them from us first.

In our experience, the items found during third party inspections or at the new home orientation are typically small — minor touch-ups or adjustments that are a normal part of any new construction process. Because your home will have already passed a minimum of eleven city and county inspections by that point, and because our team conducts our own thorough internal review before your orientation, significant issues are rare.

That said, if anything is found that doesn't meet our high standards and expectations, we will address it. We stand behind the quality of every home we build, and we're not done until the home is right. Most items can be resolved quickly, often on the same day as your orientation, without affecting your closing date.

Everything we design starts with three goals: character, authenticity, and long-term sustainable appeal. We want our homes to feel like they belong — to their neighborhood, to Durham, and to the people living in them — not just when they're brand new, but decades from now.

To get there, we draw on time-tested historical architectural styles as the foundation for all of our home designs. Our current styles include Craftsman, European Cottage, Mid-Century Modern, Prairie Contemporary, and Modern Farmhouse — each with its own distinct personality, but all rooted in design traditions that have proven their staying power. We also pay close attention to trends in furniture, fixtures, and interior decor, designing homes that feel like a natural fit for the things we know you'll want to put in them.

The same philosophy carries over into how we design our communities. We want our neighborhoods to have the charm of old Durham — the kind that developed organically over time, when streets were built by different builders across different years and ended up with real variety and distinction from one house to the next. That's the opposite of cookie-cutter, and it's very much intentional.

But we're also drawn to something else from that era: the way neighbors actually used their neighborhoods. Front porches that invited conversation. Neighborhood streets where kids gathered after school. We try to build communities where that still feels possible — where the design of the street encourages connection rather than isolation.

That's what we mean when we say we build neighborhoods, not just houses.

The term "jewel box home" has come to describe a certain kind of house — smaller in footprint, but rich in quality, character, and detail. Think of it as the opposite of a home that trades square footage for substance.

When Britney started B. Wallace in 2005, the goal was simple: build new homes that actually felt like homes. Warm, personal, well-appointed — but sized for real daily life rather than maximum square footage. She started with Craftsman bungalows under 2,300 square feet, staying true to the architectural soul of Durham's oldest neighborhoods. As it turned out, she was building this way right around the time the jewel box home concept was taking shape and becoming a recognized idea in residential design — a happy alignment of vision and moment.

The philosophy hasn't changed, even as B. Wallace has grown to build a wider range of sizes and styles. Every home we build — whether it's a compact infill cottage or a larger Reserve-level home — is designed to feel considered and complete, not like a big box with finishes dropped in. Quality details, efficient floor plans, natural light, real materials, and spaces that are easy to live in and easy to love.

That's what a jewel box home means to us. And honestly, it's the only kind of home we know how to build.

Natural light is one of our obsessions. If you look closely at our floor plans, you'll find windows in places most builders overlook — closets, bathrooms, mudrooms, anywhere we can get light in. We think it makes a real difference in how a home feels to live in day to day.

But in our infill communities especially, we're also thinking about privacy and livability. Those smaller, higher windows that some people consider a B. Wallace trademark are doing double duty: they flood a room with light while sitting high enough to give you visual privacy from neighbors and the street — and they leave wall space below for furniture placement without blocking a sofa or a bed headboard.

It's one of those details that buyers don't always notice until they're living in the home — and then it becomes one of their favorite things about it.

We're not anti-garage — we're anti-garage-as-the-front-of-the-house. When a garage dominates the front facade of a home, it changes the whole character of the street and the home itself, and, in our opinion, not for the better.

When we started building in Durham, our first designs were all craftsman bungalows — a style that is deeply woven into the fabric of this city. Those original homes were built with either no garage at all or a detached garage added later, so building detached was a natural way to stay true to that architectural heritage. It stuck, and for good reason.

A detached or minimally connected garage also solves a natural light problem. When one or two of your home's longest walls are shared with a garage, you lose a lot of window real estate — and natural light is something we're never willing to sacrifice.

There are practical benefits too. A detached or breezeway-connected garage limits the spread of fire and fumes into the living space. In our designs where a fully detached garage isn't the right fit, you'll find the garage connected through a small transition point like a breezeway or a walk-through pantry — close enough to be convenient, separate enough to preserve everything we love about the detached approach.

Our current active community is Forrestal Place in Durham, which offers homes across multiple size and price points. Later this year we'll be opening additional communities featuring primarily our Reserve level homes — sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear about new locations as they become available.

All of our communities are in Durham County, and that's intentional. We build exclusively in the community we know best.

Just about everything. Our communities are small infill neighborhoods in established, in-town Durham locations — not large suburban tracts on the outskirts of the city. We think carefully about how a neighborhood feels to live in, not just how it looks on a site plan. That means front porches that face the street, detached garages that don't dominate the facade, and a mix of homes that give each street real character and variety — the kind that used to happen naturally when neighborhoods were built over time by different hands. Our goal is for a B. Wallace community to feel like it belongs in Durham, because it does.

Yes — at B. Wallace, the lot and home are always sold together as a package. You'll select your home design and lot at the same time, and your contract covers both. This keeps the process simple and ensures that every home is designed with its specific site in mind.

We don't accept competing offers. Every available home and lot is offered on a strictly first-come, first-served basis — the first buyer to execute a purchase agreement secures the home. We believe this is the fairest approach for everyone involved, and it means you never have to worry about being drawn into a bidding war or losing a home you love to a higher offer.

The best way to stay ahead of new availability is to be on our email mailing list. New communities and available homes are announced there first.

Yes — please see our Custom Home & Your Own Lot section below for full details on how that process works.

It depends on the community. Many new communities today are required to have HOAs to manage shared property and common area maintenance, and some of our communities do have covenants in place for that reason. However, some of our locations — like Forrestal Place — have no shared property or common maintenance requirements, and therefore no HOA at all.

For our communities that do have HOAs, there will be some general covenants that govern what owners can and cannot do in the neighborhood. We'll provide you with a copy of the relevant covenants before you sign a contract so you can review them and make sure the community is the right fit for you.

Durham has incredible older homes, and we understand the appeal. But if you're considering new construction homes in Durham, there are some meaningful advantages worth knowing about.

From a practical standpoint, a new B. Wallace home means everything is brand new — systems, finishes, appliances, and structure — so you're not inheriting anyone else's deferred maintenance or hidden surprises. Our homes are built with high-quality, low-maintenance materials like James Hardie siding and site-finished hardwoods that are designed to look great and hold up beautifully for decades. And every B. Wallace home is built to modern energy efficiency standards — better insulation, more efficient HVAC systems, low-E windows — which translates to real savings and comfort over time.

But one of the most meaningful advantages is something you can't get from a resale home at all: joining a new community at the same time as all of your neighbors. When everyone moves in around the same time, there's a shared excitement and openness that naturally brings people together. You're all discovering the neighborhood, making it your own, and building relationships from the very beginning. It's a rare opportunity to be part of something from the ground up — and in our experience, it creates some of the strongest neighborhood bonds we've seen.

Everything you need for a beautiful, move-in ready B. Wallace home. Our base price includes all the elements we consider essential to a well-built, well-designed home — site-finished hardwood floors, fully tiled bathrooms, quality fixtures, and more depending on your home series. We build this way because we believe quality finishes aren't extras — they're what make a house feel like a home. Standard upgrades are available if you want to add features beyond the base, but they're never necessary to get a home you'll love.

The honest answer is that many B. Wallace buyers spend nothing beyond their base contract price — and end up with a home they absolutely love. Our base homes are genuinely well-appointed, and our standard upgrade list is intentionally short, so there's no pressure to add anything you don't truly want.

That said, some buyers do choose to add upgrades, and the amount varies widely depending on the home series and personal priorities. A buyer who adds a screened porch, a fireplace, and an upgraded appliance package will spend more than one who doesn't — but even then, we're not talking about the kind of upgrade spiral that can happen with some builders where the base price is a starting point and the real cost emerges later.

Our best advice is to come in with an open mind rather than a fixed upgrade budget. We'll never push you toward upgrades you don't need, and we'll always be transparent about costs before you commit to anything.

We'll be straightforward about this: we are not the lowest price-per-square-foot builder in Durham, and we don't try to be.

Our homes are built around the jewel box philosophy — higher-end appointments, quality materials, thoughtful design, and a level of personal service and sustainability that very few new construction homes include at any price point. We focus on getting every detail right rather than maximizing square footage, which means our homes tend to be smaller and better appointed rather than larger and more basic.

If you're primarily looking for the most space for the lowest cost, we're probably not the right fit — and we'd rather be honest about that upfront than have you discover it later. But if you're looking for a home that's beautifully designed, carefully built, and a genuine pleasure to live in for years to come, we think B. Wallace is hard to beat.

Our homes aren't the right fit for everyone, but buyers who value thoughtful design, quality materials, and a more personal building experience often find exactly what they're looking for — and they tend to know it from the moment they walk into one of our homes. We've found that the fit becomes clear pretty quickly, and we think that kind of clarity makes for a better experience for everyone involved..

The purchase price of a new home is sometimes higher than a comparable resale — but purchase price alone doesn't tell the whole story.

When you factor in total cost of ownership, new construction often comes out ahead. With everything brand new at closing, you're not facing the repair and replacement costs that come with an older home in the early years of ownership. Modern energy efficiency standards also mean lower monthly utility bills compared to an older Durham home, which adds up significantly over time.

There's also the question of what resale homes actually cost after closing. Updating a kitchen, replacing aging systems, or renovating bathrooms in an older home can quickly close — or eliminate — any gap between a resale purchase price and a new construction price.

And then there's appreciation. Historically, many B. Wallace homeowners have experienced strong resale performance, which we believe reflects both the quality of the homes and the thoughtfulness of the locations we choose. For many families, a well-built home in a strong location becomes their most important long-term asset.

So while new construction may require a larger upfront investment, many buyers find that over time it's not more expensive at all — and often less.

Every B. Wallace home starts with a fixed base price that covers the complete, well-appointed home as designed — including all standard specifications and the finishes that come standard in your home series. That base price doesn't change.

What can add to it are your standard upgrades and special requests. Every addition is documented and tracked in your Ressio account so you always know exactly where your total stands. There are no hidden costs and no surprises at closing — the final price is simply your base price plus any upgrades and special requests you've chosen along the way.

The deposit amount varies depending on the community, the home series, and any financing programs you may be using. Typically deposits range from 5% to 7% of the base price of the home. Your deposit is due at the time of contract signing along with your completed purchase agreement and B. Wallace Process document.

For most B. Wallace buyers — those purchasing a home within one of our communities — the answer is no. The process is actually very similar to buying an existing home. You'll pay your initial deposit at contract, and then obtain standard mortgage financing and close once construction is complete. The main difference from buying a resale home is simply the waiting period between your deposit and closing while your home is being built.

If you're building a custom home on your own lot, the financing works differently — you'll need a construction-to-permanent loan for that process. Our team can walk you through what that looks like and connect you with lenders experienced in that type of financing.

You're welcome to use any lender you choose. That said, we do have a small group of preferred lenders who are deeply familiar with new construction financing — and specifically with the B. Wallace process. One of our goals is for the entire experience of building your home to be as smooth and low-stress as possible, and that includes the loan and closing process. These are lenders we are confident can deliver that experience. As a thank-you for working with one of our preferred lenders, we provide a $1,000 credit at closing.

If you choose to go with your own lender, we'll provide them with a detailed information form outlining the key components and critical timing of our process so they're well-prepared to handle your loan and keep things on track for an on-time closing.

Your final purchase price will be confirmed approximately 21 days before closing, once all selections and upgrades have been documented and finalized. We recommend that buyers plan their mortgage rate lock with this timeline in mind — we suggest at least a 60-day rate lock to give yourself a comfortable cushion for any unexpected hiccups in construction, loan preparation, or closing.

Our primary incentives are the $1,000 credit we offer for using one of our preferred lenders and the $500 credit for using one of our preferred closing attorneys. Beyond those, we occasionally offer promotions — particularly when launching a new community — but we're intentional and careful about how we do that.

Two things matter deeply to us when it comes to pricing and incentives. First, we work hard to price both our homes and our upgrades fairly for the market. Second, we believe in fairness and equity across our communities — we're building neighborhoods where we hope people will become genuine neighbors. We strive for consistent and fair pricing so that every buyer feels confident they received the same honest value as their neighbors.

So while we don't compete on heavy incentives or discounts, we do compete on value — and we think the homes speak for themselves.

We understand that life doesn't always go as planned, and we try to handle these situations with as much fairness and compassion as possible.

By the terms of the purchase agreement, the initial deposit is non-refundable. That said, we recognize that sometimes things happen that are genuinely outside a buyer's control, and we don't believe in a one-size-fits-all response to those situations. We handle each case individually and do our best to find a fair resolution.

Depending on the circumstances, we have worked with buyers in a variety of ways — including transferring them to a different community or refunding a portion of their deposit once we have been able to resell the home. We can't make guarantees about outcomes in advance, but we can promise that we will approach any difficult situation with honesty, fairness, and a genuine desire to do right by everyone involved.

If you find yourself in a difficult situation, the most important thing is to reach out to us directly and have an open conversation as early as possible. The sooner we know, the more options we typically have.

Quality finishes are the baseline at B. Wallace — not an upgrade. Every home we build, regardless of series, includes materials and craftsmanship that we consider essential to a well-built, well-designed home. That means site-finished hardwood floors, fully tiled bathrooms, soft-close cabinetry, HardiePlank siding, and trusted brand specifications like Delta faucets, Toto toilets, and Sherwin Williams paint.

That consistency extends beyond our team and into our subcontractors as well. We use the same subcontractor crews across all of our homes regardless of price point, which means a Select level home gets the same quality workmanship as a Reserve level home. Most of our subcontractors have been with us for over ten years, and many have worked with us since the very beginning. We consider ourselves very lucky to have those long-term relationships — with crews who know our expectations, share our standards, and have earned our complete trust.

Our standard specifications include trusted, quality brands across the board — James Hardie siding, Delta faucets, Toto toilets, Sherwin Williams paint, and Rubio Monocoat floor finish, among others. Site-finished hardwood floors and fully tiled bathrooms are standard in every home. For selections where you're choosing from a curated list — fixtures, cabinet hardware, tile, and more — every option has been personally selected by Britney to ensure quality and to give you enough variety to mix and match successfully and truly capture your own style.

We believe a well-built home should be healthy to live in, efficient to operate, and built to last. That philosophy shows up in the materials and systems we specify across all of our homes:

Air quality and healthy materials — We use zero VOC interior paint, Rubio Monocoat plant-based floor finish with 0% VOC, and cabinetry built with hardwood plywood that meets California CARB 2 standards for formaldehyde emissions, finished with low VOC coatings. Humidity sensing bathroom fans help manage moisture and air quality automatically.

Energy efficiency — All homes include radiant barrier roof sheathing, high-efficiency LED lighting, low-E energy efficient windows, and whole house Aprilaire HVAC filters. Two-story homes are equipped with two separate HVAC systems — one for each floor — rated at 15 SEER or better for optimal efficiency and comfort.

Water efficiency — We specify WaterSense compliant faucets and toilets and Energy Star dishwashers as standard across all homes.

Building envelope — Sealed crawl spaces, James Hardie fiber-cement siding and trim, and the ZipWall exterior sheathing system in select home series all contribute to a tighter, more durable building envelope that performs better over the long term.

EV ready — Every B. Wallace home includes a 220V outlet at the driveway or garage, making it easy to add an EV charger without costly electrical upgrades after closing.

These aren't optional add-ons — they're part of how we build every home because we think it's simply the right way to build.

Every B. Wallace home comes with three layers of warranty protection. First, a comprehensive one-year builder warranty covering workmanship and materials — small cosmetic items are addressed collectively at your one-year anniversary visit, while more urgent issues affecting daily livability are addressed as soon as possible. Second, an independent ten-year structural warranty provided through Maverick at no additional cost to you. And third, manufacturer warranties on your appliances and major systems, which we'll make sure you have documentation for at closing.

Together these warranties give you real peace of mind — from the day you move in through the long term.

By the time you reach closing, your home will have passed a minimum of eleven city and county inspections covering all major structural, mechanical, and systems elements. In addition, we conduct our own thorough internal review before your new home orientation.

You're also welcome to arrange independent third party inspections at the pre-drywall stage, pre-closing, or even at your one-year warranty anniversary. We have no hesitation about that — B. Wallace has been building homes in this community for over twenty years, and our reputation here matters deeply to us. We're not just your builder; we're your neighbors. We build every home as if the whole neighborhood is watching, because in many ways it is.

Absolutely. You are welcome to work with a buyer's agent of your choosing throughout the process, and we enjoy working with the agent community. We pay a 2.5% buyer's agent commission, so your representation comes at no additional cost to you. If you don't have an agent, that's fine too — we'll guide you through everything directly.

No. The price of your home is the same whether you're represented by an agent or not.

Your agent's primary role is in helping you get to contract — evaluating the home, the community, and the terms, and advocating for your interests. Once construction is underway, most of the day-to-day communication happens directly between you and the B. Wallace team through Ressio. Your agent will also have access to your Ressio account so they can follow along throughout the entire process, and they are welcome to attend selection meetings if you'd like them there.

We keep this simple. There's no formal registration requirement and no deadline for agent involvement. If your client includes you on their purchase agreement, we will pay your compensation. We want working with B. Wallace to be straightforward for the agent community — no hoops to jump through, no gotchas.

Yes — from time to time we have model homes available that are move-in ready or nearing completion. See our Available Homes page for current inventory, or contact us directly to ask about upcoming opportunities.

A pre-sale home is one you purchase before or early in the construction process, giving you the full B. Wallace selection experience — working with Britney through staged meetings to make your standard selections, consider upgrades, and add any special requests. This is the most personalized path to a B. Wallace home.

A model home is one we've already designed and built to showcase a specific architectural style and highlight the craftsmanship and quality that goes into every B. Wallace home. When you purchase a model home, many or all of the design decisions have already been made — what you get is a beautifully finished, move-in ready home without the wait or the selection process.

The biggest advantage is time. Model homes are available on a much shorter timeline than pre-sales, so if you need to move sooner rather than later, a model home may be the right fit. You also get to see exactly what you're buying — a fully finished, professionally designed home — before you sign. And you still get the same B. Wallace quality, craftsmanship, and warranty as any pre-sale home.

The tradeoff is personalization. Because model homes are designed to represent a specific architectural style and showcase B. Wallace's design vision, the selection options are more limited than a pre-sale. Depending on when you purchase during construction, some or all selections may already be finalized.

If having extensive input into your home's finishes and details is important to you, a pre-sale is likely the better fit. On the other hand, if you love what you see in the model and want to move in without the wait — or if you find the decision-making process overwhelming or aren't quite sure of your own style yet — a model home can actually be a wonderful solution. You get a beautifully designed, move-in ready home with all the hard choices already made by someone with a very good eye for it.

Yes — we build on privately owned lots in both Durham and Orange counties, and it's a path we genuinely enjoy. We can build one of our existing floor plans on your lot, modify an existing design to better fit your site and lifestyle, or create a completely custom home designed from scratch specifically for you.

The process works differently from purchasing a home within one of our communities, so if this is the path you're considering the rest of this section will walk you through what to expect. And as always, we're happy to talk through your specific situation directly — just reach out.

Absolutely. If none of our existing floor plans feel like the right fit for your lot, your lifestyle, or your vision, we can design a home from the ground up specifically for you. You bring the inspiration — whether that's a clear vision of what you want, a collection of ideas, or simply a list of must-haves — and our team will design and draft a custom home around it. Every custom design is then reviewed and approved for structural integrity by a local engineer before we create a final buildable set of plans.

It's worth knowing that the level of design involvement does affect cost. Building one of our existing floor plans on your lot is the most economical path. Modifying an existing design adds some design cost but is still more efficient than starting from scratch. A completely custom design is the most involved and most expensive option — but it also delivers a home that is entirely and uniquely yours.

We're happy to talk through which path makes the most sense for you from the very first conversation.

We build custom homes on privately owned lots in both Durham and Orange counties. If your lot is outside of those areas, reach out and we'll let you know whether we can accommodate your location.

We're always actively looking for lot opportunities and new community locations, and if we know a client is looking for something specific we're happy to keep an eye out. That said, we want to be upfront: finding buildable land in Durham — especially in the most desirable in-town locations and at prices that work for most budgets — is genuinely difficult. It's one of the most significant challenges in our market, and we don't want anyone to underestimate that going in.

If you're searching on your own and come across a property you're considering, we'd strongly encourage you to reach out to us before you buy. We're happy to review any potential lot for buildability and help you identify any challenges or pitfalls before you're committed to a purchase. A little due diligence upfront can save a lot of frustration down the road.

And of course, joining our mailing list is the best way to hear about new B. Wallace communities as soon as they become available.

Yes — unlike purchasing a home within one of our communities, building on your own lot does require a construction-to-permanent loan. This type of financing covers the cost of construction and then converts to a standard mortgage once the home is complete. It's a straightforward process for lenders experienced in new construction, and we'll make sure you have all the information you need to get the right financing in place from the start.

The core of what we do is the same — we build beautiful, high-quality homes with the same craftsmanship, materials, and attention to detail regardless of how you come to us. But there are some meaningful differences in how the process works.

When you buy within one of our communities, you're choosing from a set of designated floor plans, purchasing the lot and home together as a package, using standard mortgage financing, and working within an established timeline.

When you build on your own lot, you have significantly more flexibility — in floor plan, design, and site. You'll work with our team on design from the very beginning. Financing works differently too, requiring a construction-to-permanent loan. And because every custom project is unique, timelines and pricing are determined on a project-by-project basis.

Both paths lead to a B. Wallace home — the difference is really in how much of the process you want to shape from the ground up.

New construction is our focus and our expertise — it's what we've built our business and our reputation on. Renovation and remodeling is a genuinely different discipline, and while we have great respect for the contractors who do it well, it's not something we take on as a general rule.

That said, we're hesitant to say never. Under the right circumstances we would consider a renovation project, so if you have something specific in mind it's always worth a conversation.

On the day of closing, before you head to the attorney's office, we'll meet you at your new home for a thorough orientation. At the heart of this meeting is a comprehensive checklist that we developed ourselves over years of building and closing homes. It's designed to make sure you leave the orientation knowing the truly important operational things about your home — how systems work, what to be aware of, and where everything is — as well as confirming that every element of the home is in good working order.

You'll work through the checklist with us room by room, inside and out. Prior to this meeting, the B. Wallace team will have already completed our own thorough inspection to verify that everything is functionally and cosmetically finished to our standards. If you notice anything during the walkthrough that needs attention, you'll note it on the checklist and in most cases we'll be able to address it the same day.

It's also a great opportunity to ask any general questions about homeownership — we want you to feel completely comfortable and confident walking into closing.

Closing typically takes place in the early afternoon on the same day as your new home orientation. You'll go to the attorney's office to sign all necessary paperwork, after which the attorney will record your purchase with the County. The transaction isn't officially complete until that recording takes place — but in most cases it happens the same day you sign. Once the recording is done, the home is yours and you get the keys to your new home.

We do have preferred closing attorneys who are familiar with the B. Wallace process and experienced with new construction closings. As a thank-you for working with one of our preferred attorneys, we provide a $500 credit at closing. If you choose to work with your own attorney, you're welcome to do so — we'll make sure they have everything they need for a smooth closing.

A few practical things to handle right away. Water, power, and gas service will already be active at the home, but you'll need to transfer them into your name within three business days of closing — we recommend calling the day before closing to arrange those transfers. Detailed information on this process is available in your Ressio account.

Also keep in mind that any deliveries, installations, or services not included in your construction agreement — appliances, security monitoring, cable, internet, window treatments — need to be scheduled after closing, not before.

New homes go through a natural settling process as they acclimate to seasonal changes in humidity, temperature, and soil moisture. You may notice small things — minor cracks, slight movements in wood components — and this is completely normal. In anticipation of this, every B. Wallace home comes with a comprehensive one-year builder warranty that covers workmanship and materials. Small cosmetic items will be collectively addressed at your one-year anniversary visit. More urgent items that affect the daily livability of your home will be addressed as soon as possible.

All warranty requests should be submitted through your Ressio account, which stays active after closing specifically for this purpose. Requests submitted any other way aren't guaranteed to be evaluated, so Ressio is always the right channel.

We'll let them speak for themselves:

"Britney Wallace is one of the finest human beings I have ever met. She is a person of tremendous integrity, and the entire process was a delight. The inspector could not find a single thing wrong."— 2013

"You were so organized, professional, detailed and thoughtful — it was easy to sit back, relax and enjoy the process."— 2021

"Your help with picking our colors was so important. Every day I think 'I love the colors Britney helped me pick out — and changed the ones I wanted, which I wouldn't have liked!'"— 2016

"The level of care and passion you have for your work really shows. You easily rank top among builders we've met."— 2023

"Your patience in listening to our evolving priorities and clear commitment to quality proved my initial gut feeling that you were our builder — absolutely right."— 2025

"There will never be another home that will live up to this one that we have loved for eight years."— Written after listing her B. Wallace home for sale, 2025

"We are so grateful for our beautiful house and for how easy you made the whole process. It's been a pleasure living here these past few weeks — even without being fully unpacked yet."— 2026

A few themes come up again and again. The first is how enjoyable the process actually is. Many buyers come in bracing for stress — and find that the staged, guided approach makes the whole experience feel manageable and even fun. As one buyer put it, it was easy to "sit back, relax, and enjoy the process."

The second is how much they love the details they didn't choose themselves. The standard specifications — the things Britney selects as the builder — consistently become some of buyers' favorite features. The high windows that flood a room with light while preserving privacy. The way natural light moves through the floor plan. The trim details that give each home its character. These aren't things buyers typically put on a wish list, but they're often what buyers mention years later when they talk about why they love their home.

And the third, perhaps most surprisingly, is how much they love their neighborhood. Several buyers have told us that the community they became part of turned out to be just as meaningful as the home itself — which is exactly what we're hoping for every time we break ground on a new street.

Twenty years and over 200 homes in Durham is the honest answer. But beyond the numbers, the B. Wallace reputation is built almost entirely on word of mouth — buyers who had a great experience telling their friends, colleagues, and neighbors. We're proud to have multiple repeat clients who have trusted us with their home purchase more than once, and we don't take that lightly. Many of our buyers follow us for years before purchasing, and we think that says something. We build every home as if our reputation depends on it — because it does.

Absolutely — and we have a lot of experience with it. Relocating buyers have found that the organized, stage-by-stage process and the Ressio platform make it easy to stay closely involved even from a distance. One family told us they appreciated our patience as they sent hundreds of messages from afar — and we were happy to receive every one of them. If you're moving to Durham and want to put down real roots, we'd love to help you do that.

A lot of things — the design philosophy, the Durham roots, the quality of the finishes, the staged selection process. But if we're being honest, what buyers tell us most often is that it comes down to the people. Britney brings an unusual combination to this work: the analytical rigor of an engineer, the eye of a designer, and the integrity of someone who has staked her name and her reputation on every home she's built. It's rare to find all of that in one builder, and rarer still to find it in a locally owned company that has been doing this in one community for over two decades. Several of our buyers have specifically noted that finding a builder of this caliber — led by a woman with genuine vision and craftsmanship — was something they didn't expect but are deeply grateful for.

Deeply. Our business has been part of this community for over twenty years and our families have been here even longer, and that means more to us than just knowing the streets and neighborhoods. We actively support Durham organizations through monetary donations, sponsorships, and hands-on personal involvement from Britney and the team.

Three organizations hold a special place for us as long-term partners: Habitat for Humanity, whose mission of building homes and communities aligns closely with our own; Durham Animal Protection Society, because what makes a house feel more like home than a rescue pet; and El Futuro, which provides mental health services to Durham's Latino community.

Beyond those core relationships, we regularly show up for Durham in all kinds of fun and meaningful ways — from volunteer days and sponsorships to donations large and small. Recent examples include Emanuel Food Pantry, Shephard Middle School, Sacred Soil Community Garden, Keep Durham Beautiful, and more.

We build in Durham because we love Durham. Supporting the people and organizations that make this city so wonderful feels like the most natural thing in the world.