In the art of constructing a home, the process often takes great effort. Starting from the early phase of concrete that has to be set, to the final touches added to the exterior, many components must be replicated for each house to become a home. 

For the task to be replicated numerous times, and done in a manner that is feasible in the real estate market is no small feat. It’s a feat that Smooth Edge Custom Construction has been accomplishing since May of 2023. 

Constructing and developing a subdivision of houses under contract or already sold, the 1,300-1,400 square foot homes on nine lots are in different phases of completion. The houses are all three bedrooms and two bathrooms, starting at $285,000, and sit on 14 acres purchased from Jeff Sheridan.

For Scott Shoopman, co-owner of Smooth Edge Custom Construction, the undertaking of such a task has been nothing new for the experienced company. With the endeavor starting at the later end of spring, the speed at which the crew of 20 people at times is working has been what’s needed to put houses on the market that are affordable and realistic for the current economy.

“We’ve built seven houses from May, so we have really hustled along,” Shoopman said.

Within each of the houses, a consistency to the components inside the structure ranges from the energy-efficient furnaces to tankless hot water heaters, something that isn’t all too common. 

“Those kinds of things, you generally don’t find those in these types of houses,” Shoopman said. “There are a lot of things, over the house structure that add to the builder, but in saving money, in saving gas for the homeowner, that’s what makes this subdivision unique.”

In this process though, there have been many factors that resulted in the current approach to building houses in the local area, especially when taking into account inflation and increasing interest rates.

“When we first started out, we would say we were 100 bucks a square foot to build,” Shoopman said. “That’s changed drastically. Now, we are feeling like it’s over $200  per square foot. Now we’ve changed our game plan to try and make things more affordable for people here in Powell, by building some smaller houses with the interest rates being higher.”

As the nine lots on Monroe Street go through the finishing touches and the beginning stages simultaneously, Shoopman reflects on how the process of each home has brought a sense of satisfaction to watch the entirety of the build from start to finish, something often unique in this day in age of construction. 

“Like I’ve said, we [Smooth Edge] do everything ourselves,” Shoopman said. “All of the underground utility work and everything in here, all of the infrastructure, we get ourselves. I think the satisfying part for me is that it is clear from in the ground, to 20 feet, to the top of the roof, we are involved in every stage of the structure… not a lot of builders get to experience this.”