Building Our Home In Cochrane - The Real Story

I’ve been a Realtor in Cochrane for years, helping families buy and sell homes, move across provinces, and even navigate the ups and downs of acreage life. But this past year, I decided to experience the other side of the process — building a home from the ground up, right here in Cochrane, with my family.

Let me tell you… it’s been a ride.

The Excitement of a Fresh Start

When we first walked into the showhome, I felt that same rush I see on my clients' faces when they step into something new. The possibilities, the clean slate — it’s exciting! Picking a lot, choosing a floorplan, and visualizing how we’d live in the space felt empowering. The sales team was friendly, helpful, and eager to make everything feel simple.

We signed on, excited about timelines, selections, and the idea of having everything “just how we wanted it.”

Reality Check — The Details Matter

Here’s where it got real.

Once we moved past the showhome glow, we hit the fine print. Upgrade costs added up fast. The “included” selections were pretty basic, and even after asking what I felt like were all the right questions of what was included based on my experience with his particular builder, there were suddenly additional price tags on A LOT of items. The windows we wanted? Upgrade. The stairs? Upgrade. The cabinets? Upgrade. Even simple things like bathroom hardware, doors and handles, exterior light fixtures, baseboards, tile — upgrade.

We found ourselves constantly weighing, Do we really need this? vs. Will we regret not doing it later? 

And then came the timelines. In theory, we were told 10–12 months. But anyone who’s built in the last few years knows — delays are the name of the game. Weather, trade availability, supply chain hiccups… you name it. At first, I thought, I’m a Realtor. I know how this works. I won’t get stressed. Spoiler alert: I got stressed.

The Emotional Rollercoaster

There’s a funny thing that happens when you build — you become emotionally attached to decisions you didn’t think would matter.

A single light fixture.
A cabinet style.

A toilet.

Bathtub hardware placement.
A mudroom bench.

A closet size (because I’d rather not fund future therapy over closet inequality!)

Suddenly, it’s everything. My family and I found ourselves overthinking things that seemed so minor, but when you’re building your forever home (or even a long-term home), every choice feels amplified.

And when things didn’t go perfectly — which happened — it was frustrating. Miscommunications, mistakes on site, last-minute changes we hadn’t expected. Some days it felt like we were totally in control, and other days, like we were just along for the ride.

The Good Stuff (Because There Is Plenty)

But despite all that, there’s nothing like watching your home come out of the ground. The first time we stood in the framed walls, looking out over the valley envisioning family BBQs and the kids laughing and playing in the backyard, it felt worth it. 

Fun fact: we are big cornhole fans so having a yard that was “regulation size”, was a must. 😂

The ability to customize spaces to fit our family’s life — the mudroom we actually need, the dedicated laundry room (see ya never closet laundry and clothes constantly piling in the hallway!), the kitchen layout that makes sense for how we cook, the bonus room where our kids will hang out with friends — you can’t put a price on that.

We also got to know our builder’s team, and while not everything was perfect, having open communication helped smooth out some of the inevitable bumps along the way. Trust me when I say, we drive by the property every day and talk to every single tradesperson on site! They have all been very welcoming to our visits and that helped put us at ease. Working with the right builder and team has been priceless in this journey.

My Honest Advice to Anyone Thinking About Building

• Be patient. Delays will happen.
• Know your budget — and leave wiggle room. The upgrades add up.
• Stay involved. Visit the site often. Ask questions. Speak up.
• Choose your battles. Don’t be afraid to speak up when you aren’t happy or aren’t sure about something but focus on the things that truly matter long-term.
• Expect it to feel personal. It’s your home. It should feel personal.

Why I’m Sharing This

I wanted to share this because as a Realtor, I believe in being transparent. Building is exciting — but it’s also messy, unpredictable, and emotional. I don’t want my clients walking into it blind.

If you’re thinking about building in Cochrane, I’d love to chat. I can help you ask the right questions, choose the right builder, and hopefully avoid some of the headaches we ran into.

At the end of the day, watching our home come to life — imperfections and all — has been an unforgettable experience. And I know when we finally move in, it’ll be even sweeter because of the journey it took to get there..