Hickory Hill Homes

Well doesn't everyone have a "builder story"? I talked to countless people who do, and they aren't always the best. Well here is my story. I purchased an 1860 property that required not only significant remodeling but much needed extra space. After selecting an amazing architect, Jim Pitzen of Pitzen Design, I then spoke to many people who had recently built a home, bankers and realtors who have been involved in the home building process, which lead me to 10 builders I would then distill down to 6 to interview. 4 of the 6 highly encouraged me to demo the home and build new. Seeing as the property has several other buildings of the same time period, replacing the home with new, would make it really look out of place. This is when I meet John and Jamie Ziebell of Hickory Hill Homes. From the moment I met this Father and Son team, I knew they were the right fit. The warmth, kindness, and interest they showed from the start made me feel like I was going to have a real partner in this process. Despite being new home builders, their business model was also adaptable to a remodel as well, and my project was as much remodel, as rebuild so they fit perfectly. John Ziebell offered such great insight from the many years of home building which really lent to making some tough decisions that much easier, and Jamie was the day to day leader and point man every home owner wants to spend time with in such a stressful time. Jamie will always make you feel confident in the process, even when you don't feel it is going as planned. Weather, along with unexpected findings can always create set backs in projects such as this. He was here everyday to ensure what was said, actually was happening, and if not, followed through to ensure a timely completion. Their general contractor crew was extremely professional, efficient and friendly. They tore 70% of the house down to nothing and rebuilt the bones in amazing time, despite an unforeseen set back in the foundation that delayed us 5 weeks. When the sheet rock/plaster and wood arrived, they were again efficient and first rate. The mill work in this house is amazing. These craftsman worked with precision as if they were building their own home. The fit and finish is exact, and everyone notices it. Their custom cabinetry people were equally as precise. I can say right to the paint and stain, everybody in this process did amazing work. In talking to all of them as I did, I could tell in was because it was a "Hickory Hill" project. In the end, 8 months in total, I ended up going from a, "home inspectors" nightmare and an old and close quarters home, to a beautiful open concept main floor and spacious free flowing bedroom/bath space that everyone is impressed by. As a side note, we also made sure to keep the exterior of the home looking as close to the original as possible as 70% of the home tied back into the original portion of the home. The number of compliments I receive is ridiculous. And about so many various details throughout. If you are in SE WI and considering a builder, you have to visit with John and Jamie Ziebell of Hickory Hill Homes. When you do visit with them, and want to lean more of my project, feel free to ask about contacting me.

My wife and I have had an incredible experience with Hickory Hill Homes. Jamie Ziebell has been perfect in many respects. His ability to create a realistic budget has been stress relieving and his client-focused negotiation with sub-contractors saved us a tremendous amount of money. The depth and character of the finishes have blown the minds of our visitors and constantly remind us of why we wanted a smaller, more personal builder. Family owned really means something with this team. We are thankful that we met them and sincerely endorse them as the top Lake Country custom home builder in the business.