BrightLeaf Homes

If you considering building your own home, look no further than Brightleaf! We were first-time home builders and didn’t know where to start, but Brightleaf made it super easy for us to build our dream (and GREEN!) home. From the initial call to simply get information to turning the keys over, their entire staff was responsive, helpful, professional, and so nice! Jarrett worked with us to find the perfect lot in La Grange; Alex walked us through some in-progress projects to show us “behind the walls” and what separated Brightleaf from other home builders - green materials and building practices that resulted in a sturdier and better insulated home; Mary Kate helped us design each room and pick out all finishes, paint, trim, wood, cabinetry, and room layout; and Bret kept us updated daily on progress of construction and permit process once that all began. Bret even came out to our house during a huge storm our first weekend living in the home to check on the pumps and make sure our basement stayed dry - it did even when many people were getting water in their basements. The best part aside from having a really well-insulated smart home with LEED certification in our perfect location is that the project was completed on time and ON BUDGET! All of the costs are determined up front before anything is purchased so you know exactly what you are going to spend. There were no budget overruns! The only thing we paid extra for were things that we as the buyers changed or added from the original plans during the construction process. Brightleaf also follows through and stands behind their work. Checking in at regular intervals and having 1 month/6 month/12 month check ins to repair anything that has broken or shifted as a result of the house settling. They also went to work for us getting us a new stove when the one that was originally installed turned out to be a lemon (not Brightleaf’s fault!). It was not an easy fix during the pandemic when appliances were in short supply, but we felt like Brightleaf really helped expedite the process and were grateful! We chose not to finish our basement yet, but we will be using Brightleaf to complete that project when the time comes. I was not thrilled with US Bank as the construction loan provider, but that was a US Bank issue and not at all a Brightleaf issue. We chose US Bank as our loan provider based on rates. Brightleaf worked with US Bank to clear up any issues with construction draws throughout the process.

Home building seemed like it would be full of pitfalls and regrets, but I’m fortunate and thankful to say it was just the opposite experience building with BrightLeaf (BL). After seeing so many people roll their eyes when we told them we were doing new construction and telling us “just wait, it will go over on budget and/or timing”, we had reason to question our decision, but the team at BL seemed so genuine and different from all the stereotypical home construction pitfalls and norms that we put our trust in them and we are so glad we did because they delivered in every way and more. What made BL great? Their genuine desire for you to be happy with your new home and build you a high quality home that they (and you) can enjoy and be proud of now and for years to come. They go above and beyond to achieve this. Let me start by saying we are a young family who had never owned a home, much less a new construction home. My husband and I had always rented so this was unchartered territory. We assumed new construction would be way out of our budget, but when a great opportunity to build with BL came along we went for it. Part of the genius behind the BL process is that you make all your home selections BEFORE construction starts. Not only does this provide transparency around pricing, but also on construction timing and eventual move-in date. Once we agreed to build, we started making all our detailed home selections (e.g. vanities, flooring, etc). Admittedly, there were times we struggled to pick things “blindly” so to speak (e.g. paint color for every room, kitchen backsplash, etc), but in the end we were glad we did it that way. Mary Kate was our point person and she walked us through the whole process and gave pointers and recommendations when we had trouble making decisions. The online tool BL uses is very user-friendly allowing you to make home selections at your own pace since it is all web-based. And the pricing is built in as well so you can see how what you pick will affect your total pricing (e.g. heated bathroom floors versus non-heated or cost of adding a sink to the mudroom…etc) Then, once construction begins you are assigned a project manager who sends you updates (often daily!) describing what has been done on your home and providing pictures, if relevant. Everything is uploaded in an online portal you can access via the web or a phone app. It’s so easy and convenient… and TRANSPARENT. There is also a schedule to give you a sense of what’s happening in the coming weeks and any delays are reported and impact on overall timing provided as well. John (our project manager) kept us informed and met with us at the house throughout the building process to walk and talk through what was happening. He also answered all our questions and has continued working with us during post-move-in checks as well. We tried to stick to our original house selections, but it’s inevitable once going through the home that you may want to make some small (or big) changes, and BL will provide pricing and timing updates before you have to decide whether to follow through on the change. And their goal, the whole time, remains the same: they want you to love your home so they want you to say what you want and get what you want. Sometimes I felt bad asking to change something while construction was already in progress, or asking to price out a tenth vanity during the selection process, but the team at BL was always patient and helpful answering questions and pricing out the various options we were interested in. It’s clear they realize these are huge life and financial decisions and that people will sometimes change their minds, so they are ready for this and will adjust on the go to make sure their client is happy with the decision they made (even if that means the client changes their mind a few times along the way). I’ve also really appreciated how the attention to quality and customer satisfaction has continued long after move-in. We’ve been in our home 9 months and during our 30 day and 6-month check-ins, John took care of addressing our checklist items and concerns. Not only were fixes made (e.g. replacing faulty fuses in the fusebox), but John also addressed touch-ups or items we wanted changed. For instance, he did paint touch ups where the movers had scratched walls moving in furniture and installed new bathroom hardware in the master bathroom when we realized we didn’t like the faucets we originally selected. These are NOT items that needed fixing, but rather asks we made that BL was happy to address. John has also made himself available to address questions or concerns outside of these prescribed time frames (e.g. when the power went out during a storm John talked me through how to open the garage door manually). We feel like we can reach out to BL anytime (and we have) because we know they care about the quality of their homes as much as they care about the satisfaction of their clients. And this is to say nothing of the actual quality of their construction as well as the green way in which they build to have a more efficient home without compromising quality or comfort for the home buyer. I am not a construction expert, but I’ve spoken with family members who built their own homes and they were impressed with the “inside the walls” tour and construction method BL uses to ensure maximum insulation and quality build. From a “real life” perspective, I can tell based on how quiet it is in our home and more importantly, our electric bills in peak summer and winter months have not been much more than when we lived in a 2 bedroom apartment that was almost a third of the size of our home. I appreciate companies who continue to stand by their product and their clients once the sale is done and BL does just that. The quality of the homes they build is just the beginning; it’s really the people who work at BL and their goal for happy clients and constant improvement that rings true throughout the entire construction process and beyond. There is nothing gimmicky or fake about them. Two final stories to drive home this point: First, when we discovered an issue late in construction (layout of foyer and living room was slightly different than what was agreed upon during pre-construction due to a communication error within BL), BL jumped into action and immediately came up with solutions and met with us to discuss them. The way BL handled this issue and its subsequent resolution made us (almost;) happy the error had occurred because it was yet another example of how much BL cares when issues come up, and most importantly, how well they maintain their transparency and work with you to resolve them. Second, our baby was born during our home construction and I had a few complications following the birth. The day after I was readmitted to the hospital due to those complications, I received a handwritten card and gift in my hospital room from the BL team. It’s hard to explain, but this meant so much to me because again, it was a sign of how much they care – far beyond the home construction process – about their clients. Thank you BrightLeaf! We would build again with you anytime and are excited for anyone else who has the opportunity to work with you.

Top quality professionals. Experts in their field and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended. Hope to work with Brightleaf again in the future.

Our BrightLeaf experience all started with a casual walk-in of an open house in Brookfield. The home was beautiful from the outside and we decided to pull over and take the tour. That day, Rick was showing the home and we hit it off immediately with him. Not only was the home beautiful inside as well, but Rick’s enthusiasm and passion was as obvious as the quality of craftsmanship in the home. He pointed out several unique features in their build process that made the home unique among other new construction homes. We were very impressed with everything but made it clear that we were not interested in buying a new home at the time. Being current home owners and new parents with a 1 year old baby boy, we had other thoughts about where we stood in terms of a new home. We took Rick’s information and a few days later looked up BrightLeaf's website and some of their recent projects. Reading more about their eco-friendly and energy efficient homes, we were even more intrigued than before. After some more research and thought, we decided to give Rick a call for more information. That’s when Rick brought along Scott for an in-home sit down where many questions were asked and answered. BrightLeaf was just a team of three at the time and had accomplished so much. We soon decided that a new home for our growing family would be worth the sacrifice of selling our current home and going through new construction for a custom home to meet our needs. Up until that time, meeting only Rick and Scott, we put all of our trust into letting BrightLeaf build our dream, and moving along we were never once disappointed in doing so! We met Alex after signing on for the build and were introduced to Agnes, a new member of their team, that they had just brought in and the process went as smooth as can be. Rick assisted us in finding the perfect location for our build, only blocks away from downtown La Grange. We never thought we would find anything in that specific area at a reasonable price, but BrightLeaf purchased the “cash deal” only property and made it happen for us. We went very custom across the boards in our home’s selections. We joke to this day about how annoying we may have been throughout the build, but they worked with us with smiles and laughs through it all…and even took several of our ideas further than what we even envisioned. We took a number of tours of our home each month, some just dropping by on our own at times, and we were always welcomed and never felt as if we were not. BrightLeaf made it clear from day one of our build that this was “our home”. Alex kept us up to speed with everything and we maintained contact with Rick and Scott as well throughout the process. Our ECO 3 was built through a rough winter and was completed just 1 week outside of the projected completion date. We were absolutely shocked with how well they coordinated with their partners throughout the build as well as with some of our own contractors we brought in for personal customizations. Everything was handled professionally and all the work was carried out quickly and efficiently without compromising any quality. Our build started in December and we were moved into our custom ECO 3 by April. Their 10 year slab to shingle warranty is unheard of and definitely gave us a peace of mind we never had before in a home. Since move-in, we’ve maintained a very good relationship with them all and have been introduced to their growing team. We are so happy with our BrightLeaf home and even happier to see that BrightLeaf is growing and building more beautiful and sustainable homes around the Chicagoland area. We’re proud to be part of the BrightLeaf Family…and our little one still boasts about “his house Alex built for him”!!!

We've been living in our BrightLeaf home for about 2 years now. I have to say that I don't think I've ever meant a group of people that have the level of integrity as those that work at BrightLeaf. First of all, they know what they are doing and they truly care about the quality of their work. Second, they bend over backwards to ensure their customers are happy. I've had a few questions about our house well after we bought it and they investigated and answered my question with the same level of service as if we were potential clients. They truly stand by their product and continue to be in a relationship with you well after you've bought the house. They're great builders and great people on top of that!

We have been in our BrightLeaf home for 2 years and love it as much today as when we first moved in - in large part because the quality of the build is still there and just as great! The BrightLeaf team were attentive to our wishes during the build and very available during our warranty year as well. A great team of professionals who strive to provide the highest in quality and service!

Building a home was a major life decision for our family. Choosing BrightLeaf made that decision and the experience beyond enjoyable. The team at BrightLeaf was there to help guide us through every step of the way. No concern was too big, or too small. We couldn’t be happier with our home, and couldn’t have selected a better team to build it.