A Texas couple who began planning their $3 million dream home in 2018 have now more than doubled on the property, which remains unfinished.
Instagram model Carrie LaChance and her husband Nate are starting construction on their Dallas-area “castle” in 2020, but thanks to the pandemic, it’s still under construction.
The couple’s project has been hit hard by the COVID economy, labor shortages, inflation, soaring house prices, manufacturing issues and a strained supply chain.
Her home builder claims the pandemic has set off a “chain reaction” that has seen prices skyrocket across all sectors of the housing industry.
Though the LaChances are over budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars and don’t have a firm timeline for completing the home, construction is moving forward.
Carrie and Nate LaChance (pictured) started building their $3 million dream home in Texas in 2019 and have now more than doubled on the unfinished lot
Carrie and Nate bought a pristine lakefront lot near Dallas for $260,000 in 2018 without even seeing it.
They wanted to build their dream house on the property, which they called their “castle”. The property would feature a gym, movie theater, pool and luxe interior touches including a 24k gold sink.
But even though crews broke ground in 2020, the property is far from complete. Photos show that the castle is still missing windows, doors and much of its internal structure.
The couple’s master builder, Joshua Correa, told the Washington Post the project had been delayed multiple times as suppliers increased their costs and products were delayed due to supply chain issues.
Correa claims that since the pandemic began, timber costs have nearly doubled and fuel costs have increased 10-fold after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“It was like a chain reaction,” said Joshua Correa. “Everyone started asking more – for everything.”
Similarly, appliance makers struggled with chip shortages and production problems, making it harder to source essential household items like refrigerators and washing machines.
The couple’s home – which they call their “castle” – has been hit hard by the COVID-19 economy, labor shortages, inflation, soaring house prices, manufacturing issues and the strained supply chain. The house is pictured above as seen on May 3, 2022
The couple’s builder, Joshua Correa (pictured May 3), said the lock project was experiencing several delays as suppliers increased their costs and products were delayed due to supply chain issues
Although the LaChances ordered their state-of-the-art refrigerator in September 2021, the supplier said it won’t arrive until next March.
Correa, who is responsible for coordinating all of LaChances’ contractors, also struggles to keep a workforce to complete the task.
He said a simple house used to take five months to build, but given the current climate it will take a crew at least 10 months to complete.
Although he looks for labor weeks in advance, the ongoing labor shortage is delaying production.
He explained that if he hires both a framing team and a timber team but only one of the contractors arrives, he risks losing the other vendor entirely.
“Due to the lack of labor, if you add up my lost time, my transportation costs, overhead, and all my delays, I’m getting about $150,000 per house,” Correa said.
Ultimately, the bills for delays or re-signed contracts fall on LaChances.
The couple raised an additional $100,000 in the fall of 2021 to cover unexpected expenses, but said those funds would be depleted by the end of the year.
Most of the extra spending has come from unexpected delays and rising contract costs, but Carrie notes that the couple have changed plans in the meantime, such as: B. changing the color scheme from white and silver to gold.
“The more you think about things you think, ‘maybe I want that in there,'” Carrie said of the changes.
The LaChances raised an additional $100,000 in the fall of 2021 to cover unexpected expenses, but said those funds would be depleted by the end of the year
Along with rising costs, the couple is struggling with an inability to actually get their hands on the necessary supplies.
Garret Cockrell, whose company Big D Lumber supplied the timber for the castle’s framing, said he was taking 100 calls a day during the pandemic from builders trying to gain access to timber panels or sheathing products.
Wood, which experienced some of the worst supply chain issues during the pandemic, has been hard to come by. Cockrell explained how he was forced to turn away new customers because he was struggling to meet demand from his existing clientele.
The strain on the supply chain also caused its costs to double, especially when factoring in fuel costs, labor and garden equipment.
“Fuel prices are killing us,” Cockrell explained. “I used to spend $20,000 a month on fuel for our fleet. It now costs me $200,000 for our deliveries and daily operations. It’s our cost of doing business. We just make less money.’
Unfortunately, like all areas of production, those costs ultimately come down to consumers like LaChances, which started with a $105,000 lumber budget but had already spent $177,000 by June.
Garret Cockrell, whose company Big D Lumber supplied the timber for the castle’s framing, said his costs had doubled amid the pandemic. He is pictured with an employee at his lumberyard in Richardson, Texas on May 4, 2022
LaChances started with a $105,000 lumber budget but by June had already spent $177,000. The wood used in one of Correa’s house constructions is pictured on May 3rd
The LaChances also had to increase their budget for the sandstone slabs that will cover the home’s exterior.
The pair originally budgeted $27,500 for the Silver Mist stone, which sparkles in the sunlight. They had $39,000 for the product in June.
Donna Webb, co-owner of the company that does the couple’s stonework, said she doesn’t have the staff to complete projects, although they have finished slabs of the product.
She raised wages by 20 percent to try to compete with the rest of the construction industry, but says it’s still not enough to keep staff levels up.
“If you want them, you have to pay for them,” Webb explained. “We’re no different than any other industry out there.”
She fears that the economy, which analysts say is headed for an inevitable recession, will have unknown consequences for the housing market and, by extension, her business.
“With a 6 percent mortgage rate, you damn looker, there’s going to be a lot of people who can’t pay for their houses,” Webb said. “I think it’s going to be a bit scary by the end of the year. I think a slowdown is coming. I hesitate to call it a recession, but everyone else calls it one.’
Despite the many complications brought on by the pandemic, the LaChances continue to move forward with their construction plans. Carrie (pictured) documented her home building journey on her Instagram account
Despite the many complications brought on by the pandemic, Carrie and Nate continue to push ahead with their construction plans.
It’s unclear when the project will be completed, but the couple have already made a special plan to celebrate their first night in the house.
They intend to unpack their popcorn maker, settle in at the cinema and watch Game of Thrones.
Carrie has documented her residential journey on her Instagram account, which seems to mainly showcase her modeling skills.
She also uses the account to promote the business she shares with Nate, which includes making and selling hosiery, lingerie, and high heels.
Dream home lovers can follow Carrie’s account for the latest castle updates.