I recently visited a friend in her lovely home built on family land in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The sounds of our young children were the background to our conversation. 

I commented on how I like how she rearranged the living room furniture. She sits down on a loveseat that’s now placed under a large east-facing window. Her new favorite spot, she said. She can watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee in the mornings, and the open yard just outside is often where her children play in the afternoon and she can keep a watchful eye. 

“How has this winter been going for you now that you are more settled?” I asked. 

December marked a year since they moved into their new home, about 9-10 months after they broke ground and longer since they started clearing the overgrown timber.

She described some new projects planned for their homestead. 

“But honestly? Knowing what I know now, I would have done this all a bit differently.” 

As she and her husband have gotten to know the ground they now live on, and their goals evolving some, maybe they would have changed their building plans slightly on how the house sits on the property, or how many bedrooms were downstairs.  

I was not too surprised to hear that, however. It’s not because they didn’t design a beautiful home and property for their horses, goats, chickens, a large garden and ample room for their children to explore the outdoors, because they did. But because I’ve heard it before when it comes to building a home. 

While I haven’t taken a project on at that scale, I’ve dipped my toes in via a full kitchen remodel and can confirm I too would have done things differently. 

Now matter how much you strategize and plan, hindsight offers a new lens. Adjustments can always be made. The blueprint is a solid foundation to build upon. But in all reality, it’s a plan that can be adjusted, updated, adapted to as you get more information.

The Angus breed, from its legacy to genetic makeup, comprises a solid foundation. With all the tools available to today’s breeders, it’s the best place to start designing your own guide for building something great.