Brush Arbor Homes celebrates 20 years of continued success in Virginia’s home building market, despite unpredictable market disruptions

Established in 2006, Brush Arbor Homes (Brush Arbor) has spent nearly two decades building a reputation as one of the most respected custom homebuilders in Northern Virginia and the Washington DC area. Known for its craftsmanship and eye for detail, the company draws inspiration from the most progressive home design markets to create homes that are genuinely one of a kind. As Brush Arbor marks its 20th anniversary, Owner Jonathan Smith reflects on the past year and what the milestone means for the business.

“Since last year, we have started around eight new projects with new clients. Some of them are spec houses without clients attached, which we have always done, and we now have a good mixture of both custom and spec homes in the works. The dynamics of McLean, Virginia, the market where we primarily build, often mean we need to have the lot and the teardown secured before a client comes on board. So, they begin as spec homes, but a number of them transition into custom homes along the way. That gives us the freedom to be more creative in the design process, but it also means we cannot be too specific with our selections, as we still need to appeal to a wider audience. Some choices can tend to pigeonhole us as people will either love them or hate them, so we try to make things easily adjustable. By doing so, whoever ends up buying and moving into the house can add their own finishing touches and make it genuinely theirs without too much difficulty,” he begins.

Whether working on a custom home or a spec build, Brush Arbor is committed to striking the right balance between design and everyday functionality. For custom projects, the company strongly encourages clients to work with and take advice from a designer. Brush Arbor’s in-house designer, Carly, is extremely talented and facilitates that process. However, for clients with very specific requirements, the company will recommend bringing in an external designer to ensure every detail is communicated clearly and delivered precisely. This approach is rooted in putting the client’s vision first, even when that means looking beyond Brush Arbor’s own team.

Among the many projects Brush Arbor has undertaken in the past year, two in particular stand out. “One is an absolutely beautiful custom home we completed on the Potomac River for some amazing clients. The other was recently finished on Wemberly Way in McLean. What makes both of them particularly unique and noteworthy is that they are quite different from each other and that one was built right on the river, showcasing our craftsmanship and the range of building types we are capable of. Many of our competitors are associated with a particular style of house, but we have completed an incredibly wide range of homes. We are craftsmen who do not get stuck in one box: whether it is super traditional, ultra-modern or anything in between, we can do it, and these two projects illustrate that well,” Jonathan says.

Prioritizing people

Beyond the builds themselves, one of the things Brush Arbor is most passionate about is supporting the BuyOne BuildOne initiative. “As a company, it is the most important thing we do,” he adds. “At the end of the day, when we talk about taking the long view, nobody is going to remember us for the houses we built. What lasts is whether we did something with genuine purpose, such as taking care of people who are unable to do so by themselves: the poor and the disadvantaged. Having lived in Africa and South America, I have seen a great deal of that need firsthand. I believe we are called to put our faith into action by helping those people when we have the ability to do so. Hence, that bigger picture is a priority for me and for our whole team.”

Taking care of clients

The BuyOne BuildOne program works through a network of trusted partners on the ground in some of the world’s most deprived communities. “I know a lot of people in Central and South America and Africa who have literally dedicated their lives to serving the poorest communities they can reach. We know many of these people personally, and they typically come to us and explain the situation. For instance, there could be a widow with three children living in a mud hut in Sudan, Uganda, or anywhere else, in need of adequate housing. Sometimes I get to visit those people myself, out in villages that can be remote or difficult to reach, and we will ask questions, understand their situation and fund the build of their home. Occasionally we bring our own teams down to help with the construction directly, but we are typically busy building 20-to-30 of our own projects a year, so most of the time, our role is to fund the BuyOne BuildOne projects and provide the resources required to make them happen on the ground,” Jonathan continues.

Alongside all those projects and initiatives, this year carries particular significance for Brush Arbor, as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary. This milestone feels all the more meaningful given the setbacks the industry has faced in recent years. Navigating a global pandemic, rising material costs and an unpredictable market is no small thing, and the fact that Brush Arbor has emerged from that period in a strong position is a testament to the principles it was built on. For the company, longevity is all about consistently upholding honesty and excellent work standards while taking care of customers.

“I believe the key to our success is sticking with our core principles and playing the long game,” Jonathan reflects. “When things get chaotic or unpredictable, people gravitate towards what they know. They look for builders who have shown longevity, who have a reputation for honesty and high-quality and who stand behind their work. In those moments, people go back to what is tried and tested, and they want to be able to trust their home builder without reservation. Our ability to navigate those times comes down to exactly that, but also to never being too set in our ways. As a builder, we have to stay flexible and read what the market is telling us,” he concludes. “We can have strong beliefs and preferences, but if we are not willing to recognize when clients are looking for something different, or that trends are moving in a different direction, we will get left behind.”

www.brusharborhomes.com