Committed to Kirkland, Merit Homes builds exceptional quality homes that contribute to creating a positive future for its residents

Merit Homes is consistently rated as one of the best luxury builders in Kirkland, Washington, bringing new architectural contemporary style construction to the area and ensuring satisfied customers for over 50 years. Prospective homeowners can expect to receive exceptional customer care and a streamlined process. 

As a passionate home builder, Merit Homes designs and builds northwest contemporary homes for today’s modern home buyer. The company cares about the local neighborhood and people and believes that design matters. Josh Lysen, the Owner and President, often says, “for those who care about their built environment, our homes are for you.” Although driven by the desire to create beauty in the community with thoughtfully designed properties, the team intentionally creates homes to suit clients’ lifestyles. Merit Homes offers a wide array of intuitive floor plans, and each is crafted to capture the benefits of the homesite’s unique characteristics. 

Modern Home Builders recently caught up with Josh, to discuss what’s been happening in the business since we last spoke. “We’ve been focused on optimizing our home designs for the changing market and evolving zoning codes,” he begins. “We continue to challenge ourselves to design and build those Northwest contemporary luxury designs for which we’re known, while at the same time finding ways to achieve an appropriate price point for a softening home market. 

“There’s recently been the most significant zoning code change in my 25 years as a home builder, and it’s being implemented across the city and state where we live and build. Its aim is to encourage home builders to build several cottages or a duplex or triplex on one lot instead of a single larger home, so, we’ve been focusing our efforts on understanding and preparing ourselves for this change. 

“We purchase homes on land from individual sellers, offering flexible terms and generally, non-prescriptive requirements for the condition of the home,” Josh continues. “Selling your home can be overwhelming. So, we take pride in making the process streamlined and effortless by purchasing properties in as-is condition using standard MLS forms instead of complicated (or one sided) builder contracts. We also sell new homes in our area, in accordance with the new zoning change and offer different product types across a price spectrum.” 

The Washington State ‘missing middle housing bill’, formally known as House Bill 1110, mandates that cities allow a broader range of housing types, like duplexes and townhouses, in areas traditionally reserved for single-family homes, to increase housing density and affordability. As such, Merit Homes is keen to create vibrant, diverse and sustainable communities in line with the latest requirements. 

“I enjoy the innovation required by this complex site planning process. It may take several iterations, but we have a good team in place to get it right. It’s a competitive market and fast-moving environment. Our buyer preferences continue to evolve alongside the codes. Add economic uncertainty, interest rates and home prices into the mix and it’s a challenging sector, but one in which I very much enjoy working. We are proud to be known as Kirkland’s favorite home builder. This stunning waterfront community is consistently touted as one of the best places to work, play, and live, thanks to its proximity to Lake Washington, a highly rated school district, and proximity to tech hubs and major employers.” 

Urban Series

Building in the Puget Sound area for over five decades, Merit Homes has mastered the challenges of constructing homes in this spectacular region, meeting specific climate-related needs and the changing planning requirements of Kirkland through relevant design, materials, and products. The company embraces the beauty of Kirkland and understands how to bring nature into modern living environments.  

“The most distinctive, high-end features and amenities are designed into every Merit Homes offering,” Josh enthuses. “Clients’ discerning expectations are already met when they enter their modern move-in-ready home. As such, we want to take those same design elements and exceptional amenities for which we’re known and apply them to smaller footprint homes at a lower price point in our Urban Series product line.” 

With the price of a new construction single-family home in Kirkland often reaching over $3,000,000 to $4,000,000+, Merit Homes is here to bring attainable, luxury housing with its new Urban Series. These new build properties are perfect for those looking to downsize and stay in their neighborhood, or first-time buyers looking for a starter home. The Urban Series offers everything homeowners love about Merit Home’s signature, Northwest contemporary-style homes, but in a smaller package and at a fraction of the cost.  

The Urban Series is perfect for those seeking the luxury Kirkland lifestyle while wanting an energy-efficient home that aligns with their budget. Homeowners can benefit from living in this modern yet charming city: beautiful nature, shopping and restaurants, access to great schools, booming industries, and an easy commute to downtown Seattle, all at a lower price tag than typical new construction in Kirkland.  

Signature features 

Merit Homes’ upcoming developments include Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) which can either be attached or detached and built on the property of the primary single-family home, with a maximum 1200 square feet of living space. These are often referred to as in-law units or backyard cottages. There are many reasons why people construct ADUs, including creating a space to generate rental income or to live near loved ones. Some even use them as a work from home space or personal gym that offers more privacy than their main home.  

While these Kirkland homes have a reduced footprint and smaller price tag, they still include many of the signature features and renowned characteristics found in a traditional Merit Home. The company built the Urban Series, with sustainable design and environmental impact in mind, without sacrificing its longstanding dedication to luxury home building. 

“We’re in the process of starting 27 homes this year,” Josh shares. “So, we’re excited about leveraging many of the new designs we’ve mentioned. We’ll also be driven by the market as there are a lot of economic forces at play that dictate our buyers’ appetite and ability to purchase. We’ll also keep a close eye on what the city’s going to do to hopefully incentivize home building in the area,” he concludes. “Our nation and our state are in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, and builders need to be thought of as partners in the solution with governing agencies. Merit Homes is striving to do its part.”   

www.merithomesinc.com