With a passion for community, Seely Homes is redefining affordable homeownership  

Led by husband-and-wife team, Adrian and Julleanna Seely, Seely Homes (Seely) is a family-owned homebuilder serving the Kent and Sussex Counties in Delaware. Driven by a passion to make home ownership simpler and more affordable across the state, they founded Seely in 2020 and remain dedicated to the communities in which they live and work.  

Although Seely is just five years old, Adrian and Julleanna boast over 20 years of experience in the construction and homebuilding industries. The couple strives to offer a personalized and simplified experience for each client, taking time to understand the features and preferences required by each client to deliver their dream home. 

Seely operates in a general contractor capacity, managing the entire process for new home construction, home additions, or detached buildings. It partners with home drafting professionals to customize home designs to client’s preferences and budget. Seely has four employees to support the client experience through sales, project management, estimating and office administration. This provides clients with a seamless and exciting homebuilding journey, with Seely managing the selection of trade partners and material usage, as well as obtaining the necessary permits and approvals.  

“Both Adrian and I have been involved with several construction and homebuilding companies over the last couple of decades. We made the decision to start Seely in January 2020 after an Investor asked us to build a couple of spec homes,” Julleanna begins. “People loved our spec homes, and we quickly gained momentum in the area and extended our services to offer custom homes that same year.  

Focus on affordability 

“Five years later and here we are, with multiple award-winning home plans, a team of four dedicated employees, and a strong network of trade partners. We complete at least 12 custom homes per year across southern Delaware, and we’ve developed a reputation among our clients and partners for not only our high-quality homes, but also our clean and efficient processes”, she added. Although custom homes are the majority of Seely’s home projects, they also complete additions and renovations, which are most often detached garages or a new owner’s suite. 

“As a local and family-owned business, our approach to client relationships is what sets us apart,” Julleanna states. “We offer a friendly, personal experience, based on genuinely getting to know our clients. Most of the time, we’re building for our friends or neighbors, but we also build for people across the country using the same neighborhood approach. Although we do receive some projects from online or through social media, most of our work is referral based, from repeat clients or friends of clients.” 

Turning to the company’s capabilities, Adrian adds: “Both our skill sets complement each other perfectly. Julleanna is a natural salesperson and is great with people, whereas most of my experience is working in the field or in business development. Between the two of us, we’ve got the basics covered; our biggest challenge aside from establishing and growing the business was finding an effective balance between work and home. We’ve established boundaries to keep work separate, as we have three children and want to enjoy life with them alongside work. 

“The homes built by Seely typically range between 1400 square feet and 2300 square feet, but they do go lower or higher if the client requires. For instance, we are currently working with a client designing a 3600-square-foot home.  

“Although we’re capable of building these expansive homes, we tend to focus on building more affordable homes for people who live and work in the community,” Adrian adds. “We have a home design called The Beech, which is customizable with options to add a one- or two-car garage, a deck, or a sunroom. The Beech is a three-bedroom ranch home with a spacious front porch and 1400 square feet of living space, including a large kitchen, walk-in pantry, and an ensuite with a double bowl vanity and walk-in closet. All of this is available from under $250,000 on your lot.”  

Community contributions 

In terms of geography, Seely primarily serves the Kent and Sussex Counties, but expansion is on the horizon. “We typically like to work on projects within a 40-mile radius or a one-hour drive from our office in Bridgeville,” Julleanna explains. “We’ve recently acquired a license to extend our reach into Maryland, and we have a couple of projects lined up on the eastern shore later in the year.” 

As our conversation continues, Adrian turns to the challenges facing the homebuilding industry in 2025. “There are always new challenges in the construction sector, and we’re currently dealing with ongoing issues around material prices and affordability,” Adrian says. “We try and mitigate these costs where possible as we want to build affordable homes for people struggling to purchase a home. We must also navigate different regulations or challenges in different counties, but we have great processes in place to overcome the differences in permitting or inspection requirements.” 

From speaking with Adrian and Julleanna, it’s clear to see the couple’s passion for giving back and their commitment to the community. “The purpose of our business is to not only make a living for our family, but also to improve the community by building high-quality, affordable housing,” Julleanna confirms. “We’re passionate about giving back to local schools and we run a scholarship program for our local high school to sponsor students interested in fields like construction or engineering. We also partner with an organization called Love INC, which works with the homeless community to provide food, clothing, and shelter.” 

With dedication to quality and affordability at its core, Seely is sure to succeed through 2025 and beyond. “We’ve grown significantly over the last five years, and we have completed around 12 projects per year,” Julleanna says. “We’re aiming to increase this to 20 projects this year, while maintaining our emphasis on quality and service. We could even grow to 50 homes per year over the next five years by leveraging the connections we’ve built through decades of experience, as well as expanding to other areas like Maryland and potentially West Virginia in the future.”   

www.seelyhomes.com