A Cottage Built for Two

How the Ronans found everything they wanted in Wilmington

By Brittany Conley  »  Photos by G. Frank Hart

Lovebirds Billy and Lynn Ronan were set up on a date by their friends nearly 40 years ago and they’ve been together ever since. For the bulk of their 37-year marriage, the pair lived in New Jersey. New Jersey was good to them; it’s where they raised their two sons and their daughter, grew in their careers, and would probably retire. But, once their daughter moved away to attend the University of North Carolina Wilmington, those retirement plans began to shift.

Once their daughter married and remained in Wilmington, Billy and Lynn visited more often and, after many visits as tourists, they were undeniably and completely won over by the area’s unlimited whimsy and charm, and knew they wanted to go from being part-time guests to being full-time locals. “We have travelled to Wilmington over the last eight years to visit our daughter and fell in love with the city’s vibrancy. From the beaches to the historic downtown and all the antique shops in between,” says Lynn, who also cites her fascination with the rich history in the area and dreams of soon joining the Wilmington Historical Society.

Initially, the Ronans were sure they would find a resale home but found the process of house hunting while still living in New Jersey to be a bit more than they had bargained for. “We started thinking about a land purchase and how exciting it would be to design our own home,” says Lynn. “During our initial search we met with Patrick from Charter Building Group who provided us with great insight into the custom home building process.” As many people in the Wilmington area know, Charter Building Group was a phenomenal choice to help the Ronans navigate the sometimes-tricky process of custom home building. Their property search led them to a unique opportunity in the Landfall community. “Once we found a potential lot for purchase, we met with Holly from Charter Building Group who was instrumental in assisting us with the tons of questions we had during our due diligence period,” says Lynn.

Charter Building Group has been building amazing custom homes in and around Wilmington for over thirty years. Started by the ever-talented Rich Donaldson in the 1990s, the company is now proud to have his daughter, Holly Overton, now at the helm. Mrs. Overton joined the company in 2008 and watched every move and decision her father made, soaking up his knowledge and expertise. Eventually, she saw an opportunity to make her own mark, not just on the company but also within the industry. “Since joining CBG in 2008, I have focused on refining our building process to enhance our communication and transparency with clients,” says Overton. “These are two ares that fall short in our industry and can add to the stress of building a new home. With new technologies and interactive project management software, it is easier than ever to keep clients informed on progress and budget.”

“Holly met us at the site and provided us with great vision regarding the home’s orientation and the lot’s possibilities,” says Lynn. “We had some concerns due to this lot’s unique topography but we remember that she said ‘it could make it more interesting.’” The Ronans quickly realized that they could rely on Mrs. Overton’s expertise and her promise of clear communication and transparency, as she stepped right in and helped them with contacting the right people at Landfall to learn more about their lot’s possibilities before they had even officially signed on to work with Charter Building Group.

“This willingness to jump right in and assist before even being hired really impressed us,” says Billy. “We did interview other builders, but we chose the team at Charter Building Group because of their professionalism and willingness to listen to our ideas. We found them friendly and thought it was the perfect fit.” 

When you work with Charter Building Group, everyone in the company gives you their best, every step of the way. “Patrick Kelly, our new home specialist, helped Lynn and Bill identify the community that best fit their needs,” says Overton. “After touring various communities, we zeroed in on Landfall as the best fit. While the lot selection in Landfall can be challenging with high demand and low inventory, we were able to help the clients secure a large, wooded lot with beautiful oaks and pine trees near Howes Creek.”

The next stages in the process, designing and building, also exceeded the Ronans’ expectations. “We were coming from an older home in New Jersey that had lots of charm and ‘architectural nooks and crannies,’ and we wanted to incorporate these elements into our new home, yet have it feel modern as well,” says Lynn. “We provided Charter with an initial floor plan to illustrate the room adjacencies and the type of layout we thought would work for us.” This part of the process was one where Lynn’s 25+ year career as an interior designer helped tremendously.

“We had great communication and collaboration with the Ronans from the very beginning,” says Overton. “It makes a huge difference when we fully understand the client's vision and work together on finishes, budget and design. This allows us to deliver a finished product everyone is proud of. Lynn's background in design gave her an edge when it came to visualizing the plans and finishes in a way some client's struggle to do. However, even with Lynn's background and experience in design, she was open to discussing the options and perspectives that our team offered. The process of building a home can be complex and challenges can come up, but communication and collaboration is key to resolving issues quickly and moving forward in a positive way.”

The productive back and forth between the Ronans and Charter Building Group left no detail behind. “They provided guidance when needed and executed all the details down to the size of the grout joint on the exterior brick,” says Billy. “Charter’s project manager and construction manager were always sending us pictures and communicating with us throughout the build.”

After months of planning, designing, Zoom calls, and putting in all the final touches, Charter Building Group was confident they had built the Ronans’ custom dream home. “We are thankful to have been involved in the Ronans’ journey to Wilmington from the very beginning, and it makes it even more rewarding to see the finished product and hand over the keys,” says Overton. The Ronans were, to put it mildly, overjoyed to finally call Landfall home.

Guests to the home often comment about how natural the home seems, nestled into a little grove of trees. With the dreamy forest-like feel and the white painted brick exterior, the gabled roof, and thoughtful touches of aged brick in the driveway and walkway the home truly captures the modern cottage aesthetic the Ronans had envisioned.

They once thought the slope of their property would be a detriment, but thanks to Charter Building Group’s unique ability to find creative solutions to their customers’ concerns, the Ronans now have a delightful, terraced backyard they enjoy immensely–especially with their beloved golden retriever, Strummer.

Their home’s design is centered around their love for entertaining their friends and family, knowing first-hand how much fun it is to visit Wilmington, they wanted their home to be a place of both respite and entertainment. Their large living room provides guests plenty of space to gather, with a 16-foot sliding glass door leading out to the rear porch, extending the entertainment capacity with its beautiful built-in gas fireplace and a bar.

But when the guests retreat to their own homes, the Ronans wanted this place to also feel very much like their refuge. There are practical touches to the home as well that were every bit as important as making sure guests wanted to keep coming back. The large laundry room gives the Ronans plenty of utilitarian space to kick off dirty shoes after gardening or playing in the backyard with Strummer, and their grand-dog, Dune.

To accomplish all of this, Lynn worked remotely from New Jersey with Charter Building Group’s in-house interior designer, Jill, and she couldn’t have been more pleased with the process. “It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to collaborate with another interior designer to hash out all the details on our house,” she says. “Jill was ‘masterclass’ at guiding us through some of the nuances of coastal design and new homebuilding.”

Charter Building Group and Holly Overton are elated to carry on the commitment to quality and customer satisfaction upon which her father built the company. While the construction industry has historically been a male-dominated world, it is thanks to women like Holly who are proving that a woman’s touch can absolutely make waves. Under her leadership they’ve continued to excel in the Wilmington real estate market, building the HGTV Smart Home of 2022 – in large part because it is women-led. “My advice for women in the industry is to not to be intimidated,” says Overton. “We need diverse opinions and skill sets to meet the demands of the future.”

As Billy and Lynn Ronan can attest, Charter Building Group is more than ready and capable to meet any and all challenges to make sure their clients are happy in their new home. Now is the time to make your own dreams a reality! Visit CharterBuildingGroup.com and get started on your own custom home journey.