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My husband and I knew we'd be moving to TN for our retirement, so we decided to come visit in 2020 and check it out. We did “Discovery Tours” and toured the Parade of Homes and we fell in love with Tellico Village. We had a home design we loved and needed a builder to make our vision a reality. We bought a lot in the Kahite neighborhood and began researching builders. We needed a builder with a quality reputation, one we could trust and work with as we were living in IL until our dream house was completed. We talked with multiple builders, but Keener Homes was the right fit for us. We wanted a builder who cared about the process and the quality of his product. We wanted a team that focused on attention to detail, had excellent communication skills and most importantly...really wanted to work with us. Keener Homes is all that and more. Keener Homes may be a small operation, but we really wanted a builder that didn’t mass produce homes. Kit, Derek Miller (Construction Manager), and Krisha Loud (Office Manager) run a tight ship and really care about their clients. These wonderful people became our first TN friends!
Kit really took the time to explain the build process and provided a binder to us with general building timelines and a supplier list. The suppliers Kit partners with were every bit as professional and caring as Kit. They spent time with us to discuss their available products and really helped with the decision-making process.... And we all know there are hundreds of decisions to be made! Kit only uses highly reputable partners who also care about their product (framers, painters, electricians, plumbers, etc.) and who have longevity in the business.
Because we were living in another state during our build, Kit and his team provided regular updates and pictures so we were kept informed. If questions or issues arose (on either end), we’d jump on a call and talk it over. There were several times when Kit or Derek would contact us just to “double check” something to prevent downstream issues. We greatly appreciated this communication. There were several times we couldn’t visualize something, but we trusted Kit’s experience and let him make up our minds. Kit never let us down. Our outdoor kitchen is a prime example! Kit pretty much had free reign to design this area on our back porch. I welcome anyone to come look at how it turned out!
Our build experience with Keener Homes went as smoothly as it could because of the knowledge, professionalism, and talent of this Keener team. Keener Homes brought our vision to fruition and we cannot express how much we love our home. It feels like resort living!
Thank You Kit, Derek and Krisha for making our home the special place it is!
Back in 2020, I purchased a lot in Tellico Village and was in need of a builder. I knew just a little about the area but good fortune led me to Keener Homes, Inc. Kit Keener, his project manager and his network of sub-contractors could not have been more helpful. I lived 700 miles away; the home was built during the heart of Covid; the home design was not typical for the neighborhood. That said, Keener Homes was superlative throughout the entire building process. Kit and his team built a wonderful home for us.
If you are looking for a builder who is honest, friendly, detail-oriented and very customer-centered then Keener Homes is who you want to work with.
I will always love pulling into my driveway and feeling gratitude for this home built by Keener Homes.
Choosing Keener Homes to build our retirement dream home in Tellico Village was a great decision. We interviewed numerous builders in the area and decided to go with Kit Keener as we toured some of their new builds and completed homes. We were very impressed with the attention to details and quality of workmanship. Kit was a pleasure to work with and answered all of our questions and took our design changes in stride.
Derek Miller, the project manager, was awesome to deal with. He was right on top of things, returned phone calls promptly and made great suggestions. He went above and beyond.
Krisha, the office manager, communicated with us on a weekly basis so we knew what was going on with suppliers and invoicing. She was so easy to talk to, is detail oriented and caring.
Don and I would highly recommend Kit and his team. We are thrilled with our new home.
My wife Cheryl and I had never had a home built and really never planned on having a home built mainly because we had heard some very sad stories from friends and family over the years. The stories ranged from general frustrations to all out horror stories! Once we decided to build, we met with several local builders. The first thing we learned was that is a big difference between a custom home builder and a tract home builder. We determined we needed a custom home builder so that we could have the flexibility to modify certain areas of our home. It became very clear that selecting Keener Homes would allow us that flexibility and for us to be involved in the design and layout, as well as many of the construction details along the way.
Working with the Keener Homes team was an absolute joy. The owner, Kit Keener told Cheryl and I in the beginning; "Enjoy the process" and we tried to do just that. Several folks at Keener Homes have also become what I hope to be life long friends which says a lot about how the process went. Especially since Covid had just started to pop its ugly head up, right about the time we started to build. We did see some material delays and some scheduling issues, but nothing that caused our build to go outside of the initial estimates.
One large part of the building process is the working with suppliers. Keener Homes gave us a list of suppliers including HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Trim, Windows and Doors, Siding, Gutters, etc. The actual list includes many more than mentioned here. The list of suppliers, which are actually partners in the building process were very professional, honest and trustworthy. We were given a budget for each supplier and as we met with each one it became very evident they all had a great deal of experience and understanding. It seemed as though every supplier had ability to help us visualize the end results based on certain choices we were making. Several of the suppliers made suggestions that allowed us to come in under budget, which ultimately allowed us to splurge on other areas like appliances, countertops and cabinets.
In the end, we have a home that we are thrilled with, proud to have friends and family visit and a home that we see ourselves in through the rest of our lives. While I am unable to compare Keener Homes to other builders because of our lack of experience building a home, I can say for certain that there are not too many areas in which another builder can outshine Keener Homes because we cannot imaging the process going any smoother than it did.
Thank you Kit, Dona, Krisha, Derek and all the incredible partners you have developed throughout Southeastern Tennessee in the 30 plus years you have been building custom homes! We are forever grateful!
A challenging build during the worst of times….
The 2020 – 2021 building season reinforced Charles Dickens’ words in the Tale of Two Cities “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”
Keener Homes turned the 2020 – 21 building season into the best as possible time for my home build. They met or exceeded the obstacles of the 2021 building season. During this time, all builders were faced with COVID enhanced problems - wildly fluctuating lumber prices, supply chain issues, and labor shortages. In addition to all the COVID related problem, Keener Homes also faced dealing with me - a recently widowed, out of town client, who had never made a solo decision before, building on a very difficult steep lot with beautiful trees, on a fixed budget with midcentury, contemporary style. I believed I had an impossible dream.
Keener Homes built my sister and brother-in-law’s large lake-front home over 16 years ago and I have always admired the beauty, quality, and structural integrity of her home. I never thought that I could afford a custom Keener home, nor believed that they would build a smaller, more contemporary home. From the first meeting, I realized that Keener Homes was the correct decision. They listened - really listened, and understood the vision I had for my home. They set realistic allowances so that I could stay within budget while achieving the most important design concepts. I left Tellico Village shortly after with full confidence that I had selected an honest, dependable, and capable builder who would make my dream would become reality.
The build went smoothly and efficiently because of the consistency of the crews that Keener Homes. The trim person had actually worked on my sister’s house. The crews worked together smoothly because of the close relationships that have been built over the years.
Some of the challenges facing out of town clients include, communication, selecting products and materials, verifying that work is well done in a timely manner, and staying within budget. Again, Keener Homes exceeded my expectations. Communication was open and very responsive. Calls and questions (no matter how complicated or trivial) were promptly answered. Monthly updates reflecting accurate and labor costs were emailed and weekly (sometime daily) photos showed the quality of the work and provided verification of work progress. Keener Homes provides many vendors for each building projects and décor. It is a personal choice to select the vendor you are most comfortable with and can provide the best product for your budget. Zoom meetings were used to make selections and decorating choices throughout the project. Even though I had a smaller scale project, the builder and vendors treated me with the upmost respect, courtesy and professionalism.
I respect and admire Keener Homes for building my house as if it was their own. They kept me informed of any delays due to supply chain issues. Very infrequently choices had to be revisited because of budget constraints or manufacturing issues but Keener Homes would provide me with a variety of close matches to make new choices.
Ours was a little different home building journey. We enjoyed living in a small mountain village in Germany for the past thirty years. When we started to plan our retirement in the US, we wanted to try building a home of our own.
Though we had visited Tellico Village several times over the past five years, we ended up having to purchase our Mialaquo lot from Germany, at the beginning of the pandemic, with the help of our realtor’s phone video. After reviewing several local builder’s websites and interviewing Kit Keener over the phone, we felt very comfortable starting the building process from across the Atlantic Ocean. Kit was very friendly, knowledgeable, and patient with all of our questions. Having never built a home before, we relied on him for advice. We really liked every suggestion he offered.
Once we were back in the US, we were also very impressed with Kit’s foreman, Derek, who was always willing to meet us at the house site and provided answers to our numerous questions. The subcontractors and suppliers were courteous and their craftsmanship exceeded our expectations. It was obvious they took pride in their work. Krisha, at the home office, kept us up to date on our budget and patiently explained how everything worked. We appreciated Kit and his team with their warm humor cheering us on.
Building during a pandemic was tricky. There were significant supply cost increases and shipping delays. Kit and all of his team worked hard to minimize these setbacks and get us in our home before all of our household goods arrived from overseas. We are so very grateful for our beautiful forever home in Tellico Village brought to life by Keener Homes, Inc.
Recently Keener Homes completed a major remodel on our home in Rarity Bay and we could not be more ecstatic. We bought our first home in Tellico Village from the Keeners in 2002 and knew they were the right choice for our major remodel which involved removing all stucco and replacing with brick and stone; adding a screened in porch; replacing the deck; adding hardscape and pavers for the driveway, dry below under the deck, outdoor patio with a kitchen L, fire pit, sitting wall, and walkway to the dock; as well as redoing the landscaping. This remodel was just like building a new home. From the initial design to the destruction and construction phases, we could not be more pleased. Kit Keener, his project manager (Derek Miller), and office manager (Krisha Loud) were superb throughout the entire process making recommendations that greatly enhanced our initial vision for our “Cabin on the Lake” and one that will be a legacy for our family for years to come. Thanks to Kit, Derek, and Krisha for making this our ultimate retirement home and one that the entire family will enjoy for years to come. Keener Homes is certainly a “5-Star” builder who goes the extra mile for their clients. It has indeed been a pleasure knowing the Keeners for almost twenty years and giving them a special thanks for making our dream home a reality. Thx!
Moving to Tellico Village has been one of the best decisions we’ve made; and choosing Keener Homes to build our dream retirement home was also a great decision.
We had built 5 homes previously and so we knew what was important in selecting a builder, particularly since we would be building long-distance. Once we purchased our lot in 2013 we travelled to Tellico several times for several years to meet and interview builders. Fortunately, we met Kit during one of our first trips and we found ourselves comparing each of the other 6 builders to Keener Homes. During those trips we were able to walk through a number of Kit’s homes in various stages of construction both in Tellico Village and in Rarity Bay. The quality and attention to detail was evident in all his homes, regardless if the home was in the $200,000 range or in the million dollar range.
During one trip we attended an open house for a new builder and we met a couple who volunteered that they had built with Kit Keener and invited us to see their home. Listening to an unsolicited description of their positive building experience with Kit spoke volumes to us. After seeing his homes, comparing him with other builders and speaking with his clients we knew selecting Kit was the right decision.
We frequently say we love Kit Keener and the Keener Home team; and, recently someone asked us why we think so highly of them. There is not one reason, but many reasons. Kit Keener and the Keener Homes team have met and exceeded every expectation, and we had none of the pain points we have experienced with prior builds. They are very organized, which was especially important in making the best use of our time when we travelled here for inspections and/or product selections. Kit spent a lot of time with us learning what was important to us and making suggestions that improved our ideas. Kit and Krisha communicated on a regular basis so we knew what was happening and when. When something was in question, Kit asked our opinion rather than just proceed. He was gracious in making changes during the building process when we had a request. His tradespeople are highly skilled and do exceptional work; and his vendors have good selections available. He delivered everything he said he would and more. He and Krisha have been equally helpful even after we closed and they have been very quick to address any punch-list issues. We would readily choose Kit if we were to build again.
So you see why we always say “we love our builder, Keener Homes.”
We bought our lake lot in 2004 and talked with several builders before deciding to go with Keener Homes. We made a point to meet with Kit regularly when we were about 3 years out and he provided lots of good suggestions regarding the style of home that would work with the slope of the land. When it came time to break ground, we were prepared to encounter rock (our lot is in Tellico Village in Mialaquo Point), and sure enough - we did! This is when we were so glad that we had an experienced builder like Kit on our team.
Kit and his excavating crew came up with a solution to move the house closer to the lake so we could still have a walkout basement. He also worked with an engineer to make sure that the fourth corner of the home was on concrete since the other 3 corners were on rock. He also worked with us to develop a plan for some ‘creative erosion control’ so that we did not need to remove all the large rocks that resulted from the excavation - instead, they were repurposed to help with our landscaping and erosion control.
In addition to building a quality home, we got so much more in terms of Kit’s creative problem solving, which saved us lots of money in the long run all things considered given the challenges we encountered with our lot.
Our decision to build our first house on the lake took us to many parts of the United States. Then we discovered Tellico Village. It had everything we wanted in our new retirement area. On a week trip we found and purchased a lot. We also found a builder, Kit Keener. Our only experience with building a new home was in a retirement community in Texas. There our choices were basically pick a model, level of cabinets, floors, and counters. Even that seemed stressful at the time. Was building this house from scratch stressful, a thousand times YES! We were very thankful we were working with Kit. He gave us good guidance on many issues. One one specific issue he wanted "to think about the way house was positioned on the lot". After he had thought about the situation he came up with a thought about placing garages on opposite side of house. He said "this would save a lot of money over our original plan". We had never considered that option and it made no difference to us which side the garages were on. We did that and it did save us monies. Did we have some instances of discussion, of course, but thought the entire process Kit was honest, attentive, and we were able to come to a win win for everyone. We relied heavily on Kit's many many years of building experience and ended up with a house we love. Kit and his company have been here longer than most any another builder. Several have come and gone. He doesn't over extend his building capacity and is focused on building quality not quantity. We could have not found a finer individual, or company, to build with.
In 2004, my husband and I toured Tellico Village and as a result, purchased a plot in the Coyatee Cove area. Since this time, my husband passed away, but my desire to build our dream home was strong. After much research and a few interviews with builders, I selected Kit Keener of Keener Homes. To begin the process, Kit referred me to a local designer. After several months of tweaking the design, we finally connected with the perfect plan; Kit patiently worked with me in regards to my budget requirements. Living in Indiana, and being single, the thought of not being present during the build was overwhelming. Kit introduced me to his project manager, and both of them reassured me that I was in good hands. We broke ground the beginning of October 2016. Pictures of the ground clearing and the foundation build were being sent to me on a weekly basis. Emails were often sent updating me on the progress of the build. In November 2016, I made a trip to Tennessee for the electrical walk-through. At that time, the walls were up, so I was able to visualize the home for the first time in person and felt more at ease. As months went by, pictures, emails and phone conversations often kept me updated. Of course, those who have built a home know that nothing goes as smoothly as you would like, however, Kit and his team were always there making me feel as if there weren’t any problems at all.
Of course, I can’t forget Krisha Loud, Office Manager. She was instrumental in so many ways and helped me watch the bottom line.
I can’t thank Kit and his team enough for making the entire building process very comfortable for me. I definitely have new Tennessee friends.
We approached Keener Homes to build our home because of their excellent reputation for building quality, long-lasting homes. Even though this was the second time we had built, Kit Keener helped us by giving us great suggestions to make our house a home here in Tennessee. The result was an awesome home that we love. One thing we liked was their approach to the customer; they treated us like we were family, trying to make sure we got the best within our budget. Any concerns we had were dealt with quickly and professionally by their staff, so we found the experience so much easier this time versus the first time we had built. Therefore, we recommend Keener Homes to people who want to build a quality home.
Kit’s knowledge, experience and easy going personality shines through from your very first meeting with him. My husband worked as a carpenter to put himself through college. He was impressed with some of Keener Home’s processes that went above and beyond the norm. Two that come to mind are their installation and sealing techniques. We were delighted to find that our electric bills are less than we expected. We lived in a rental house in Tellico Village for a year while building our home. The electric bills in our rental at 1450sf were approximately $50 a month higher than our 2100sf home built by Keener Homes.
Keener Homes equipped us with a detailed schedule of all the finishes we had to choose for our custom home; when they needed to be decided upon and what the allowance was for each item. This made the process easy and it also keeps the building process on schedule. We made most of our decisions early. It is best to have a clear idea of what style and finishes you want ahead of the final design process to avoid costly changes later. Kit’s daughter Krisha runs the office and was excellent at keeping detailed records indicating when we were on budget and when we exceeded it. In the end there were no surprises. Our home was completed as scheduled and on budget.
Often when you have a home built you find that there are things you would do differently but we are pleased to say we would not change a thing. Kit and his whole crew put their heart and soul into our home. They listened to our concerns and addressed them promptly although we can say there were few. They offered their ideas and expertise when they thought a change in the plan might yield a better outcome and we were grateful for their input. The final product is a home we love and plan to live in forever. We would highly recommend Keener Homes to anyone looking for a beautiful well built home.
Having previously built a custom home, we knew the complexity of the process and the importance of having confidence in the builder of our retirement home in Tellico Village. Keener Homes was quickly identified on our “short list” of possible builders because of their long-standing reputation for quality.
As we toured homes Kit had previously built, we found his good reputation was well-deserved. Kit went to great lengths to describe his building process and how we could effectively collaborate with him. He shared his philosophy of getting good quality construction balanced by fair value of pricing. He offered knowledgeable guidance – and respected your choices. He imagined creative possibilities – and was realistic about their cost. We trusted Kit to share our values and indeed he did.
In addition to his attentive relationship with us, Kit’s relationship with the subcontractors, and the professionalism of the subcontractors themselves, made a complex building process much smoother and relatively trouble-free. When problems were discovered, they were effectively resolved or redone.
Of course the purpose of the whole project is eventually to settle into a well-built home designed to reflect your preferences, functions and sense of beauty. We are happy to report that thanks to Kit & his team at Keener Homes, we have been able to start enjoying our new Tellico Village home and look forward to many good years in the Village!
It is with great pleasure that we write this letter of recommendation for Keener Homes. Kit and his team are outstanding professionals whose homes merit utmost recognition.
Bob and I met Kit after purchasing a golf course view lot in the Kahite Neighborhood of Tellico Village. We toured some of Kit's homes that were under construction and we were very impressed with the features he had to offer and the quality craftsmanship.
We had a specific square footage and design style in mind and Kit came through for us. His suppliers were all gracious and very helpful when we were making our selections. His team addressed every detail and made our dream retirement home a reality.
On a personal note, Kit is a warm and friendly individual and he made our building experience a pleasure. Thank you, Keener Homes, for doing such a great job!
It is with great pleasure that we can give a wonderful review of Keener Homes, Inc. This was our eighth home we have built over the years and at the age of 72 we knew this was the last home we would build. Kit has an excellent reputation as a fine home builder. From the moment we met Kit, we knew he was the one. HE LISTENED to what we wanted and gave great input on what he could do to make this the home we wanted.
From beginning to end this was a good experience. They give you a Building Book with everything spelled out as to building costs, allowances, suppliers, time frame to follow, and they gave us monthly reports and statements so we knew exactly where we were in the process. This was an INVALUABLE tool for us.
Doug is the project manager and he also LISTENS to your questions and concerns. He never failed to answer his phone or call back in a timely manner. He cares.
Keeners contractors and workmen have been with him for years. He has the finest and most knowledgeable crew we have ever worked with. Everyone knows what is expected of them and where they fall in the building schedule so that things kept rolling along in a timely fashion.
You can't go wrong with a Keener built home. We would be happy to show our home to anyone considering building with Keener Homes, Inc.
Sincerely,
Harold & LaVerne Howard
224 Tuhdegwa Lane
Loudon, Tn.
We are extremely pleased with Keener Homes. They provided us with a comprehensive Supplier Selection list along with an allowance list which helped to keep us within budget, yet knowing that we could upgrade and spend more or save and spend less. The different variables were a huge help. Keener Homes uses green materials when possible which are a savings down the road. Many things that other builders would charge extra for, Keener homes puts in as a standard. Some architectural details are their window and door trim molding, interior doors, archways on interior doorways and an extremely quiet garage door. It is all up to you what you choose, but they were there to guide us thru the entire process. Kit himself has a powerful way to see outside the box and invision the entire picture. The sub-contractors are very friendly, detailed in their work ethics and easy to work with through the project manager. Kit and Doug are very detailed oriented in their own work ethics so we knew we had a perfect match to work with. Once construction started, we had workers on the site almost every work day. Our 3200 sq. ft. home took 198 days to complete. We love our new home at Rarity Ridge and strongly recommend Keener Homes, Inc. to build your dream home.
We were totally blessed when we found Kit Keener to build our retirement and final house- our dream house.
We were living in Memphis Tennessee when we found the property we wanted to build on in Rarity Ridge. After meeting Kit we felt an immediate connection with him and knew he was the one who we wanted to build our wonderful home. We felt his genuine love for people and the love and excitement for building houses. He was a true listener of what our wants and needs were. It was an absolute joy to work with him. His site supervisor Doug was amazing. He is a true stickler for detail. He over looked every detail of the job. We were living 5 ½ hours away at the beginning of the building process but felt extremely comfortable knowing Doug was handling everything. It is a perfect match with Doug and Kit working together-they really compliment each other. The quality of his subcontractors matched the integrity of Keener homes- all were enjoyable, easy to work with, helpful and put out extreme quality workmanship and products.
If this is the type of builder you desire you can't go wrong with Keener Homes. We are soooo glad we did.
1. After interviewing 8 residential building contractors we chose Keener Homes because of their reputation for building a quality home and their honesty and integrity.
2. Although this was the third custom home that we built we learned a lot. Kit Keener and Doug Enger, the Keener Homes On-Site Building Supervisor, guided us through the process by offering innovative additions to our design yet showing a willingness to accept our ideas for changes from start to finish.
3. When problems arose during construction we were able to resolve them fairly and amicably.
4. The subcontractors for Keener Homes were outstanding, friendly and prompt.
5. Building a custom home is an inherently stressful process but Doug Enger, the Keener Homes On-Site Building Supervisor, alleviates a lot of the stress with his calm friendly demeanor. His ability to understand our ideas, needs and points of view, his depth of knowledge and great working relationship with subcontractors gave us the home we wanted.
We do not know if we would have been able to build our retirement home without the wonderful help of Kit Keener and Doug Enger of Keener Homes. When we began interviewing builders, Kit had done the most "homework" and he was very interested in our project. The feeling of Trust came with Kit's personality, and Trust was something we really needed since we were building from a distance. Each of Keener Homes suppliers really knew their products, and were extremely professional and helpful with their suggestions to help us through the selection and building process. When problems arose, Kit and Doug had already worked out several solutions before they let us know, so that we could choose the best answer. All their help made our building process go smoothly and kept a project that could have been very stressful come to a wonderful finish. We wish to thank Kit and Doug and their crew very much for a job well done.
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