Building Baile

My name is Sierrah Hankins, and I'll let you get to know me a bit!

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My husband, Laramy, and I have been together almost 8 years and we are recently married! We are high school sweethearts and he is my best friend. We ventured across the pond in October of 2018 to get married in Ireland. We get a lot of questions on why we did it, and the simplest answer is that we have always wanted to go, and what better way to tie the knot! Our friend actually suggested it to us as a joke, but we started planning it. There were 14 of us total that went and we all stayed in the same home together (a little Airbnb with the most adorable Irish couple hosting us and living next door). We were there for a week and it was the most magical week of my life. Instead of having a big wedding with 300+ people who would never remember our big day, we gave 14 of us a trip we would always cherish! There were pros and cons to this decision, but we wouldn't have had it any other way. 

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We have 3 big dogs - Rey, my Chesapeake Bay Retriever (you may learn that she's very much my dog), Ridge (Laramy's chocolate lab), and Ebony, our happy family dog. I could talk on forever about these pups! Living with 3 big dogs (not one under 100 pounds) is entertaining, hilarious and at times frustrating. We are pretty tidy people for the most part but these dogs ensure that our home doesn't stay clean long! LOL! 

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ABOUT OUR HOME

My father owns his own construction company and for years my family has built, sold and rebuilt homes in our same home town community. I watched my father create amazing structures and I have always known that I wanted to build my first home. With the help of my parents when I was 18, we purchased a piece of land in our little community. I didn't know it at the time, but that decision was going to help kickstart my life and provide the opportunity for this little home of mine!

 

Dad and I have been drawing this home together for 5 YEARS! We probably couldn't count the amount of revisions we have done on it. We knew we had to build it cost effectively. Main things we had to focus on were the roof line, and of course the size. At 1200 sq. ft. we have 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths on the main level. We do have a loft and a full basement, though the basement is unfinished. With a finished basement, that will bring us up to 3 bedrooms, (or 4 if you count the loft), and 3 full baths one day! It's a great home to grow into! 

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My father was the builder, so of course he went above and beyond for us. We had to source materials as cheaply as we could find, but didn't want to sacrifice quality. So we began our journey attending tons of builder's auctions, finding Craigslist deals, and doing most everything ourselves. We found cedar siding at a great deal, but had to hang and stain it ourselves. We wanted concrete countertops, but poured and sealed for hours. We drove to Arkansas to a sawmill for material because it was so much cheaper than just buying oak beams or stairs. We built decks, trim, handrails and stairs. We ran electric, water lines and installed plumbing. We laid hardwood, installed lights, painted walls, stained, sealed, cried, cursed, sweat, threw things, and THEN.... We have this beautiful home! 

 

We can't thank everyone enough who offered their help and their food to us when we sweating and starving and none of us had a way to cook anything. LOL! 

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MY PASSIONS

My full time job is a Land Specialist for Mossy Oak Properties. I am a real estate agent that focuses on selling land, farms, hunting properties, and country homes. I have definitely found a career that I love and can be so fulfilling! It of course comes with it's downsides, but I love getting to be on the land and helping people find their dream property. 

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I also run a boutique with my husband's aunt called Alice & Austin. It is a new endeavor that we are learning about as we go, and so far it has been fun and challenging! I love getting to do this as a side hustle - I love how the right clothing can make a person feel great about themselves, and getting to supply customers with quality clothing that they love is rewarding! We are online only currently but we will shortly be doing pop up boutiques!