Blessed with a flair for interior design and a knack for communicating effectively, Barbie Pickett is the ideal person to help homebuyers pick from the many options that Pickett Homes offers as standard features.

"I love it," she says. "This side of the business would drive Bill nuts. But that’s one of our strengths. I know what he’s great with and he knows what I’m great with. Some couples tell us, ‘How can you be married and work together? We’d be divorced!’ We just laugh and say, ‘Well, we would be too if both of us were concentrating on every single aspect of this business.'"

Adding the Creative Touch
In addition to aiding homebuyers in the selection of everything from lighting fixtures to carpet to counter tops, Barbie is involved in plan design and development.

"I love working with blueprints," she says. "I’m the more creative one, so I’ll tell Bill and David (Toth, plan developer) to put this here and that there. Then they tell me if it can or can’t be done. Between us, it’s a good mix of creative and technical."

Extensive Experience
Barbie has extensive experience in interior design, having managed the furniture department at Kinnaird & Francke Interiors for several years, through 1993.

Decisions on carpet and other items are usually made in one session with Barbie — held within 14 days after the construction contract is signed.

"And we make sure everything is decided in that session," she says. "If it takes four hours, six hours, eight hours…it doesn’t matter. We get it decided. The reason is that it creates less likelihood of installing the wrong carpet or whatever because you’re rushed at the end. It just makes things a lot calmer. We decide on everything and then I can tell them, ‘Now just sit back and enjoy the building process.'"

Easing the Pressure of Decision-Making
Because buying a new home is such a major undertaking, Barbie understands that easing the pressure of decision-making is an integral part of her work. She’s skilled at listening well and easing people’s fears and preconceived notions of distrust.

"Building a home is a little like having a baby. Everyone wants to tell you their worst experience," she says. "So many people come in and say, ‘I expect this to be the worst experience of my life.’ That’s when it’s important to help people to be comfortable in making choices."

What’s the key to the success of Pickett Homes?

"We’re very quality oriented," Barbie says. "This isn’t about building the fastest product or the cheapest product. We don’t want to build either. And we believe you don’t have to spend a half-million dollars to have a dream home.

"A lot of people come in who’ve only had a starter home or never owned a house. The best part is making people happy. I love it when they leave here and are excited about their dream home."