Key facts
- Maddy and Drew Olson built their own home to manage costs.
- They completed the construction in about nine months.
- The couple aimed for monthly mortgage payments under $1,000.
- Their final mortgage payment is less than $900 per month.
- They performed most of the building tasks themselves.
Maddy and Drew Olson successfully built their own home, completing the project in approximately nine months with the goal of keeping their mortgage payments affordable. Maddy Olson, 27, and Drew Olson, 28, who have a 19-month-old daughter named Campbell, managed to keep their monthly mortgage payments under $900.
The couple, who were married in 2019, had long aspired to homeownership. An initial offer to buy their rental home for $249,000 was deemed too expensive, prompting them to devise a plan to buy a lot and construct their own house.
In January 2025, they purchased a lot for $156,000. Although smaller than initially desired, the location and size helped them stay within their $209,000 build budget. They leveraged Drew's background in commercial concrete and general tool knowledge, along with his family's involvement in home building, to perform most of the labor themselves, a strategy they termed "sweat equity."
While professionals were hired for specialized tasks such as HVAC and drywall installation, the Olsons handled the majority of the construction. Drew Olson utilized flexible work arrangements to dedicate time to the build, and Maddy Olson received assistance with childcare from her mother and mother-in-law, enabling her to contribute to the project.