“It’s a collaborative process with our clients,” says Eric. “A truly custom home means that our clients can have exactly what it is that they want. They’re not limited to certain selections or certain floor plans and everything that comes with it. A lot of times, they make changes throughout the process, so we believe our job is to adapt to an ever-changing landscape.”
Eric summarizes what they do as “being in the construction and real estate business,” but it’s so much more than that. He, for example, has been a licensed general contractor and realtor in North and South Carolina since 1985, starting in Greensboro, North Carolina, continuing to Wilmington, North Carolina and now Murrells Inlet, South Carolina with hundreds of homes built along the way over the years, including two Coastal Living Magazine Idea Homes and being honored with three Best in American Living Awards. He also has a degree in Business Administration.
“I started working at an architectural firm before and through college,” says Eric, “and I eventually realized I identified more with the firm’s clients than I did the folks I worked with. I did not want to sit behind a desk as a draftsman for the rest of my life, so I obtained a degree in business and went to work for a real estate development and construction company in Greensboro.”
Deanna, a native of Gastonia, North Carolina, is also a licensed realtor in North and South Carolina, and recently went back to college to earn her Construction Project Management degree. Deanna is more involved on the real estate side of the business than Eric, but both of them being engaged in the real estate side of the business is an advantage, as they work with their clients to secure a suitable lot or offer critical insight into buildability or potential resale issues. Deanna’s passion is helping clients, whether it’s finding a new property or selecting finishes for a home being built. She loves being their advocate.
“Oftentimes, we meet with a client early on in the construction process, so we can locate a suitable lot for them and initially work as their realtor,” says Eric. “About 80 percent of the time, we actually guide our clients through the entire design process, versus being handed a complete set of plans to build. We might find a plan we can alter or work with an architect to create a completely unique home plan for our client. Once plans are complete, we take the design through the remaining steps of structural engineering, ARB review and permitting.”
The name Thompson House is taken from Deanna’s maiden name and Eric’s Grandfather Thompson, who spent his career as a carpenter. The firm specializes in building luxury custom homes in some of the most premiere neighborhoods from Brunswick County, North Carolina, to Charleston, such as the gated communities of St. James Plantation in Southport to the north and DeBordieu in Georgetown to the south.
The Coffeys say they are “passionate about the design, quality, efficiency, and long-term livability” of every home they build in any neighborhood.
“I think the time we take with our clients really sets us apart in this industry,” says Eric. “We’re hands-on every day, both of us. And during the end of the process, we [specifically Deanna] will be in the house all day, every day with all of our subcontractors as they are finishing up. We’ll take the customers through their selection process, picking out tile and paint colors, ordering the cabinets, ordering their light fixtures or helping them pick out plumbing fixtures.”
The Coffeys are known to guide their clients through the entire process to make it all as stressless and seamless as possible. It begins even before the actual construction, through Deanna’s knowledge and insight into the local real estate market, including the search for available lots for sale. They manage the design, engineering and all of the necessary submissions to the Architectural Review Board.
And, because of their wealth of experience, they will together guide clients toward their ultimate goal under one roof, whether that’s an aging in place design, eco-friendly home, hurricane fortified or just an overall dream home for retired couples or growing families laden with detailed design elements or high-end amenities. These options could include a wine storage area, gourmet kitchen with an oversized island or wet bar, home theatre, outdoor kitchen, luxe shower room, a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, custom built-in shelves, first floor primary bedroom, game room and more.
Catherine and Dennis Slattery are more than satisfied with their customized choices for their home. Past clients, they partnered with Thompson House in 2018 to build their first custom new home: one in a cul-de-sac within the exclusive oceanfront neighborhood of DeBordieu.
“I really think that the architectural details, the good work done here and the carpenters that Eric used did a beautiful job,” says Catherine. “Dennis wanted a real statement kind of staircase, and I think it’s really lovely. Then there are the pillars, the recessed ceilings, the feature wall, the cabinetry … that’s what people comment on. And during the process, I was always asked my opinion on things, like windows and trusses and hardware and plumbing.”
That’s what the Coffeys pride themselves on, outside of the quality workmanship, time efficiency, and budget elements of the process – the customer service and relationships they build with their clients.
“We just clicked with Eric and Deanna,” continues Catherine. “We liked what he told us about his experience and he was just down to earth … always extremely helpful and accommodating and wanted us to be happy. We had never done a totally custom house before, so it was a little bit scary, but both he and Deanna were terrific.”
So much so, that the Slatterys actually recommended Thompson House as a builder to friends. Other folks have followed the Slatterys’ lead to use the company for their new custom home in DeBordieu, too.
Ron Sydell is one of those folks. Thompson House built Ron’s home in DeBordieu & he worked with them during the process from his home that was more than three hours away.
“Everything’s been going really well with great communication, and we’ve never built a house before,” says Sydell. “They were always on top of things and transparent. We’re extremely happy, considering everything that’s going on in the country, with supply chain issues. And we haven’t had any.”
As members of the Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association, Thompson House also has a membership with the Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS® and the Brunswick County Association of REALTORS®, with Deanna participating on a number of committees.
The Coffeys have also worked in the tiny house industry, which is a unique and expanding segment of the vacation home market.
“We’re always trying to look for new and exciting opportunities,” says Eric. “This is a segment of the vacation home market that we can do in tandem with our custom home business because the homes come to us virtually complete. These tiny houses are around 400 square feet but seem to ‘live’ much larger. We get phone calls about it all the time, but it’s been a bit difficult to locate property zoned for a product like that.”
Also a possibility for the future is keeping Thompson House in the family. Their son, Alexander, recently began working in the business with them and Kent, currently a student at the University of South Carolina, has shown interest in the development side of the real estate and construction industry.
“We’re all about getting the family involved,” says Deanna. “When Kent comes home from school, he works with us. He’s very interested in the industry, but we’ll see how it works out! You never know!”
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