Monday, June 10, 2024
Discover the exceptional craftsmanship and personalized service offered by Setzke Custom Homes, a family-owned business nestled in rural Dane County, conveniently situated near Middleton, Waunakee, and Sauk City. Led by the dynamic duo of Diana and Mark Setzke, their commitment to quality shines through in every custom home they create. With a focus on reflecting the unique style and preferences of each client, Setzke Custom Homes has garnered multiple prestigious Amwood awards, solidifying their reputation as an industry leader
How did you get into the building industry?
Diana: Well, my parents actually owned a construction business, so I’ve been around the industry my entire life. I’ve always been involved in the family business, but I also owned a non-profit preschool and a licensed daycare facility. I retired from those businesses during COVID, which led me to become a co-owner of Setzke Custom Homes. My background is in people management, so transitioning from education to construction wasn’t too difficult for me.
Mark: I began my career when Doug’s dad, Gene was running Amwood. I graduated high school at 16 and quickly graduated from MATC while my classmates were just graduating from high school. It was the 1980s, and interest rates were sky-high. It was a risky time to jump into the business, but I was determined. After Gene Scott passed, Setzke Custom Homes switched to stick building and then returned to Amwood in 2015.
What is the total number of homes you have built with Amwood and overall career total?
We have built well over 100 homes with Amwood and over 250 homes in our lifetime.
Tell us about your business model? Do you build contract homes, spec homes, model homes, remodeling, etc.?
We primarily do contracted custom homes. We used to build model homes, but currently, we showcase our own personal home, which includes our offices on the lower level. Our home serves as a great representation of our work, and it’s where our clients can see all the unique features we offer. We’ve invested in keeping our home up-to-date. For example, we recently replaced the deck with a new cable railing system. It’s a way for us to showcase new technologies and demonstrate what we can do for our clients. Updates to our home also showcase Mark’s current projects including custom millwork, cherry cabinets, trim and floating shelves. We use the newest cabinet hardware for ease of lifting and storing. Technology advances in carpentry intrigue Mark.
Setzke Custom Homes has one full-time employee, Tom, one part-time employee, Myah, summer interns, and a team of subcontractors. Some of our subs have been working with us for 40 years or more and it is a relationship that is key to our success. We were able to cut one month of our production time through our subcontractor partnerships and now we can build a home in 3 months and 2 weeks from set.
What type of style of home do you build the most?
We primarily build ranch-style homes, although we recently completed a large 2-story home. We’re also looking forward to constructing 55+ senior community duplexes in 2025. Our specialty lies in rural home construction, and we excel in navigating permitting challenges to ensure a smooth building process.
What is the price range of the homes you build?
Our homes range anywhere from $450,000 to $750,000.
What type of marketing do you do and what has brought you the most success?
We do a mix of social media, referrals, and community involvement. The referrals we receive are primarily word-of-mouth, we used to have a referral program but it became too difficult for us to track who the referral was from since many of our projects have a long sales funnel and can take years to come to fruition. We find community involvement to be successful because it gets us brand recognition and exposure to our target audience. We have sponsored local basketball teams and children’s letters to Santa. In addition, we have a partnership with the local high school to provide interns work in both our office and on job sites. And of course, our website is a great platform for showcasing our work.
Tell us a little bit about your family.
We have a blended family Diana has 2 children, Lisa and Brian, from a previous relationship and together we have one daughter, Faith. We are blessed with 5 grandchildren and 3 fur babies. Our children are spread throughout the U.S. and work in a variety of professions. Our youngest daughter even interned with us and attended Amwood’s Builder Academy during college.
Other interesting facts you would like to share?
Diana: Mark is an avid hunter and fisherman. He enjoys fishing, duck, and turkey hunting and has an extensive amount of equipment. Mark is also an awesome trim and millwork creator. These are intense woodworking skills that he loves to do. He creates custom mantels, custom furniture, custom cabinets, and millwork.
Mark: Diana loves to play the piano, bake, read, and dabbles in oil painting, At Christmas she made 4,000 – 5,000 cookies! Besides that, we own a home on the Mississippi River and spend time down there with our family.
To learn more about Setzke Custom Homes check out their website at www.setzkecustomhomes.com and to learn more about Amwood and our builders check out our blog here.