We wanted you to have the chance to familiarize yourself with Doron Sabag and Jim Hoffman, the partners who will guide you through the timely and efficient execution of your dream home. SBP Homes treats every project as if it were their own, and brings decades of multi-faceted expertise to the table. SBP Homes has a commitment to excellence, and is unique in providing balanced perspective through the complementary personalities of the founders. Doron’s infectious spirit and Jim’s pragmatic business acumen combine in creative and efficient harmony covering all bases of the building process.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START SBP HOMES?
JIM: Our company’s growth has somewhat mimicked our personal lives. We left New York for Connecticut about ten years ago and by now we both have homes in the Palm Beach and the Hamptons area. Keeping our portfolio diversified allows us to stay current and knowledgeable about the economics and standards across multiple cities. The market is always fluctuating and we can keep a finger on the pulse. People prioritize things differently depending on the culture of the area, and we’re lucky we get to try all sorts of different things. Right now, we have two different types of projects we’re pursuing — working with architecture firms where we can execute someone else’s vision, but also working with Doron as a designer and in-house architects on building projects where we handle everything.
WHAT SETS A SBP CUSTOM HOME OR PROJECT APART?
JIM: There are a million things to deal with on a daily basis with building and construction projects that require a constant eye and a tight grip. We have experience dealing with everything from changing field conditions to various municipal issues, and can make sure all the balls stay in play. One thing that sets us apart is that we like to handle all aspects of the expediting process personally — the permitting, town agency approvals, negotiating contract issues. A lot of approvals end up coming from different inland or wetland departments, planning and zoning commissions for pipes and septic systems, coastal management systems — we don’t like to turn that over to someone else. We’re both New York attorneys, but you don’t need to be one to get a lot of the permitting done. We’re well-versed in contractual language and can navigate all the important paperwork early on in the process, so there’s no doubt everything will run smoothly.
HOW DO CLIENTS BENEFIT FROM YOUR DESIGN KNOWLEDGE?
DORON: Regardless of how you arrive at and decide on any particular style, the process is really about management at its core. When you’re good at managing projects, that’s what turns ideas to reality. We’re great listeners, and help clients understand what direction they’re going in.
Some designers like to tell people what they like, we like to help translate their ideas — really ascertain their style and taste.
WHAT PROJECTS HAVE BEEN UNIQUE AND SPECIAL TO YOU?
JIM: We built a home for an older couple — we treated them like our parents. A lot of clients will come to us with their ideas and Pinterest accounts, but they let us take the wheel and it turned out amazing. They bought five properties and we combined them, so there was all this acreage high up on these magical cliffs. Their pool looked like it could be in the south of France with the tiered level of the gardens. We’ve carried on our relationship with them like family — we check-up almost weekly to make sure the landscapers are doing their thing. It’s very special.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT FROM SBP HOMES?
JIM: I think one thing that sets us apart is that we get involved with everything, even if we’re not doing it ourselves, and avoid compartmentalization — the interior designer can’t work in a vacuum. If there’s any tension between an interior designer and an architect, we’re there to diffuse it. If a client wants to bring in a designer 6 months into a project, we’re there to figure out that transition. We micromanage the whole thing so the homeowner doesn’t have to.
DORON: We’re good at getting people to talk to each other, bringing them together to communicate. Sometimes our clients find it very easy and it goes quickly and they want to do another project right away, but sometimes it can be a very challenging process for some people. Clients can get really entrenched in the decision-making process, for example the hardware selection — we help put it into perspective. We help assure people of the quality they are getting for the money they are spending.
TALK ABOUT WHAT INSPIRES YOU
DORON: I’m inspired by an old building, by a window, a street, a certain landscape that triggers an emotion. I like a level of simplicity. My instincts have become much cleaner over the years, more refined. I like to allow people to live in a house without having to worry about where you walk, maintaining its elegant but remaining user-friendly. I want to bring warmth and comfort to the more commonly cold, contemporary interiors.
HOW DO YOU SPEND A TYPICAL SUNDAY AT HOME?
JIM: We have a big barn with a gym in it, and our day always starts early. We walk the dogs, go off to work, come home, and walk the dogs around the property again. We have 14 acres, and we’re big gardeners, so we’ve been working on the gardens. In the summertime, it’s just us and a bunch of dogs with a lot of friends and family showing up on the weekend — we’re the hosts for the people that live in town! We live in what’s called backcountry, North of the Merrit Parkway, further from the water where the properties are much bigger. A very country feel to it.