Budget Breakdown: One Way to Get Your Dream Home? Build It in Your Backyard Like This Maine Family

One of the things Chelsea Lipham cherished about her home in Portland, Maine, was how beautiful its tree-filled lot was. What she didn’t care for, however, was the cramped interior of her 100-year-old duplex. "I was feeling kind of claustrophobic," says Chelsea, who is a registered architect. She imagined an open, airy space with better views of the canopy around her—something that was more like the cabin in the woods she grew up in.