Michele Lester - Real Estate, Builder & Lifestyle

Michele Lester - Real Estate, Builder & Lifestyle

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Real Estate • Construction • HYROX • Style ✨ Sharing home renovations, buying & selling tips, fitness, fashion, and everyday life in North Georgia. 🏡📍

Photos from Michele Lester - Real Estate, Builder & Lifestyle's post 09/10/2026

Thinking about skipping the GC and managing your renovation yourself?

You can.

But before you decide, make sure you’re looking at the full picture. 👀

Being your own GC doesn’t just mean hiring the trades. It means coordinating schedules, reviewing scopes, managing permits, catching mistakes, keeping the project moving, handling change orders and being the person everyone calls when something goes wrong.

And while saving the GC fee sounds great on paper, one missed detail or poorly coordinated trade can quickly eat into those savings.

A good GC isn’t just adding another line to the budget. We’re helping protect the budget, timeline and quality of the project from start to finish.

The real question isn’t “Can I be my own GC?”

It’s “Do I want to take on everything that comes with being the GC?”

That’s where I come in. 🛠️
Managing the details, coordinating the trades, solving the problems and keeping your project moving forward is exactly what I’m here for.

If you’re planning a renovation and want someone to handle the moving pieces from start to finish, let’s talk. I’d love to be in your corner! 💌

09/09/2026

Turns out getting to tell people what to do, obsessing over the details, and helping homeowners bring their vision to life is actually a pretty great career path. 😉

But seriously, I really do love what I do. There’s nothing better than taking an idea and watching it turn into something real and eventually become a place where families get to make memories.

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day long weekend! 🇺🇸 Grateful for the work, the people, and the projects that let me do what I love every day. 🛠️

09/05/2026

The renovations that ACTUALLY pay you back 👀

Not every upgrade is worth it before you sell, some pay for themselves (and then some), others just drain your budget with nothing to show for it at closing.

✅ New garage door → ~268% ROI�✅ Steel front door → 200%+ ROI�✅ Stone veneer → 200%+ ROI�✅ Minor kitchen refresh beats a full gut reno

Thinking about renovating before you sell (or just because)? I put together a free guide 📓 The Homeowner’s Guide to Planning a Home Renovation 🔨 that walks through exactly this. Comment “GUIDE” and I’ll send it your way. 🏡

HomeImprovement

Photos from Michele Lester - Real Estate, Builder & Lifestyle's post 09/03/2026

People see the jobs getting done. The closings. The business growing.

They don’t see everything happening in between.

The calls that need to be made. The problems that pop up out of nowhere. Making sure the crew has what they need, clients are taken care of, and tomorrow is ready before today is even over.

And then there’s being a mom, running a real estate business, and somehow finding time to train for HYROX. 😅

Some days it feels like I’m constantly putting out fires. Other days, everything just works and nobody really knows why.

I’ve learned that’s kind of the point.
If I’m doing my job right, the people around me get to focus on theirs.

There’s a lot more behind the scenes than what people see, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

09/01/2026

Storytime. I brought on a new subcontractor recently and like anyone I hire or anyone I see starting a business and jumping out of their comfort zone with a project they are passionate about, I genuinely wanted to see him do well.

But then the little things started adding up. Timelines weren’t matching up. What was being said wasn’t always matching what was happening on the job. Nothing huge at first… just enough to make me question what I was hearing.

Things go wrong. Jobs get delayed. Mistakes happen. I can work with all of that. What is hard to work with is not being honest about it.

If I’m giving you an opportunity, I’m already rooting for you. I want you to succeed. But trust has to go both ways.

Tell me the truth when there’s a problem and we’ll figure it out. Tell me something that isn’t true, and eventually I’m going to find out.

In this business and really any business I’ve learned these things matter the most doing a good job, communicating and being honest.

Those things will take you a lot further than anything else!

08/27/2026

I’m definitely guilty of getting caught up in the busy. 😂

But this is your reminder (and mine) to stop worrying about every little thing and actually enjoy the life you’re working so hard to build.

The bees will always be buzzing. Don’t forget to taste the honey. 🍯✨

08/26/2026

A summer day at the jobsite calls for an outfit that’s comfortable enough to get things done but still chic enough to feel put together. 👷🏼‍♀️☀️

Had to show y’all at least ONE more summer outfit before we officially move into fall styles and colors. 🍂

My favorite part of this look? Probably these shades I picked up in Europe for HYROX. 😎

And if you’re always on the go like me—juggling business, projects, workouts, and all the things—I highly recommend a COROS watch. It’s been so helpful for keeping up with steps, workouts, messages, and notifications without constantly having to reach for my phone.

Because busy mom + entrepreneur + multiple projects = I need all the help I can get. 😂

Mompreneur EntrepreneurLife SummerOutfit FallStyle COROS HYROX OnTheGo CasualChic

Photos from Michele Lester - Real Estate, Builder & Lifestyle's post 08/25/2026

This time of year always gets busy 👷‍♀️🏡

We’ve got a couple of projects underway right now here in Gainesville/Hall County, and it reminded me how many of the same questions come up before someone even breaks ground. So I wanted to share a few of the ones that are usually top of mind when people start thinking about a renovation.

I put together a full free guide walking through all of this (budgeting, permits, vetting a contractor, timelines, and the mistakes that cost people the most) comment “GUIDE” below and I’ll send it your way. And if you’ve got a renovation brewing, I’d love to talk it through with you. 🔨

GeneralContractor RemodelingContractor

08/20/2026

There are SO many different reasons people renovate.

Maybe you already have a vision and want to make your home more functional for your family.

Maybe you need someone to walk through your space and help you figure out how to make it work better.

Maybe you’re renovating strictly with resale or rental value in mind.

Whatever the reason, there are a few things I think are important to consider BEFORE you start spending money:

🔨 What is the project actually going to cost?
🏡 Will it improve the functionality of the space?
📈 How could it impact resale or rental value?
💰 Is there a better place to spend that money?

I actually started my career as a General Contractor, and I got into real estate because I knew having that knowledge would make me a better resource for my clients.

Now, I can truly see just how valuable that experience is.

I’m able to look at a home from both sides — the construction side and the real estate side — and help you think through trends, costs, functionality, and what will actually make a difference when it comes time to sell.

Because I see homeowners make updates all the time that sound like a great idea, but don’t necessarily make a meaningful difference in the value of the home.

And if you’re going to spend the money anyway, let’s make sure it’s money well spent.

A few things I always recommend:

✨ Have a clear goal for the renovation
✨ Get realistic project costs before starting
✨ Think about what buyers/renters actually value
✨ Don’t renovate just because something is “trending”
✨ If selling is on your radar, talk to an agent before you start making updates

Whether you’re looking to renovate, buy, or sell, I’d love to help you think through the bigger picture and make a plan that makes sense for you and your home. 🏡

Photos from Michele Lester - Real Estate, Builder & Lifestyle's post 08/19/2026

Summer 2026, that’s a wrap!!🥹☀️

The older I get, the more I realize how quickly these seasons come and go, and this summer felt like one I really wanted to be intentional about.

We got in a lot these last couple of weeks, the oldest stayed home to work, so before school started, the girls and us took one last trip together. We had the best weather, an impressive amount of jellyfish 😂, daily OrangeTheory @ Miramar, and even convinced family to join us for a few workouts.

The best part was the time together.

Then we came home and squeezed in a few more memories, including a Truist Park Kip Moore concert, and a weekend in Atlanta with family.

Just a few little moments that I know we’ll look back on and realize were the good stuff. 🤍

Summer 2026, I’m thankful for you. Now… somehow it’s already time to get back in a routine for school and work! 🎒🏡

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