John Knight: Build Smarter, Not Bigger

A smaller house doesn’t always make a more appealing home. In the rural markets Chisel Mill Homes serves, buyers may be willing to trade square footage for acreage, room for an RV and the freedom to make a property their own. That insight has shaped how the South Metro Atlanta builder approaches affordability and finds opportunities beyond traditional new home communities.

On the third installment of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio‘s Future of Construction series, Carol Morgan sat down with John Knight , president and partner of Chisel Mill Homes, to discuss the decisions shaping the industry’s future. Based in Fayetteville, Georgia, the company builds primarily in Fayette and Coweta counties while pursuing smaller developments and scattered lots in surrounding markets.

From finding the right balance between square footage and lot size to introducing more people to construction careers, Knight’s perspective challenges some familiar assumptions about how and where homes get built.

How Can Home Builders Make New Homes More Affordable? For Chisel Mill Homes, one answer has been to look beyond established markets. As land costs rise in parts of Fayette and Coweta counties, the company has found opportunities farther south, including in Meriwether County, where larger parcels can support a different kind of homeownership.

Rather than relying exclusively on traditional subdivisions, Chisel Mill purchases larger tracts and divides them into individual homesites. That approach can put buyers on two acres or more instead of a typical quarter-acre lot in a more expensive market.

The company’s strongest-selling product reflects that strategy: an approximately 1,800-square-foot ranch with four bedrooms and two to two-and-a-half bathrooms. It offers practical living space while keeping the home’s footprint manageable.

Knight’s experience points to a broader affordability lesson. Reducing the size of a house is only one way to lower its price. Land costs, location and the features buyers consider essential can matter just as much.

Why Don’t Smaller, Less Expensive Homes Always Sell? Chisel Mill has tested several ways to reach buyers at lower price points, including cottage-style homes and smaller floor plans. Not every experiment has delivered the expected results.

Buyers in rural markets often place a higher value on land than builders might assume. A smaller home may carry a lower price, but it won’t necessarily appeal to someone who wants room for a garden, an RV or a fenced yard.

“A lot of our success has come from larger lots,” Knight said.

That lesson has influenced the company’s approach to product design. Knight discusses a three-bedroom ranch plan without an attached garage that helped bring the purchase price down. Buyers could add a detached garage later, while the larger lot offered room for other needs and projects without homeowners association restrictions.

Instead of treating affordability as a one-size-fits-all problem, Chisel Mill considers which features buyers are willing to live without and which ones make a property worth purchasing.

What Can Builders Learn From Testing New Home Designs? Knight doesn’t view a slow-selling product as a reason to stop trying new ideas. He sees it as a reason to adjust the next experiment.

Chisel Mill continues to test different home sizes, price points and locations, keeping initial commitments manageable so the company can move on when a concept doesn’t connect with buyers.

“We’re constantly trying,” Knight said. “If something works, then we pursue more of it, and if something doesn’t, then we hopefully did a small enough experiment and can just move on to the next thing.”

That willingness to test the market also informs how Knight thinks about first-time homebuyers. He sees an opportunity for builders to get more creative about entry-level housing and reconsider what a first home needs to look like.

“I think what we need from the younger generation is some creativity and how do we get younger people to buy homes?” Knight said.

Smaller homes could create another path to homeownership for individuals who might otherwise remain renters while waiting to afford a larger property. For builders, the challenge is finding a product that balances a manageable price with the features and location buyers want.

What Career Opportunities Are Available in Home Construction? Homebuilding involves far more than the people swinging hammers on a jobsite. Knight says that misconception can keep prospective workers from recognizing the range of careers available across the industry.

Today, much of the work happens through project management. Project managers coordinate subcontractors, maintain construction schedules, monitor quality and solve problems when a trade falls behind. Their decisions keep projects moving and help prevent one delay from affecting the entire schedule.

The industry also relies on professionals in purchasing, land acquisition, accounting, sales and business operations. These roles call for different strengths and educational backgrounds.

Knight challenges the assumption that a four-year college degree is necessary for every construction career. Degrees in business, finance and construction management can be useful, but practical experience and professional credentials can also create a path into the industry. For individuals interested in project management, working alongside an experienced contractor can be a valuable starting point.

What Happens Behind the Scenes of a Homebuilding Company? Knight’s own career reflects the range of responsibilities involved in running a homebuilding business. He joined his family’s Chisel Mill Homes operation in 2016 and worked across project management, accounting and purchasing as the company grew.

His focus has since shifted toward land acquisition, contract negotiations and supporting the sales team. He also helps evaluate properties and keep future projects in the pipeline.

“30% of the job is just making sure that the company is running the way it should,” Knight said.

Land acquisition remains a favorite part of his work. He enjoys walking wooded properties, imagining what could be built there and negotiating the deals that make a project possible.

How Could Land Development Reform Help Bring More Homes to Market? Even when builders identify a promising property, the path from land acquisition to construction can be complicated. Knight points to permitting requirements, government regulations and development fees as factors that add to housing costs and affect project timelines.

He also discussed reform efforts through the Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC), founded by his father, Jay Knight. The organization has worked to address residential land development regulations in Georgia, including land disturbance permits, and continues to pursue changes to final plat approvals.

For builders, a more efficient approval process could reduce delays and development expenses before construction even begins.

Knight sees room for smaller builders to contribute to the housing supply through scattered-lot development, too. Rather than depending on large, planned communities, this model allows companies to build individual parcels and smaller groups of lots across multiple markets.

Where Is Chisel Mill Homes Looking Next? Knight hopes to expand the company’s scattered-lot model while maintaining the approach that has helped it establish a niche in South Metro Atlanta. Chisel Mill is exploring opportunities in additional Georgia markets, including Banks and Jackson counties, Griffin and Paulding County.

He is also watching how home design evolves. Farmhouse-inspired architecture remains a natural fit for many of the rural properties where the company builds, but Knight expects buyer preferences and design trends to continue changing.

His involvement with the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia is another way he contributes to the industry’s future. He serves on the association’s board and is preparing to become vice president.

For Knight, the next chapter of homebuilding will require a willingness to question established practices, whether that means rethinking the size of an entry-level home, finding a different way to develop land or introducing new talent to the industry.

About Chisel Mill Homes Founded in 2012, Chisel Mill Homes is a family-owned home builder based in Fayetteville, Georgia. The company specializes in new construction throughout South Metro Atlanta, with a focus on rural communities, smaller developments and scattered lots. Chisel Mill also offers build-on-your-land services and home renovations.

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John Knight: Build Smarter, Not Bigger

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