The need for adequate housing seems to be a problem everywhere, even in rural communities like Callaway. Homes for sale or rent are difficult to come by in small towns. That is a need that Lane Chesley is trying to meet.

After graduating from Callaway High School in 1973, Lane went to a small college in Iowa for a couple of years before transferring to what was then Kearney State College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in art education. He taught school for three years at Ravenna Public Schools, then he and his wife, Melanie, relocated to Colorado where he taught a semester.

“I became very disenchanted with education and got out of it. I went to work for Herb Hall at Midwest Partitions in 1982,” said Lane. He remained in Colorado where he was involved in building a number of high rise buildings in the Denver area.

“The economy hit the skids in the mid-80s and Herb got really slow, so that’s when I started my own little business doing drywall taping and finishing. I did that for two or three years then went back to work for Herb,” Lane shared. “He decided to move back to Nebraska and I stayed there to finish up some jobs, then ultimately we moved back to Nebraska in 1995.”

Shortly after moving back to Nebraska, Melanie’s father was diagnosed with cancer and died less than a year later. At that time Lane took over the farm. “I was not a very good farmer,” he laughed. “I started doing some work on my own taping, finishing and texturing houses and one thing led to another.”

He incorporated Design Homes in 1999. In 2004 Lane took a break from his business and went back to work for Midwest Partitions until 2010. “I started back up in 2010 and have been going good since then. Craig and Kelli Safranek’s house was the first one I did after I came back, and things have just been rolling right along since.”

Lane has two employees - Justin Mason and Aaron Stryker. “Justin and I have been together since I first started up in 1997. When I went back to work for Herb, Justin went to work for BD, and when I went out on my own again in 2010 I contacted him and he came back to work for me and ended up staying full-time.”

Design Homes works with clients on the total design and construction of their home from start to finish. “I can draw up the blueprints and everything. We pretty much self perform everything except HVAC, electrical and flooring,” he explained.

He said his crew works very efficiently by learning how to order ahead and dove-tail projects, wisdom gained through years of experience. “Right now we have to order materials sometimes months out. We really haven’t had to worry a lot about shortages because I don’t do 15 houses at a time, so that helps.”

While Lane has done work as far away as Ansley and Alma, the majority of his clientele is within a 30-40 mile radius, he said. “I feel very fortunate to stay as busy as I do. Right now there is such a gap between the old houses and the new houses,” he said. “If somebody wants to remodel a house nowadays you can drop $150,00 to $200,000. At that point you really need to ask yourself if you want to spend another $150,000 and get a brand new home. Some of the houses right now are just old and tired.”

Lane said the decision to remain in Callaway when he started his own business was not a difficult one. “Our kids were in school here, my parents were here, and our kids were Melanie’s parents’ only grandchildren. And I didn’t have any problem staying busy,” he said.

Melanie is a native of Arnold and both felt like it was important to raise their children close to their grandparents. “We didn’t want to raise our kids in Denver.” They have two children: Meredith is married to a farmer and is a mother of soon to be two children and lives near Lexington; Dillon is a superintendent for Hausmann Construction in Omaha.

“When we left Nebraska to go to Colorado and teach I never dreamed I would come back. I was gonna move to the big city, and just never envisioned myself moving back,” Lane said. “But there comes a time in your life when you just get to a place where you’re willing to live a different lifestyle. To reach Design Homes contact Lane at 308-991-0870.