The best way to understand what building with us is like isn’t to hear it from us. It’s to hear it from a family who has done it. Pastor Rony Harden Sr. and his wife, Cynthia, spent decades living in homes built for someone else. In 2025, they built their own in Statesboro, and they followed nearly every step of it from their home in Alaska.
Where They Started
The Hardens had bought three homes over the years. Each one was comfortable, but none of them was truly theirs. As retirement came into view, they decided it was time to stop settling.
“We had purchased three other homes in the past, but they were always someone else’s. We were just living in them. We wanted to build our own dream home going into retirement.”
Like many families, they started without a checklist. “We had no idea what we were looking for in a builder,” they told us. What they had was a strong recommendation from a local bank who they trusted. One phone call settled it.
“We met them and immediately they felt like family, so we decided to trust them with our dream.”
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Designing Their Home
The Hardens came in with three must-haves: a swimming pool, a fireplace, and a pot filler over the stove. Everything else, they trusted to their architect.
“We hired an architect to design our dream home for us. We sat down, described what we wanted, and he created it.”
There were still real decisions to make. The biggest was whether to go with gas or electric. Flooring took careful thought too, with one firm rule: absolutely no carpet. In the end, they chose an all-electric home. For the floors, they went with Evacore’s waterproof Southern Pine, a wood-look plank with the warm reds and browns of pine.
This is where preconstruction discipline pays off — locking selections and the plan before the build, so the family started construction with confidence instead of open questions.
Through the Build
Construction started at the end of July, 2025, and the home was completed on Dec 23, 2025. The Hardens watched it all from Alaska, through the online project portal Matt and Taylor set them up with.
“From foundation to final inspection, we watched the work. We live in Alaska, and it was just like we were there.”
Distance never got in the way of the relationship, either. When we asked how communication felt along the way, their answer was one word: wonderful.
“It felt like we were working with our son and daughter. They treated us with great respect and professionalism. They made us feel like family.”
Move-In Day and Life Since
When we asked the Hardens what getting the keys felt like, they responded with this:
“A 45-year-old dream coming true.”
Seeing the finished home in person was its own moment.
“At the finish we were so amazed and totally shocked at the final product. Matt and his team greatly exceeded our imagination building our dream home. The quality of work and the workmanship was amazing.”
The home was distinctive enough that even the appraiser had a hard time. As the Hardens put it, there was nothing in the area to compare it to.
Their advice to anyone weighing the decision is simple:
“Build, don’t buy. With Hollingsworth Homes, boy, do they stay on task, on time, and on budget. This was one of the most amazing experiences in our lives. We loved every minute of it. Bravo Zulu on a job well done.”
For those outside military circles, “Bravo Zulu” is the Navy’s signal for “well done.” We’ll take it!
Your Story Could Be Next
Every family’s build is different, but the goal is the same: honest numbers, a clear process, and a home designed around the way you actually live. Whether you’re down the road or, like the Hardens, a few thousand miles away, we’d love to help you start your story in the Statesboro and surrounding areas.
Every Hollingsworth home is backed by our 1-year workmanship, 2-year systems, and 10-year structural warranties — built to last.
Reach out to Hollingsworth Homes to begin your own build. The next client spotlight could be your family!