Building a custom house will test your sanity. Ask Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. She and her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, spent five grueling years bringing their $3 million Texas lakefront mansion to life. Most people think celebrity home building is a quick checkbook fix. They write a check, hand it to a contractor, and move in six months later. Reality is much messier.
Biles started the design process way back in 2020. Just mapping out what they wanted took an entire year. Then came the real bottleneck. Neighborhood red tape and homeowners association approvals dragged on, pushing the ground-breaking ceremony to February 2022. When construction finally started, Biles figured she would be unpacking boxes shortly after. She learned the hard way that custom luxury builds rarely stick to schedule. She summed up the ordeal on social media with a blunt truth: "They lied when they said nine months to build!"
Inside The Custom Lakefront Estate
The property sits on just over an acre near Spring, Texas, spanning roughly 4,000 square feet. Instead of going for sterile, ultra-modern minimalism, Biles and Owens designed a space tailored to their actual routines.
Take the kitchen, for example. It features dual oversized islands paired with stark black-and-white marble waterfalls and custom white cabinetry. It is built for heavy use, not just for show. Nearby, the primary bathroom leans heavily into luxury with a massive walk-in shower containing a freestanding soaking tub, accented by brass fixtures and contrasting marble slabs.
Some choices prove they planned for everyday friction. They installed two separate sets of laundry machines. Biles joked that because Owens insists on doing laundry on the exact same days she does, having independent setups keeps domestic peace. They also carved out a dedicated room exclusively for their dogs, complete with a built-in pet washing station and feeding slots.
Designing Around A High-Profile Schedule
Most homeowners don't have to juggle a multi-sport professional schedule while managing general contractors. While the house was slowly going up, Biles was preparing for and competing in the Paris Olympics, while Owens was deep into his NFL commitments.
The backyard reflects a priority on downtime. A resort-style pool and spa overlook the lake, accompanied by an outdoor kitchen and an in-ground trampoline. Inside, the layout includes a game room, a home theater, and a wet bar. Every square foot serves a distinct purpose.
What You Can Learn From A Celebrity Build
If you are planning a custom home build anytime soon, take notes from how Biles handled the chaos.
First, double your timeline estimates. If a builder tells you a year, plan for two. Delays from material shortages, labor gaps, and bureaucratic approvals are standard.
Second, design for your actual habits instead of a magazine aesthetic. Separate laundry units or specialized pet zones might seem excessive to an outsider, but they solve daily annoyances.
Third, expect your budget to stretch. While the final price tag for this estate landed around $3 million, custom architectural choices almost always incur cost overruns.
Patience isn't just a virtue when building a house. It is mandatory survival gear.
Simone Biles | Her NEW Multi-Million Texas Dream Home - YouTube
This video provides a visual tour of Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' multi-million dollar property in Texas.
http://googleusercontent.com/youtube_content/1
