After years of saving up and some preliminary planning, you have finally decided to build your dream house. But the question is, how will you even start?
Building a custom home can be quite a daunting task especially when you have no idea about the process. You may start feeling overwhelmed as you think about the scope of work that lies ahead.
To ensure a seamless construction process for your dream home, here’s what you should keep in mind.
1. Family
If you’re going to live with someone in your dream home, it’s important that you also consider their personal opinions. You shouldn’t rely solely on books, magazines, or websites as you’d want a home that fits each family members’ needs.
Have a family meeting to decide on what rooms and features do and don’t work in your current home. You can use this information as a reference point to make improvements in your new house.
2. Budget
The biggest mistake most homeowners make when building a custom home is not keeping the budget in mind. Costs can quickly add up and, if you’re not attentive enough, you may end up having to change your house design due to unexpected expenses.
Knowing your budget is crucial as that is how you decide how large a house you can build and what design features you can include. Other things you should factor into your budget include:
- Contingency budget
- Cost of the land
- Design and engineering fees
- Home construction
- Interior decorating and furnishing
- Landscaping costs
- Local fees and taxes
3. Location
Where you build your custom home is just as important as how you build it. The location of your dream house can affect what you want and what you can do with your home, aesthetically and structurally.
Everything begins with the property. Here are clues on how you can sculpt a home from the existing landscape:
- Availability of sunlight
- Orientation
- Natural features of the site
- Topography of the land
When you search for a possible location, consider the following:
- Size of the lot
- Slope or flatness of the land
- Closeness of neighbors
- Direction of the sun
- Natural surroundings like field, forest or water
- Access to resources like supermarkets, parks, hospitals/clinics, schools, malls, etc.
4. Timeframe
Do you want your home finished as soon as possible? You should have an approximate or target date that you want your project to be done. It’s also important to determine whether there’s anything specific you need to consider with regard to the timeframe of your project.
- Is there a new baby coming?
- When will be the end of the lease on your current home?
- Will your children’s school year affect your move in date?
- Could the seasons in the area cause setbacks to your project?
If you have a strict deadline regarding the completion of your custom home, you should set a reasonable start date. You should also talk to your builder to discuss if the completion date you’ve set is reasonable enough on their end.
5. Builder
A professional custom home builder would have had ample experience in constructing houses that suit your preferences. The first thing you should do is to ensure that both you and your builder are on the same page when it comes to the construction, design, and timeline.
Be clear about your wants and needs so that everything goes exactly as you envisioned your dream home to be. Be flexible and prepared to compromise in case your original specifications can’t be accommodated by the property or budget.
Mix style and function
It’s only natural if you want your home design to be something that suits your personal style. But, make sure that the design you’d go for is also functional for everyone who is going to live in the house. Your chosen builder can suggest different designs that will best fit your lifestyle and those who would live with you.
Trust your team
Hiring an experienced builder will lessen the stress of designing and building a custom home. Remember that the most crucial part of building a custom home is to find a good team. It isn’t only about getting a good price, it’s more about getting the right value by working with competent people that you can trust.
Plan your custom home for success
It goes without saying that there are a lot of things going on when building a custom home. But by keeping the above considerations in mind, you can have a peace of mind knowing that everything will go smoothly.
AUTHOR BIO
Ben White is the Sales & Marketing Manager of Danmar Homes. He has had a passion for home construction from an early age as he grew up in construction and followed in the footsteps of his parents. At Danmar, we believe in building great homes of value for families that want to build an asset and their financial future through housing and developments.