While the thought of owning your dream home is exciting, getting it isn’t always easy. In fact, the average American lives in 11 different homes during their lifetime!
Not only is moving and buying a new home costly, but it’s also stressful. If you’re sick of packing up your belongings every few years, it may be time to build a custom home.
Unlike buying, building your home allows you to include everything you’ve ever wanted without paying for extra features or rooms you’ll never use. Of course, there are a lot of steps to take to ensure your new home is the one you’ll want to stay in for years to come.
Do you want to know more? Keep reading to discover how you can design and build a custom home.
Get Inspired
Whether this will be your first house or your eleventh, your first step should be to look at other houses. Home trends and features are always changing, so you never know what amazing element may catch your eye.
Maybe you want to install solar panels and go for an eco-friendly home. Or maybe you want to integrate smart home technology. But you’ll never know unless you take the time to research.
Go to a few open houses, browse Pinterest, and flip through magazines. Anytime you see something you like, save it so you can refer back to it when designing your custom home.
Write Your Wish List
Once you have a bunch of ideas for your new home, it’s time to sit down and decide what you actually want and need. Create a wish list and prioritize the most important elements of your dream home.
If you have a layout in mind, don’t be afraid to sketch a rough floorplan. Not only can this help you visualize your home, but it will help give your architect or builder a good sense of what you’re looking for.
Create a Budget
Just like with any big project, you’ll need a budget before building your dream home. Make sure you’re being realistic here and set aside some extra room in the budget for unforeseen costs, so you don’t blow your budget if something unexpected happens.
If you’re not sure how much you can afford, this is a great time to talk to a financial advisor. While a bank will tell you the highest possible loan you can take out, a financial advisor can help create a budget that you can comfortably afford.
With your budget in hand, it’s time to take another look at your wish list. You may have to cut some features out or go with a slightly smaller home in order to ensure it fits within your budget. Your custom home builder will be able to estimate costs, so you can get a better idea of what exactly you can afford.
Consider Future Needs
It’s all too easy to design your dream house for your current life. But you’ll also want to take into account your future needs.
Do you plan on having more children or having aging parents live with you? If so, you may want to add an extra bedroom or a parent suite.
Do you plan on retiring and growing old in this home? You may want to consider keeping all the necessities on the first floor or creating a floorplan that will work for those with limited mobility.
Pick a Lot
Designing your dream home is only half the battle. You’ll also need to find the perfect lot to build your home on.
Location is key here. You’ll want to find a lot that’s close to work, a gas station, the grocery store, and any other place you often frequent.
You’ll also want to make sure you like the neighborhood. If it’s a new neighborhood that’s still in development, ask yourself if you’d be okay living around construction for the foreseeable future.
Of course, you’ll also need to make sure the lot is big enough to fit your dream home while still leaving room for a nice yard.
Hire the Right Professionals
The professionals you hire will be your new best friends during the home building process. They can give you advice on your designs and even offer some new ideas you didn’t think of.
You can either hire an architect to help you create the perfect floorplan and then a contractor to do the actual building, or you can hire a custom home builder company to do both.
Whichever path you decide to take, make sure you get some price quotes and look at online reviews before hiring anyone. They will be responsible for creating your dream home, after all, so you want to choose an experienced and professional company.
Create a Floorplan and Get Building
Once you’ve chosen your custom home builder or architect, you can finalize your floorplan. If you didn’t already draw out a rough sketch, or if you need some more inspiration, many custom home builders offer different floorplans for you to look at.
With the final floorplan in hand, it’s time to start building! Make sure you work with your custom home builder to create a timeline and stay in contact with them to ensure you’re on the same page every step of the way.
Start to Build a Custom Home Today
Don’t settle for a house you’re not happy with. By following the steps above, you can build a custom home that's absolutely perfect for you and your family.
Are you ready to make your dream home a reality? Contact us today to get started!
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