When thinking about your dream home, chances are you are envisioning a custom-built house, that meets your exact style and design needs. For those that are ready to take on designing and building a custom home, it is not all smooth sailing as there are often challenges to overcome and decisions to be made. Having a plan and checklist for your custom home builder will help you deal with these challenges and decisions that will inevitably come your way.

This checklist will ensure that no part of your plan is skipped or missed. Here are some key items to include in your custom home checklist:

Your Lot

Selecting a lot that will be able to suit your vision of what features and layout you would like to incorporate into your home are important. Not only should the lot be large enough to fit your dream home, it needs to be in the general geographic area you desire and within a price range that fits into your overall budget.

Financing

There are several factors that can affect financing your home. When it comes to buying a piece of land and developing it to build your home on, a standard mortgage may not be available. However, your options change if there is an existing home on the lot. Speak with an agent from your lending institution for full details and preapprovals.

Partner with a Custom Home Builder

Building a home will require the support of many different professionals, arguably the most important partnership is with a custom home builder that will help turn your vision into reality. Their role can be vast, from helping with the design and vision of your home to supervising the construction process and even ensure the project remains on schedule. In some cases, the custom home builder may even have access to plots of land that you may not have seen. 

Develop a Home Plan

No doubt there will be must-have and nice to have features and designs that you want to incorporate into your home. These should be the base for any design plan created. Work with your builder’s design team or your architects to ensure your home design encompasses all of your wants and needs, while still complying with the engineering standards in your city or region.

Construction Begins

Once all of the permits and designs have been approved, the builder’s team will begin the process of building your custom home. First comes the preparation of the land, followed by the foundation, the structure, and the internal and external components all according to plan. Unless you are involved in the construction process in some capacity, at this point you will be hands-off. 

Progress Meetings

Being on-site during the construction process will not always be possible, but having several scheduled site visits will give you the opportunity to review the progress and the overall build. Ensuring these visits are scheduled with your builder, will make sure they have someone onsite that can safely walk you through the site while being able to explain the areas you are viewing.

Final Inspection

A final walkthrough should be scheduled with your custom home builder to ensure the finished project is as per the design and that it meets all of your expectations. Note any deficiencies or areas that need attention, so they can be corrected.

Building your dream home should be an exciting time, being prepared and working with a professional custom home builder will ensure the process is also an enjoyable experience.