Building a custom home gives you the freedom to create a home that will meet your specific needs and reflect on who you are. The freedom and flexibility that come with building a custom home cannot be downplayed, you get to incorporate everything about you into the home’s design and layout. Before looking for custom home builders to kick-start your journey of building a custom home, you should be aware of certain aspects that are crucial to building your dream custom home.
A custom home is a kind of home designed or built to meet a particular client’s style and needs. As the client, you are in control of size of the lot you wish to purchase, the design of the home, the features, and the layout. A plan is drawn to cater to your requirements and to satisfy your expectations, without having to compromise. Unless you have years of experience in construction and home building, you will need the services of experienced custom home builders to achieve your dream goal.
Here are 5 things to consider before building a custom home:
1. Budget
The saying, “cut your coat according to your cloth” holds true when building a custom home. Build your custom home according to your budget. Decide the total amount of money you can afford to spend on your custom home, and be upfront with the home builders about your budget. They will be upfront with you about what you will be able to receive within your budget. You can then have the architect prepare a plan for your dream custom home, based on the builder’s suggestions. However, you should have some funds set as a side for cost movements and contingencies.
2. Draw a Sketch
When planning to meet custom home builders, prepare a sketch of what you have in mind. It
does not have to be detailed, it should just be able to give an idea of what you have envisioned.
The builders will work with your vision and make suggestions based on their experience to help make your dream home come to life.
3. Know Existing Limitations
If you are buying the lot yourself prior to finding a custom home builder, it is important to understand the zoning and know about any restrictions on building in the area. A real estate lawyer by researching the by-laws and letting you know about any possible restrictions. After all you wouldn’t want to purchase land in an area that would limit your ability to build the custom home of your dreams.
4. Choosing the Right Design
It is good to know what features are a must have and what is considered nice to have when designing your custom home. Spend some time researching online for design inspirations. Most custom builders will have a gallery on the site of their previous jobs, this may be a good starting point. Be practical with what you want in your design, remember to mix functionality with aesthetics.
5. Project Duration
Be aware that building a custom home can take upwards of 12 to 18 months to complete. Have an open conversation with your builder on what the expected completion time frame is and be prepared for any unexpected delays to potentially push the back the completion date.