Building a custom home is a project that requires in-depth planning. This checklist will ensure you have an enjoyable design & build process!
- The Design Must Be Mindful of the Future
Your home is not something that is being built for a short period of time. Everyone should build their homes thinking about future generations. Design your home in a way that it remains up to date for at least 15-20 years both in terms of interior and exterior design but also the functionality for you and your family. This is the best way to ensure that 10 years down the road you are still living in your dream home!
- Forecast The Schedule Before Starting
Keep in mind that construction work depends on multiple factors such as bad weather, scheduling contractors, building issues, and even your own availability to participate in the process!
Tighter timelines are not always realistic and can cost you more money if you do not account for delay’s. To avoid the hassle of an extended timeline, you should calculate the schedule with some spare time before starting the work. Remember it is a process that should be taken one step at a time, you do not want to rush into building a home that you will not love.
- Allow for Work to Finish Before Moving In
You have dreamt about this home for years, as well as undergone the process of designing and building it. Your first night in your new home should be one of complete joy and excitement, not the dread of waking up the next morning to trades working on the unfinished aspects. Finishing every detail before moving in saves you from the headache of trades working while you are living in the space and allows you to enjoy all the time you’ve spent planning and building without the hassle of noise and mess in your new home.
- Properly Plan For Storage
Many people avoid planning for a sufficient amount of storage and instead focus on adding luxury items. But,this decision can often come back to haunt them. If you have been avoiding adding storage space, don’t fear, storage space designed in the right way can be both useful and stylish. Not the eyesore that you may have pictured in your head. Skimping on storage space will always lead to problems in the future. It is best to plan for extra and not run out!
- Conduct Good Research On Contractors
Hiring a random contractor can cost you a large amount of money and leave you with less than satisfactory work. Do your diligence & research multiple contractors before hiring in order to find the most trusted one. If you have already hired a designer or architect you can always ask for recommendations, they have insider knowledge of what it is like to work with the different contractors in the area and are happy to help connect you with trades of excellence!
- Invest Wisely In Mechanical
Most people tend to invest a lot of money in luxury items such as fancy furniture, wallpaper, marble slabs, curtains, etc. Mechanical components such as heating/cooling & electrical systems, fireplaces or appliances can easily not make that list.. These items are like the vital organs of your home, the breath and life of your structure. These investments will be used every day to keep you warm/cool and comfortable and are worth careful consideration. Cutting corners on these purchases will decrease the livability and longevity of your home.
- Always Go For What You Love
It is easy to look through magazines or the internet and see what’s trending. There will always be trends, but trend = spend.
Following trends will have you spending in the near future to renovate something that becomes outdated and that you no longer love. Trends are not the same as advancements in technology, they are design aesthetic choices that are typically based on color or design styles. While you may love a trend now, it may date quickly down the road, causing you to regret your decision to follow mainstream design trends. Most people have their own ideas about fixtures, finishes, and colors that they’ve always loved. Don’t worry if what you like doesn’t follow current trends. Choose finishes, materials and colors based on what you love and ensure that you love your home forever! Remember this home is tailored just for you!
- Have a Realistic Budget
A lot of people are convinced that they can build their project for less than realistic prices. If you have a contractor assisting you with your budget ask them for a detailed line item budget that supports the overall number they give you. Often line items like cabinetry or landscaping are grossly underestimated and not attainable. Check these line items with actual suppliers to ensure you are getting a “real” budget that works.
- Always Plan For A Contingency Fund
Though most major expenses of building your custom home can be covered by any good construction loan, you should always keep a good contingency fund for all the small and unexpected expenses. These small and unexpected things have a tendency to add up quickly and put you in a position that is not ideal with your budget. Leave yourself some wiggle room when planning your budget & ensure that you have a healthy contingency fund. This will help relieve that stress and ensure you still get the home of your dreams!
As you can see, designing your custom dream home requires a solid plan before the construction begins. ZED Studio Design is committed to taking you through all the steps while designing your home and ensuring that you are well prepared for the road ahead. To learn more about our process and services, feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing about your dreams and desires and turning them into reality!
4 Responses
You make a great point about making sure you have the correct budget for the cabinets. I need to get a contractor who can design a second story for me. I’ll have to make sure that I hire someone within my budget.
I would like to add a room to my custom home, and that is why I’m currently looking for a remodeling contractor. Thank you for sharing the importance of having a realistic budget because this may avoid further problems in the long run. I also agree with you that good-quality materials must be prioritized.
It’s great that this article talked that it is difficult to plan with mechanical parts of your home, and you should plan it. Last night, my cousin told me that he was planning to have his own custom home because of different areas that he would like to be customized, and he asked if I had any idea what would be the best option to do when designing his home layout from scratch. Thanks to this instructive article, I will be sure to tell him that it will be much better if he consults a trusted custom house contractor as they can help him figure out what is the best layout for his home.
It made sense when you mentioned that we should hire the most trusted custom home builder for an excellent job. My friend wants her dream home to be built exactly to her expectations. I should advise her to hire a contractor with vast experience in the field.