Buying a new custom home allows you to design your dream house. There are a few things to consider when designing a home that meets the demands of your family or one that is based on a style you adore.
Details make a difference. How a tile aligns with a window frame, how the roof flashing terminates against a wall, or how a light fixture sits on a shelf are all thoughtful decisions that elevate your design.
Know What You Want
When building a custom home, there are endless options that you can make to make it your truth. These range from small things, like adding cubbies to a mudroom to reduce clutter, to structural changes, like expanding the living space to include a great room connecting to a covered porch for easy indoor/outdoor living.
However, knowing what you want is important before you start making decisions. Checking out custom home builder pictures can help you avoid costly mistakes and ensure that your final home design is what you truly want.
It’s also a good idea to consider resale value when making choices. For example, removing bathtubs to add shower stalls is a change that could deter future buyers and cost you more money when it comes time to sell your home.
Take a Tour
A custom home is a unique opportunity to design a living space exactly how you want it. However, it’s also important to consider the resale value of your home, as making many changes to a home can reduce its weight and deter future buyers.
To avoid these pitfalls, it’s essential to tour homes before beginning the design process. This can be done in person at open houses or via virtual tours. When traveling home, make sure to take notes of things that you like and don’t like.
You may also use this time to define your “must-haves,” which will help you narrow down your choices and ensure that whatever you select properly matches your preferences. Lastly, take note of any additional features that may be included with the home.
Talk to Your Friends and Family
As you start designing your custom home, involving the people living with you is a good idea. They can offer insight into what design will work best for your family.
For example, you may want a guest room if you plan to have guests often. Or if you have aging parents that you want to stay with you, then you’ll consider adding an in-law suite.
When you’re working with a builder that offers semi-custom homes, be sure to ask them if they’ll let your Designer substitute choices for the standard options in their plans. This will save you time and money!
Contact Your Homeowner’s Association
If you’re building your custom home in a community with an HOA, it is important to contact them and get familiar with their rules and requirements. This is especially true if architectural styles are restricted. Verifying that your builder adheres to all local building rules and has all relevant permits is also critical.
A skilled custom builder should be able to smoothly lead you through the HOA approval and city permitting procedure. On the other hand, rushing through this step of the design process might cost you in the long term. For example, you may wind up with a home you dislike—selecting an architectural style and floor plan that will function effectively in the long run.
Create a Mood Board
Mood boards can help you and your custom home builder narrow a design style. They also help communicate a general direction to the rest of your team. For example, a mood board can show your designer that you want to include a certain architectural design detail in the project.
The key is creating a balanced mood board with various elements communicating your design concept. Organize the images into visual groupings and use relative size to convey their importance.
You can create your mood board in a physical or digital form. Use whatever resources work best for you and your team. These may include colors, shapes, images, a video sample, font files and text to explain your ideas. Using your intuition will keep this stage quick and painless.
