From the Ground Up

The Ultimate Guide To Home Building

Custom to You: The biggest reason why you should build your own house is that it is completely personalized to your wants and needs.
Brand New: Don’t like fixer uppers? With a custom home build, your house will be move in ready!
New Technology: Interested in home automation? With a custom home build you can get all new smart technology appliances built into your own home.
Energy Efficient: Newer homes are built following more energy efficient codes which not only saves the planet but also saves you money.
Lower Costs: You won’t have to do any upgrades or repairs for years since it is a new home built exactly how you want it.
No Need to Negotiate: You won’t have to worry about the closing process or any bidding wars because the home was made just for you.
Build Anywhere: You can build your perfect home in the perfect neighborhood, there is no need to compromise on the location with a custom home build.

How to Choose the Perfect Neighborhood

What are your priorities? Making a list of what you want should be your first step. Here are a few you should consider: schools, traffic, commute, neighborhood amenities, safety, nearby parks/paths, and walkability.
Close in on an area. Once you figure out what is important to you in a neighborhood, it’s time to actually find some neighborhoods.
Take a drive. Before making a final decision, take a drive around your new potential new neighborhood and envision yourself living there.
Close the deal. Once you find the perfect lot you can purchase the land!

How to Choose an Architect

The next step is choosing an architect or home designer. After doing some research, here is a list of questions you should ask your potential candidates before you commit.

What responsibilities will you handle? It’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page before you start.
What is your estimated timeline? Discussing the architect’s availability and start times, while also asking about any potential hold ups in the design is something you should ask before you begin.
How do you charge? There are several ways architects calculate their fees: time spent (hourly), based on square footage, percentage of the cost of work, or stipulated sum.
What is included in your fees? Figuring out what is and isn’t included in your contract is something you should do before signing. There are various levels of service or packages that architects offer so make sure it is clear what is covered before you start.
What is your involvement during the construction process? Not all architects are involved the whole time so asking about this in the beginning is an important step so you aren’t blindsided if your architect ends up leaving after the design work is complete.
How do you handle conflict? With any project, challenges always arise. Ask the architect how they have handled conflict between themselves and the contractor in the past, but also ask how they handled conflict between themselves and the client.
Do you have references I can contact? It’s important to do your research with a project this important. Seeing how satisfied previous customers are and if they had any issues with the architect is something that is crucial to do before hiring an architect.

These first three steps are just the beginning. For more in depth answers to the previous three topics and to find out how to choose a home builder, the home building process broken down step by step, and things to know before building a home – download our free ebook!

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How to Prepare for a Final Walkthrough

The final step in the custom home building process is the final walkthrough. Although you may be...

11 Reasons Why Building a Custom Home is Worth It

When you’re trying to make the choice between building a custom home or buying an existing home on the market, it can be a complex decision. Here are 11 reasons why building a custom home is worth it:

1. Location

One of the best parts of building your home is that you can choose everything, starting with the location. If you’re buying an existing property, you may find a home with features that you love, except it’s not in a good school district, or it’s too far of a commute to your office. With a custom home build, you can build on any lot that you want.

2. Modern Design

Custom homes have the most modern, cutting edge design elements and floor plans. You don’t have to create living areas out of spaces where they don’t quite fit, like you might in a resale property. For example, if you dream of having the most up to date, sleek home office space, no problem. Your builder can create a floor plan with that in mind and make sure it fits into the rest of your home and fits your budget. For more ideas on creating an amazing home office space, check out our guide here.

3. Builder’s Warranty

Most custom home builders provide a 1 year warranty, and after that the homeowner is responsible for maintenance and upkeep. An additional structural warranty is also available to cover things like the roof, foundation, and other major structural elements of your home.

4. New Features and Appliances

You don’t have to worry about the previous owner’s wear and tear on furniture and appliances, because everything is brand new when you choose to build a custom home. You also won’t have to worry about replacing things or making repairs for a much longer period of time.

5. Energy Efficient Systems

Your custom home can be built with energy efficient HVAC systems, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, and efficiently cool, heat, and maintain humidity control. Your home will not only be comfortable, but your energy bills will be much lower than if you had other systems.

6. Energy Efficient Appliances

There are many energy efficient appliances that will help you conserve energy and lower your energy bill even further. These appliances are also quieter than regular appliances and make your entire home look more modern.

We have even more tips on building an energy efficient home in our blog, check it out here.

7. Custom to You and Your Lifestyle

One of the best things about a custom home is that every single part of it is completely you. It can be built to directly fit your style and lifestyle preferences. If you’ve ever dreamed about it – your custom home builder can make it a reality. Another thing to keep in mind is the more customized you make your new home to fit your lifestyle now, the less expensive changes you’ll have to make later. If you think there’s even a chance you may want children or pets in the future, go ahead and plan them into your custom build. It’s much easier and less expensive to build a home with those types of things in mind than to go back and add features later.

8. Low Maintenance

When you buy a resale property, you may find yourself needing to replace things right after you’ve bought the property. With a custom home, you won’t even need to think about this for a long time. Even if something breaks or needs maintenance, as long as it occurs within the first year after purchase, it should be covered by your homebuilder’s warranty. Another related benefit of a custom home is that you get peace of mind. You don’t have to wonder if your new home has any major structural problems or hidden issues. When you’re the first home owner you know the full history and don’t have to have any guesswork or surprises involved.

9. Built to Modern Home Building Standards

Every area has specific building codes to ensure public health and environmental concerns are upheld. Your new home will be built to strictly follow these code standards so you never have to worry about any violations or concerns.

10. Control Over the Floor Plan

Your home builder can help you create a floor plan that fits your needs exactly, and while they can help make recommendations based on their expertise, you have full control over the basic floor plan of your dream home. One reason home buyers choose to buy a resale property instead of building their own home is for a lower cost. However, many times, this results in them settling or compromising on key features that they wanted in the home, which leaves them with buyer’s remorse. A home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make, not to mention you’ll be spending the majority of your time living there. You definitely don’t want to make too many compromises and choose a home that you don’t 100% love and see a future for yourself in.

Check out our floor plan catalog to get you some ideas to start with.

11. Level of Privacy

Another choice you have is how much privacy you want your new home to have. You can put up privacy fences, tall trees, or other features that provide the privacy and separation that you’re searching for. On the other hand, if you don’t want to be as secluded, you have that choice as well.

If you’re thinking about building your own custom home, make sure to read our guide to home building to make sure you have all the information and details before you start the process.

Designing the Perfect Outdoor Living Space

You live inside, you live outside. Designing a custom home isn’t all about the inside space, the outside matters too! Here are a few tips to consider when designing your outdoor living space.

Consider Your Goals

It’s important to consider what the goals for the space are before you start making any decisions. Do you just want to enjoy the outdoors? Will you be entertaining guests? Is privacy the goal? Whatever your goals, prep your space in a way that will achieve your vision. If privacy
is the goal, then leave space in the budget for trees to screen the property or a privacy. If having an active space is a goal, plan a bigger budget for a sports court or pool.

Plan for the Future

If you don’t want to start working on the backyard space right away but would rather make improvements further down the road, it’s essential you plan now. Make sure that the space is prepped for the amenities you all add. For example, the power for the pool or gas for the firepit. Items like these are more cost effective to prep for when your home is under construction as opposed to figuring how to run support after construction.

Outdoor Kitchen and Bar

If you’re into grilling and entertaining, an outdoor kitchen is a must. When you have guests over you don’t want to have to keep running back and forth between the backyard and the kitchen, you’ll miss out on all of the fun!

Fire Pit

Adding a fire pit can be another form of entertainment. Whether you’re just enjoying a relaxing night with your friends or roasting marshmallows with the kids, it can be something that you all congregate around to enjoy time together.

Add Great Lighting

Lighting can totally change the atmosphere of a space. It can help set the mood and create a relaxing environment, plus it’s easy to change. You can add string lights, lamps, lanterns, or even an outdoor chandelier.

Covered Patios

You’ll want to enjoy your outdoor living space all year long, so adding a roof will provide shade in the summer months and a shelter from the rain. Plus, you won’t have to worry about your patio furniture getting ruined. Or if you’re considering adding a TV, it will also provide
protection for that as well.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Home Building to learn more tips on custom home building!