3 Tips When Building Your Custom Home
Building a custom home can be an exciting opportunity, but it can also feel overwhelming. If you're thinking of building your own custom home but you don't know where to start, keep reading. These three tips will help ensure you build the right home for your needs and desires.
1. Focus on the Right Location
Since you fully design the home, you can start by focusing on finding the right location. Start by choosing an area you find attractive and consider the convenience and accessibility, such as:
- Distance from work and other important locations
- Local amenities, services, and stores
- Local schools
- Transportation costs and availability (gas, bus, etc.)
If you're building near or in a neighborhood, make sure it suits your lifestyle. For example, if you expect to raise a large family in your home, it may not be best to build your home near a senior community or neighborhood largely populated by seniors but rather in a neighborhood full of children.
Aside from the present, consider the future. The area you choose may very well change in the future. People may build houses around you, cut down trees that provide privacy, tear down major amenities, etc.
Other factors regarding the location you should consider include:
- Local crime statistics
- Potential hazards like flooding
- Local property tax laws
Finally, it may be best to make sure you choose a location that has or can have access to city amenities like gas, electric, water, and sewage.
2. Consider Your Needs and Desires
Before planning the layout, determine what you want and need in the home. Naturally, this starts with rooms. Aside from living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms, you may want or need some or all of the following:
- Home office with or without separate entrance
- Family room
- Laundry room
- Guest room
- Entrance hall
- Library
- Playroom
- Home theater
- Sunroom
Other features of a home that aren’t rooms but you should still consider include:
- Pantry
- Walk-in closet(s)
- Ensuite bathrooms
- Wine cellar
Outside of the home, you may want:
- Decks and patios
- A swimming pool
- Awnings
- Gazebos
- Pergolas
In addition, make sure the home is the right size for both your present and future. If you're planning on having a lot of kids but you only have one or two extra rooms, you'll quickly outgrow your wonderful custom home. If you build a home that is too large for your needs or wants, however, you could end up wasting a lot of money, including money on monthly energy bills and future maintenance or repairs.
3. Choose the Right Materials
Since you’ll get to choose everything, you’ll also get to choose the materials used to build your custom home. Of course, price is one of the leading factors to consider when choosing materials, so you can choose more budget-friendly materials. However, don't only consider the price.
You'll want to consider maintenance and durability. If you choose materials that require a lot of maintenance, such as:
- Wood
- Some natural stones that are porous
- Tile with a lot of grout
Then such materials will break down faster, become dirty, etc. if you don't maintain your materials properly. It may be best to stick with materials that require less maintenance, such as:
- Slate, clay, concrete, or metal roofing
- Seamless gutters
- Brick, stone, stucco, fiber cement, and vinyl siding
Of course, don't neglect to consider the durability and longevity of the material. If it's inexpensive and wears down or doesn't last long, you're only wasting money. Ideally, choose mid-range to high-end materials that require little maintenance.
Your custom home can be everything you want and more. However, make sure you consider every aspect before you start to build to prevent any complications and excess costs. If you would like to know more, or if you’d like a quote on a new home, contact us at Genuine Home Builders, Inc. today.
