What You Need To Know To Build A Custom Home
Choosing to build a custom home is a big decision that can bring much anticipation and excitement. If things do not go according to plan, however, the entire experience can be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Designing a home that is unique and will meet the specific needs of your family can be very rewarding, but before you make any large decisions you will need to consider a few things.
Decide If Your Plans Really Need A Custom Design
If you have dreamed about building your own home for any length of time, you may have already started to sketch out your ideas on paper. You have very specific desires for every detail of your home, and the hassle of adapting a canned design may seem like a headache. Before you decide to go with a custom plan, however, ask yourself two questions.
1. Are You Planning To Stay In The Home For A Lifetime? We all understand that a home is often about more than financial concerns; having a perfect space can greatly enhance your quality of life and your enjoyment of your home should not be taken lightly. It is probably unwise, however, to customize a house for your enjoyment when you will only be there for 5-10 years. The details you have agonized over may not add any value to your home, and you may be setback in your finances an unjustifiable amount.
2. Is My Dream Feasible? The biggest reason to build a custom house is to get the result you want without compromising your vision. This is of course possible, but it will come with a hefty price tag and some locations may not welcome your originality. Find out whether your dream house will require major life changes in order to become reality in order to determine if you really want to pursue this plan.
Confer With A Professional Architect
Once you have decided that a custom house really is the best fit for your needs, it is absolutely necessary to hire an architect. You may think that this expense is unnecessary and may try to hammer out details with your builder.
It will ultimately be more efficient, and even possibly less expensive, to visit an architect from the start. More than likely, an architect will have to approve the final plan, and an architect will be the most qualified person to offer creative solutions to design flaws your plan may have without sacrificing the integrity of your goal for your house.
Decide If Your Plans Really Need A Custom Design
If you have dreamed about building your own home for any length of time, you may have already started to sketch out your ideas on paper. You have very specific desires for every detail of your home, and the hassle of adapting a canned design may seem like a headache. Before you decide to go with a custom plan, however, ask yourself two questions.
1. Are You Planning To Stay In The Home For A Lifetime? We all understand that a home is often about more than financial concerns; having a perfect space can greatly enhance your quality of life and your enjoyment of your home should not be taken lightly. It is probably unwise, however, to customize a house for your enjoyment when you will only be there for 5-10 years. The details you have agonized over may not add any value to your home, and you may be setback in your finances an unjustifiable amount.
2. Is My Dream Feasible? The biggest reason to build a custom house is to get the result you want without compromising your vision. This is of course possible, but it will come with a hefty price tag and some locations may not welcome your originality. Find out whether your dream house will require major life changes in order to become reality in order to determine if you really want to pursue this plan.
Confer With A Professional Architect
Once you have decided that a custom house really is the best fit for your needs, it is absolutely necessary to hire an architect. You may think that this expense is unnecessary and may try to hammer out details with your builder.
It will ultimately be more efficient, and even possibly less expensive, to visit an architect from the start. More than likely, an architect will have to approve the final plan, and an architect will be the most qualified person to offer creative solutions to design flaws your plan may have without sacrificing the integrity of your goal for your house.