Building a custom home is one of the most rewarding experiences a homeowner can have. Who wouldn’t love living in a space specifically designed to meet all their individual needs? While building a custom home can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be frustrating and stressful without preparation. To help you have the best experience possible, our team put together a list of the top things to consider before a custom home build.
Set a Firm Project Budget
Before you build a custom home, it’s essential to consider your budget. Setting and sticking to a budget can be extremely difficult without proper planning. Remember, designing your own home means the possibilities are endless. Having this kind of freedom can be liberating, but it can also lead you down an expensive rabbit hole of luxury upgrades that can send your project total skyrocketing.
As you plan your budget, it’s best to have a maximum spend in mind for each portion of the project. Otherwise, you could end up blowing your whole budget on upgrades for the kitchen, leaving no room for other features throughout your home.
Create a Detailed Design Vision
Having a clear vision for your custom home is vital. If you’re unsure where to start, working with a knowledgeable designer is a good idea. As you work together to create a plan, consider things like:
- The flow and layout of your floorplan
- Color, style, and material preferences
- Architectural accents and details
If you’re still vetting designers, you can create an inspiration board using apps like Pinterest or Instagram. Follow your favorite designers on social media and start saving designs that inspire you to start getting a better picture of what you’d like for your own build.
Choose a Team You Trust
When building a custom home, few things are more important than the team you choose to work with to execute your vision. It’s important to select a design and build firm that listens carefully to your needs and offers personalized solutions based on your budget and style preferences.
Make sure you meet with several candidates before diving into a relationship that could be a bad match. During your consultation, be sure to ask about:
- Customer testimonials: What are other homeowners saying about what it’s like to work with your design team?
- Project portfolios: Does your team have experience designing homes similar to what you hope to build?
- Awards & recognition: Has your design team been recognized for their work?
- Process transparency: What should you expect from working with your chosen custom home builders?
Be Prepared To Make Compromises
Unless you’re building a home just for yourself, chances are you’ll be working with a loved one to create your custom space. While you might adore their personality, there may be times throughout your custom home project when your and your partner’s preferences clash. (Seriously, who wants carpet in a bathroom?)
It’s important to remember that your new space is just as much theirs as it is yours. Be prepared to make compromises, and work with your designer to ensure that your style differences blend in a happy marriage of timeless elegance.
Plan for Extra Storage Space
Adding extra storage might seem a bit over the top, but it can enhance any room’s functionality. Your home should be a space that comfortably houses everything you have now and all the things you collect over time.
Think About Changing Lifestyle Needs
This step goes hand-in-hand with our previous point on storage space: Thinking about how your needs may change over time is essential when building a custom home that lasts a lifetime. A clawfoot tub in your master bath might seem like a great idea now, but what happens when you can no longer safely get in and out?
Choosing a walk-in shower instead or including a handrail in your bathroom design can help you get ahead of changing lifestyle needs before they become problematic.
Schedule a Consultation With Golden Bee Homes
If you’re looking to build a custom home in Toronto, Golden Bee Homes is the team you need to bring your vision to life. Our award-winning team of experienced designers and architects offers the personalized experience that homeowners expect from the custom building process. We work closely with you every step of the way to ensure all your design expectations are met.
Request a custom home building consultation with Golden Bee Homes by calling (416) 495-8282 today.
