IF YOU’VE EVER WONDERED WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BUILD A CUSTOM HOME, JOIN US ON OUR SECOND GO OF IT!

HERE WE HOPE YOU GAIN HELPFUL ADVICE, TIPS, TRICKS & INSight TO WHAT IT’S LIKE BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME

AT SOME POINT IN LIFE, ALMOST EVERY PERSON HAS THOUGHT ABOUT BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME!

MANY OFTEN CONSIDER IT WHEN THE NEED TO MOVE ARISES BUT THEN JUST AS QUICKLY CHANGE THEIR MIND WITH ALL THE OVERWHELMING THOUGHTS AND MANY MYTHS SURROUNDING THE BUILDING PROCESS.

IT’S NO WONDER SO MANY PEOPLE ULTIMATELY DECIDE TO PURCHASE AN EXISTING HOUSE. MANY TIMES, EVEN BEFORE THEY’VE ACTUALLY DONE ANY REAL RESEARCH ABOUT BUILDING FOR THEMSELVES!

COMMON THOUGHTS-

DO I HAVE ENOUGH OF A DOWN PAYMENT?- IT COSTS ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS IT DOES TO PURCHASE AN EXISTING HOME. USUALY YOU CAN GET A CONSTRUCTION LOAN FOR AS LITTLE AS 5% DOWN!

WILL WE FIND THE RIGHT PROPERTY?- ABSOLUTELY! JUST AS LONG AS YOU’RE READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER AS SOON AS THE RIGHT PROPERTY COMES ALONG. IF YOU LOVE THE PROPERTY, THAN MORE THAN LIKELY SOMEONE ELSE WILL LOVE IT TOO! GREAT PROPERTIES DON’T STAY ON THE MARKET VERY LONG!

IS IT MORE EXPENSIVE?- IT IS ONLY AS EXPENSIVE AS YOU MAKE IT! IF YOU ARE WANTING EVERYTHING UPGRADED FROM BUILDER STANDARDS, THEN YOU CAN EASILY DOUBLE THE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT TO BUILD. IF YOU’RE OK WITH HAVING A MIX OF BOTH STANDARD AND UPGRADES, KEEPING THE THOUGHT IN MIND THE THINGS YOU COULD EASLY UPGRADE LATER, YOU WILL BE JUST FINE! MANY TIMES, IT IS CONSIDERABLY CHEAPER TO BUILD THAN IT WOULD BE TO BUY EXISTING AND THEN HAVING TO FULLY RENOVATE!

WILL I MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION ON FINISHES?- IF YOU’RE NOT GREAT AT DESIGN OR HAVE PROBLEMS MAKING DECISIONS, LUCKILY, ALMOST EVERY BUILDER HAS A DESIGNER ON STAFF TO HELP YOU PICK EVERYTHING FROM CABINET STYLE TO WALL COLORS! THEY WILL HELP AS LITTLE OR AS MUCH AS YOU WANT THEM TO.

WHERE DO WE LIVE WHILE IT’S BEING BUILT?- SOME PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR EXISTING HOME, IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT. MANY SELL THEIR HOME AND RENT IN THE MEANTIME. SOME STAY WITH RELATIVES. THERE ARE OPTIONS! “SHORT-TERM PAIN FOR LONG-TERM GAIN!” CONSTRUCTION LOANS ARE ALSO INTEREST ONLY PAYMENTS! MEANING, YOU ARE ONLY PAYING THE INTEREST ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF BANK DRAWS THE BUILDER TAKES FROM THE BANK. SO YOU ARE NOT PAYING YOUR FULL MORTGAGE UNTIL AFTER YOU MOVE IN.

FOR ME, THE THOUGHT OF BUYING AN EXISTING HOME IS TERRIFYING! I LIKE KNOWING EVERY ASPECT OF HOW MY HOME WAS BUILT. I LIKE TO KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY. I ALSO LIKE TO CHOOSE THE SACRIFICES I HAVE TO MAKE IN ORDER TO REMAIN ON BUDGET. I LOVE PERSONALLY SELECTING EVERY LAST DETAIL THAT WILL BE IN MY HOME. FOR SOME REASON, IF YOU MAKE A CHOICE YOU WISH YOU DID DIFFERENTLY, IT’S MUCH MORE TOLERABLE THAN IF YOU PURCHASED A FLAWED EXISTING HOME. THE IRRITATION AND URGENCY TO CHANGE IT JUST ISN’T THERE AS STRONGLY.

HAVING BUILT A CUSTOM HOME ONCE ALREADY AND HAVING HELPED COUNTLESS OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE DESIGN PROCESS, I UNDERSTAND THE DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN BUILDING A STYLISH AND TRENDY HOME ALONG WITH A HOME THAT FUNCTIONS FOR YOUR UNIQUE HOUSEHOLD NEEDS. BEING ABLE TO LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE AND CREATE A SPACE THAT NOT ONLY SERVES YOU NOW BUT WILL ALSO WORK FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE- THAT CREATES LONGEVITY!

We had so much fun building our first Custom Home, we decided to do it again!

I REALIZE I MIGHT SOUND LIKE A HYPOCRITE SINCE I JUST REFERENCED CREATING LONGEVITY. THIS FIRST HOUSE WAS STRATEGICALLY BUILT IN ORDER TO FLIP.

IT ALLOWED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP FINANCE OUR NEXT, MORE PERMANENT CUSTOM HOME. DON’T GET ME WRONG, WE STILL LOVED OUR HOUSE BUT NOT EVERYTHING WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT MET OUR OWN PERSONAL DESIGN STYLE.

This next house will be 100% US! well, almost…

THE ONE WORD I DISLIKE MORE THAN '“NO,” IS SACRIFICE!

EVEN MILLIONAIRES, WHICH WE ARE NOT, HAVE A BUDGET! EVERYONE HAS A POINT OF NO MORE AND THEN NEED TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS, AKA SACRIFICES, IN ORDER TO HAVE OR DO THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.

OH THE fun we could have if we didn’t have a budget!…

AFTER MANY DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN MY HUSBAND AND I, WE REACHED AN AGREEMENT OF WHAT WE REALLY WANTED FOR OUR NEXT HOME…

THIS NEXT HOME WILL FOCUS ON OUR IDEALS OF MODERN LIVING. WE LOVE NATURAL LIGHTING, CLEAN LINES AND MINIMALISM. I AM DRAWN TO SCANDINAVIAN STYLING AND BIG OPEN ROOMS THAT ALLOWS FOR AN OPEN AND AIRY FEEL THROUGHOUT THE HOME.
DOWNSIZING THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE HOME TO ONLY WHAT WE REALLY NEED. IT’S JUST THE TWO OF US NOW, SO WE DON’T NEED TO BUILD ANOTHER 4 BEDROOM 4 BATH HOUSE AGAIN. PLUS, WITH OUR BUSY LIFE, WE DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO KEEP UP WITH ROOMS WE DON’T EVEN USE!
HAVING A LARGE-ISH PIECE OF PROPERTY TO ALLOW US MORE OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE FOR THINGS WE LOVE AND WOULD LIKE TO DO. HELLO POND & ANIMAL SANCTUARY!

IMPORTANT!!!- IN ORDER TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE AND AVOID FUTURE ARGUMENTS, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOME OF THESE “MUST-HAVES” PREDETERMINED BEFOREHAND. IT VERY EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT AND GET OFFTRACK WHEN YOU’RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, SO IT’S BEST TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU AND A REMINDER OF WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO CREATE ON THIS ADVENTURE!

FINDING A CUSTOM HOME BUILDER

TO FIND A TRUSTED BUILDER, JUST ASK AROUND!

ASK FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BUILT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUILT LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE! WHETHER IT WAS GOOD OR BAD. THEY ARE A WONDERFUL WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE FOR THE DO’S, THE DONT’S AND WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY.

ALSO, GO TO PARADE OF HOME TOURS IN YOUR AREA! THE PARADE OF HOMES IS A FANTASTIC SOURCE TO LEARN MORE. THE BUILDERS ARE THERE AND WILLING TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND YOU GET TO SEE FIRST HAND THE QUALITY OF WORK YOU SHOULD EXPECT.

FINDING THE PERFECT PROPERTY

ONE OF THE SACRIFICES WE HAD TO MAKE RIGHT OFF THE BATT WAS THE SIZE OF OUR HOUSE. WE FOUND THIS 4.5 ACRE PROPERTY WITH BARNS, WOODS, A REVINE, THE PERFECT SLOPE FOR A WALKOUT BASEMENT AND IT HAD CITY WATER AND SEWER! WE HAD TO DECIDE IF THIS RARE FIND OF A PROPERTY WAS WORTH THE ADJUSTMENTS WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE TO THE HOME WE ALREADY STARTED PLANNING IN ORDER TO AFFORD THIS PROPERTY. LUCKILY FOR US, AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS OF WONDERFUL COMMUNICATION WITH THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, HE LOWERED THE PRICE FOR US TO MAKE THE PURCHASE POSSIBLE! IT WAS STILL OVER OUR PROPERTY BUDGET BUT WE LOVED IT SO MUCH WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE IT AND “FIGURE IT OUT FROM THERE”. ( I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE DOING THIS IF YOU HAVE A LENGTHLY REQUIREMENT LIST UNLESS YOU HAVE A FLEXIBLE BUDGET!) SURPRISINGLY, IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A GOOD THING FOR US SO FAR BECAUSE IT HAS FORCED US TO STICK TO OUR ORIGINAL GOALS WE SET FORTH FOR OUR NEW BUILD. IT HAS ALSO TESTED MY CREATIVITY…THAT’S FOR SURE!

THESE GLOOMY WINTER PHOTOS DON’T SHOW THE TRUE BEAUTY THIS PROPERTY HAS!

WHEN THERE ARE LEAVES ON THE TREES AND THE GRASS IS GREEN, IT.IS.SPECTACULAR!

COMING UP WITH THE PERFECT FACADE AND FLOORPLAN

NOW THIS IS WHERE THINGS CAN GET A BIT TRICKY!

WHETHER YOU ARE BUILDING A SPEC HOME WITH ALTERATIONS OR A COMPLETELY CUSTOM HOME, FIGURING OUT THE FORMULA TO CREATE THE PERFECT FLOORPLAN THAT NOT ONLY WORKS FOR YOUR HOUSEHOLD BUT THAT ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO CREATE THE EXTERIOR APPEARANCE THAT WILL FLO WITH THE DESIGN STYLE YOU’RE GOING FOR. THIS IS WHERE HIRING AN ARCHITECT OR AN INTERIOR DESIGNER CAN BECOME A LINE ITEM ON YOUR HOUSE BUILDING BUDGET! LUCKILY, MOST CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS ALREADY HAVE BOTH ON STAFF BUT SOMETIMES IT TAKES AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE TO HELP GET IT JUST RIGHT!

WE, OK ME AGAIN, HAVE GONE THROUGH 5,6, MAYBE 7 DIFFERENT FACADES TO MATCH OUR FLOORPLAN THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AFTER TOO MANY LATE NIGHT LAYOUT ADJUSTMENTS. WE ARE STILL NOT 100% THERE YET, BUT WE ARE SOOO CLOSE TO A BALANCE!

EVEN PROFESSIONALS MAKE MISTAKES! EVEN MORE SO THAN MISTAKES, WE CHANGE OUR MINDS MORE TIMES THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO OUR OWN CUSTOM HOME DESIGN! IT IS FAR EASIER HELPING CLIENTS REALIZE AND ACHIEVE THEIR DESIGN GOALS THAN IT IS FOR ME TO SETTLE ON JUST ONE FOR MYSELF. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!

…NEXT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

ONCE WE FINALLY NAIL DOWN OUR FLOORPLAN AND FACADE AND BOTH THE BANK AND THE VILLAGE WE ARE BUILDING IN APPROVE, I WILL NEED TO DEFINITIVELY CHOOSE OUR FINAL SELECTIONS.

MANY THINGS HAVE ALREADY HAVE BEEN CHOSEN LIKE PELLA IMPERVIA BLACK WINDOWS, A 10 FOOT KITCHEN ISLAND, QUARTZ COUNTERS THROUGHOUT, A FREESTANDING TUB AND 12 FOOT CEILINGS IN THE MAIN KITCHEN AND LIVING AREA. NEXT WILL BE THE FINER DETAILS THAT MAKES A HOUSE TRULY YOUR OWN. CABINET DESIGN, FLOORING, PAINT COLORS, IRON SPINDLE & RAILING, LIGHTING SELECTIONS AND PLACEMENT, TRIM WORK, ETC…

BUT WE ARE A COUPLE MONTHS AWAY FROM THAT, SO UNTIL THEN, I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE CHOICES ON MY OWN AND THEN REPEATEDLY CHANGE THEM UNTIL I NO LONGER CAN CHANGE MY MIND ANY LONGER!