Home decor and design tips and tricks, remodel inspiration

First Steps to Take When Building a Custom Home

1/22/2020

Congrats on choosing to build your own custom home! It’s a big step full of excitement and stress but will be so worth it in the end. I have always been interested in the design element of building a home and suiting it to my family’s needs and preferences. My husband and I are currently on our second custom build and between this and the last build we have had a good amount of experience with the process and concerns that may arise early on. I’ve compiled these Tips & Tricks to Building A Custom Home and would love to hear feedback regarding anything you think I may have missed or that you need me to explain further.

🌟Hire a contractor/builder (unless you will be your own). Although being your own saves yourself money, it can be a headache scheduling and discussing details with subcontractors throughout the duration of the build, especially if you are working a full time job at the same time. While you can go through some of the next steps before hiring a contractor, a contractor can be a great resource to advise you through the next steps so consider speaking to one first.

🌟Location, location, location! Of course determining the property that you will be building on is a huge factor in the process but make sure you REALLY check it out. Read any HOA regulations (and find out if your HOA charges fees), and be sure to check on building restrictions in your city and county. You will also need to make sure that your dream home fits within the allowed building perimeters of the property as well. Sounds basic, but often gets overlooked when caught up in purchasing land/a lot. Check the cell service, internet options, cable options, if it is on a well for water, if you will need to add a septic tank or power, or any other detail that could hinder the way you are used to living or cost a lot to add. Is the property covered in trees? Unlevel? Be sure to factor in any extra costs such as these to make the property buildable.

🌟Choose a floor plan. I recommend browsing Pinterest for floor plans you can purchase to get a good idea of what you like and then either purchase and use it, take that floor plan idea to a local architect to draw up a similar plan and make necessary changes, or head to a local architect and take a look at their stock plans. They will usually allow you to make custom changes to stock plans which can save you money. They usually charge a set rate for stock plans and bill by the hour for any requested changes.

🌟Determine upgrades. Custom changes that may interest you:
•Radiant floor heating system
•Hard wired security system
•Built in sound system
•Extra tall front door
•Fireplace (living room, master bedroom, outdoor fire pit)
•Gas hookup for outdoor grill
•Air conditioning/heat pump
•Under cabinet lighting
•Covered patio
•Interior barn doors
•Sink in the laundry room
•Built in bench and/or shoe storage in mud room
•Sprinkler system
•Inner cabinet and drawer outlets
•Roughed in plumbing
•Multiple shower heads/rain shower
•Hard wire garage for a generator hook up

Which upgrades would you choose?! What others would you add that aren’t on my list? Let me know!

-Haley

Posts that may interest you:
🌟Our First Home Build: Recap
🌟🌟Kitchens I’m Currently Loving

29 Comments

Chelsea link

1/24/2020 07:54:58 am

Hi Haley! Woah this list of custom upgrade ideas totally interest me! You know what you are talking about when it comes to building and real estate! Thanks for this informative post! I will definitely continue to follow your home blog content and show my husband too! xo

Haley

1/24/2020 01:04:43 pm

I’m so happy to hear that it was helpful to you, Chelsea! Stay tuned for more home info!?

FlipThyHouse.com link

8/5/2020 01:23:17 am

Building a custom home is much more involved. It’s a major undertaking demanding a lot of your time, effort, and, of course, money.

Bob link

1/4/2021 03:19:45 pm

That makes sense that your house needs a septic tank installed. I need to get a new septic tank installed at my new house in Texas. I'll have to consider getting a plumber to lay the groundwork.

Homeia link

3/18/2021 08:27:38 am

Thanks for helpful guide. The list is really clear & easy to keep track for first time home builders.

kate hansen link

5/6/2021 02:52:32 pm

It's good to know that the location is very important. My neighbor was at my house yesterday afternoon for lunch, and she was telling me about how she and her husband want to look into getting a custom home built for them in a couple of months, and they want to make sure that they do everything right. I'll make sure to pass this information along to them once they find a custom home builder!

Adam Golightly link

5/10/2021 04:42:53 pm

Thanks for explaining how she should make sure that the property is buildable, and doesn't have too many trees, septic tanks, water wells, or other details that could hinder the building process. My sister has been thinking about buying a custom home because she thinks that it would look really nice, and prevent changes that she would need to do later on. She would really like to work with a professional, so that she can have more control over what it will look like.

Braden Bills link

5/17/2021 06:22:20 am

My wife and I want to get a custom home built, but we're not sure how to go about it. It makes sense that we would want to get a professional to help out with building it! They would be able to ensure that it's built correctly.

5/26/2021 06:52:52 am

I want to make sure that I get the right custom home for me. It makes sense that I would want to get a contractor to help me out with this kind of project! I'll be sure to find one that has lots of experience with building custom homes.

Charlotte Fleet link

6/1/2021 11:14:26 am

I appreciate you mentioning that hiring a builder for your custom home can be a good resource for advice. My husband and I are hoping to build our own home this year and we want the process to go over smoothly. We will definitely have to find a reliable home builder to hire so we can use their tips and skills to our advantage.

Taylor Hicken link

6/9/2021 10:27:34 pm

I appreciated it when you shared that it is important to consider where to install your septic tank if you are building a custom home. My uncle just mentioned the other day that he is planning to build a house on a plot of land that he just bought a few months ago. I will suggest to him looking for a reliable service that can help clean his septic tank every once in a while.

Tez link

7/7/2021 03:45:19 pm

I'm glad you reminded me about the septic tank needing to be properly installed. My tank at my new house is too full of sludge. I'll have to consider getting the sludge pumped out by professionals.

Chance Cook link

7/14/2021 10:08:44 am

I thought about being my own contractor but hiring subcontractors sounds like a disaster. So I think I'll hire a builder to do all of that for me. They'd have experience with certain sub-contractors too.

Henry Killingsworth link

7/14/2021 01:24:20 pm

You made an interesting point when you explained that a builder can be a great resource when you are constructing a custom home. As far as I know, people generally are constructing their own homes because they want it to be their dream property. Working with a professional builder seems like a good way to ensure your dream becomes a reality.

Mia Evans link

8/5/2021 06:57:07 pm

Thanks for pointing out that we could choose a floor plan online and share it with the professionals we can find to give them an idea of what we want. I will definitely follow your advice now that I have saved enough money to have my dream home constructed this year. Hopefully, I find a contractor that I can trust near the area where I bought a lot.

Millie Hue link

10/20/2021 12:10:35 am

Thanks for pointing out that a floor plan is needed to ensure that you have an idea of what you like for your custom home. I will follow your advice now that I plan to hire contractors next year to start the construction after having the lot that I bought for three years now. Hopefully, they can offer a floor plan for me that I can choose from to finally make a decision soon.

Olivia Smart link

10/25/2021 07:54:58 am

Thank you for talking about choosing the right floor plan. My husband and I are looking to buy a custom home. We'll be sure to keep this in mind so we can get the most out of this experience.

11/11/2021 09:54:25 am

I liked how you recommended finding a builder. My husband was thinking about building it himself, but we thought that might be too much for him with his work. We'll be sure to look for someone soon so that we can get this project started.

Jeff Carbine link

1/7/2022 08:10:17 pm

I loved it when you mentioned that although being your own saves yourself money, it can be a headache scheduling and discussing details with subcontractors throughout the duration of the build, especially if you are working a full-time job at the same time. A friend of mine and his wife want to build a home and need to find a contractor. With a flexible home builder, they could design the perfect floor plan that would accommodate their needs.

Prashant Kumar link

3/14/2022 05:32:05 am

Hey I feel happy to give the answer for this question!

Thanks for sharing the first step which is too much important in building custom home!

Again, Thanks for sharing Worldwide!

John Carston link

3/18/2022 11:53:58 pm

I appreciate that you explained the importance of carefully planning the properties of your home. My work colleague informed me that he intends to have his own custom home and asked if I had any suggestions for the best technique to use while building his home layout from the ground up. Thank you for writing such an excellent article. I'll be sure to inform him that speaking with a respected custom house builder is far preferable, as they can address all of his worries and help him choose the ideal layout for his home.

3/28/2022 06:05:28 pm

I like that you said that discussing details is necessary when you find the best contractor for you. My cousin told me that he planned to have his own custom home and asked if I had any idea what could be the best option to do when designing his home layout from scratch. Thanks to this informative article, I will be sure to tell him that it will be much better if he consults a trusted custom home design company as they can answer all his inquiries and figure out what is the best layout for his home.

Septic Tank Service Ocala link

4/10/2022 07:06:16 pm

I'm definitely going to bookmark your blog, I just love your post, thanks for such a nice sharing.. Hope to get some info on your blog in future

5/2/2022 08:57:25 am

Thank you for explaining that one of the first steps of building your custom home is to hire a contractor or builder. I've been wondering where we should start with trying to get our dream home built. I'll be sure to start looking around for some builders to see who might be the best fit for this project.

Victoria Addington link

8/22/2022 10:15:06 pm

It captivated me the most when you shared that the HOA regulations in your place must be considered when building a custom home. My friend wants her dream house to be executed properly. I should advise her to hire a custom home builder with vast experience in the field.

Daisy James link

1/5/2023 02:18:58 pm

It was helpful when you said that a contractor can help with advising you during the process. My husband and my brother want to start working on our custom home next month, and they talked about how they want to make sure they do everything right. I'll pass this information along to them so they can look into hiring a contractor for some extra help!

Iris Smith link

2/28/2023 08:14:08 pm

Thank you for pointing out that, although doing it yourself saves money, coordinating and communicating with subcontractors during the construction process may be a hassle. My mother wants to construct a home. I'll advise her to hire custom home builders so she can skip the hassle of arranging.

Steve Smith link

3/28/2023 04:03:00 pm

It helped when you said that one of the most helpful processes would be the appropriate scheduling process for your home-building project. The other day, my best friend informed me he planned to have his own home because of the different places he would like customized. He asked if I had thoughts on the best option for creating his home layout from scratch. I'm thankful for this enlightening article. I'll tell him it will be much better if he consults a trusted custom home builder as they can help him figure out the best layout for his home.

Eli Richardson link

5/1/2023 04:55:14 pm

This fall, we'd like to start building our house, so my wife and I are interested in creating our construction plan and finding the best team for the job. We're glad you talked about hiring a builder to advise us through our construction project, so we'll definitely follow your tips. Thanks for the information on how we'd build a custom home from scratch.

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