Do you dream of building the perfect home, that will meet all of your needs? Here are a few things you want to think about before taking the dive. Building your new house can be one of the most rewarding experiences, just make sure you are committed to it.
- What is your timeline? You need to ensure you have the time to find the right builder and go through the process to get exactly what you want.
- Do you have a location? Do you own the land or need to buy? If you need to buy, have you chosen where you want to buy it?
- Do you know what size you want? You need to have a size in mind when meeting with your builder, that way you can discuss the costs and know what you can afford.
- Is your relationship ready for this? This is a big project with many big decisions to come, building a home can be very stressful, ensure that you can openly discuss the decisions that need to be made and have a plan for settling potential disagreements.
- Do you have a budget? Building a home is different than buying a home, the financing is a little different and you need to understand the process and ensure you stick to your budget, add a little cushion to your numbers for unplanned things that may come up.
- Are you ready to listen to the experts and take their advice? Not every idea for your dream house works in practicality. Sometimes the idea just can’t work, but if you work with a professional builder they will give you sound advice if they can make something work with a few little changes.
- Can you stick to the plan? Changing things after the plans are done will cost money, making changes after the construction has begun may not be possible (depending on what they are), so make sure you are happy with the decisions you are making and you are willing stick as closely to them as possible.
- Is your lifestyle stable? There is a lot of stress, hard work and passion that goes into building your new home. If there is a chance of a job transfer or other major life change in a year or two is this really the decision you want to make?
- Can you separate your wants from your needs? Sit down and list your “must have” items, then list your want to have items. Once you figure out the must have items for your new custom home look at your budget, if there is money left then start looking at your want list to see what will move up and become a part of your new home.
- Are you ready for an exciting adventure? Building your new home is going to be an exciting new journey. Make sure you take time to savor the process and enjoy your dream.
Deciding to build a home means essentially devoting your life, free time, and patience toward the project for many months. Enjoy it and be prepared for your dreams to become a reality.