For many homeowners the process of building your dream home can seem daunting and difficult to navigate. So whether you want to finally have a home that looks out over the ocean or want to be able to appreciate more natural light during different times of the day we’re here to demystify the process and shed some light on how to get started on building your dream home.
One thing I’ve noticed is that homeowners decide to build custom homes for a number of reasons. Some want to have rooms that fit the size of their growing family or add custom features to rooms that their family enjoys spending lots of time in. Others have difficulty finding the style of home they want in the perfect location or have always wanted to see that perfect sunset from their back window. Since your reason for going custom may determine where you start we’ve included a few different options below.
If you want that view: Start with land that you love
Often homeowners start the dreaming process by identifying a piece of land with a spectacular view or in the perfect location. The dreaming process is often particularly exciting once you start to imagine all the possibilities. It’s important though you may be swooning over that beautiful outlook that you don’t lose track of the property’s potential pitfalls. Some pitfalls may include: restrictive municipal building regulations, lack of access to proper utilities, protected natural resources, school district boundaries, and differed road maintenance responsibilities. So go ahead and fall in love but make sure you also do your homework.
If you’re looking for a specific style | Start with a “ready made” floor plan
Some homeowners choose to begin the process with a “ready-made” floor plan which can be purchased either from your architect or online. A floor plan is a 2 dimensional architectural drawing that shows finished and unfinished space. Depending on how detailed the floor plan is it may also include additional interior features such as windows/doors, attached garages, exposed beams, and lighting, as well as outdoor spaces like decks, patios, and pools. Each level of the building will have its own plan with symbols indicating more intricate details such as unique finishes and wall thickness. Some homeowners will use floor plans as a basis for their building project then have an architect alter the plans to include custom features. Others simply have the architect develop blue prints from the plan. Floor plans do come in different digital and printed forms so if you do plan to purchase them separately make sure you communicate directly with the company to ensure you have the documents your architect will need.
If you want a perfect fit for your family: Start with an architect
Homeowners that start by hiring a skilled architect who draw up a design based on your exact specifications tend to have a broader idea about style and are more focused on making sure the unique features of the home will meet their needs. To design the right space for their clients architects often complete the process in a number of steps. This ensures that their creative time is both efficiently and effectively used to identify the style and include building solutions that the homeowner needs. This process usually begins with a conversation with the homeowner that results in a building program that outlines the scope of the project. (i.e. design preferences, architectural styles and building needs) From there the outline of the house is designed. Once the homeowner approves the building program, the architect will move on to develop the construction documents. These documents usually first include a floor plan, then more specific blueprints that can then be given to home builders when you request bids. Blueprints between architectural firms may vary — some are highly detailed, while others are more vague, so it’s highly recommended that you hire an architect that will be able to work closely, and communicate effectively with your builder to ensure your project is completed with your building goals in mind. It is equally as important to make sure your builder is comfortable working with an architect. No set of plans is ever perfect, so it is important that when issues that arise they can be clearly communicated and quickly resolved between the architect, builder, and owner.
If you want to build a home on time, with quality materials, and within your budget: Start with a builder
There are also homeowners who decide to start with a builder. Similar to starting the process with an architect a builder will typically start by discussing their building goals and develop a program. However, with a builder this program often comes with a budget and offer more specific information as it relates to the scope of work and building materials. At Tom Hamburger Builders we display our budget options with a Splurge, Save and Steal model that allows our homeowners to see a first option that shows them what it will cost to build their dream home exactly as they’ve envisioned it. Then we show them a second option that includes a few areas where they can save, and a third no-frills option that shows them how to build their home the most inexpensive way without sacrificing the longevity or aesthetic of their home. Once the budget and scope of the project is decided we then approach the architect to draw up blueprints that will ensure the home will look as great as it is built, while still fitting into the budget with the selected building options and keeping the building materials in mind.
No matter which way you choose to begin the journey of building your own custom home it is highly recommended that you move through each of the other phases of this process with trustworthy and skilled professionals. In addition proper communication between those professionals throughout the initial process will allow you as a homeowner to take full advantage of their problem solving abilities and collective expertise.