Building a custom home is certainly not easy. It can actually be quite a stressful time in ones life as it may take as long as a year to complete. Picking out colors, finding the right furniture, as well as determining the different materials to use can be daunting task. Sometimes all it takes is knowing what to expect. Here is a few things you should know:
Choose a Builder
Before you even think about building your house, you will need a builder you know you can trust. Ask to see some examples of work they have done. Some builders will even have a website like Costello Builders where they showcase their work. This will give you a good sense of what type of style they do as well as the quality of work you can expect.
Have Patience
When my family was building a house, we were anxiously waiting to move in as we were renting an in between house at the time. In fact, the renters of our temporary house were rushing us as well as they had buyers in line waiting for us to get out of there. But, our house just wasn't ready to move into quite yet. We actually moved in when the house was still being worked on. We would eat breakfast with workers pounding their hammers in the room next to us.
This process would have been a lot easier had we not been rushed to live in our new house. The fact is, certain things happen throughout the building process that will most likely push the date back further and further. Weather can have an influence on how much work gets done and you may not be able to live in your dream home as soon as you think.
Be Prepared to Make a lot of Decisions
If the house is totally custom, be prepared to answer a lot of questions and make a lot of decisions. What kind of roofing, siding, materials, are just the basics. Of course, the builder will have his own recommendations in terms of materials, however, he may not have any sense of design. What color kitchen cabinets? One bathroom sink or two? Hardwood floors or carpet? Be prepared to know what color this or that or what knob goes where. You will need to know and the builders will be waiting on your decision for nearly every element within the house.
Be in Agreement
Make sure you are in agreement with your spouse or significant other as you are going through a time of major decisions in your life. If you plan to live in this custom home for a while, you want to make sure both of your wants and needs are considered. Be smart in your decisions, but always be clear what each other are thinking especially when it comes to design and color choices.
