Now that you’ve sat down and decided on the builder you will use to design and customize your new home, what is the best way to weed through all of your requirements, features and finishes so you create yourself the perfect home? 

The major advantage of building a new custom home is the opportunity to build a two storey home in Perth or install reclaimed wood flooring and then design your home plans accordingly. While this sounds really exciting at first, once the time comes to sit down and select your options and upgrades, many find the multitude of choices can be overwhelming. In lieu of that, one may just get a home from Reward Homes at Box Hill Heights, and just expunge the idea of building a new home, and all the difficulties that would come with it. You may end up checking out single family homes for sale in the area.

So, how can you best evaluate the endless choices that come with building a true custom home? 

1. Finalize your budget

   Remember that a budget which may make sense for one home builder may equate to something different with another builder. First, be sure you are fully aware of the base choices your home builder provides as standard and what that does and does not include. While some builder executives use lots of ‘builder-speak’ during initial meetings that sounds good for the wallet and appeals to the eye, too often we hear stories of builders gauging customers for altering or customizing interior features such as room sizes and interior wall placements. Know what it is that you feel comfortable spending and precisely how much you are willing to deviate above your budget.

2. Exterior and Structural Design 

   Custom designed home floor-plans, additions or changes should be discussed, drafted and approved prior to signing the contract, or informally approved and signed shortly thereafter. Often custom home builders want to charge significant fees for having a floor-plan custom designed, but some builders will roll the cost of architectural drafting of your custom designed plan back into the price of the home once a customer signs a final contract. Many builders have a few signature home design plans with different exterior styles and visually unique characteristics that customers can choose from. True custom home builders will allow you to take these signature designs and change them, blend them, or outright not use them at all. Another important structural option to consider is a basement or crawlspace. While some concrete contractors keep options for basements or crawlspaces limited, others have no problem allowing for a full Concrete Paver Installation as long as that properties’ water table can support it. While full basements are appealing to many families, some home buyers receive the same storage space benefit with a lesser cost by simply expanding the crawlspaces to 5 feet in height. And of course you should make a proper roof, windows and siding, just make sure that you contact the right siding installation services so that the exterior of your home will have great end results. I used this contractor last time to get my roof fixed and it’s been three years, and I have not faced even a single issue due to their excellent service. You could aslo contact C&D Brooklyn Roofers to check what they can suggest. Hail damaged roof repair or any damage resulting from natural disasters is covered by the home insurance. All of these options should be on the table when building a custom home, and it is worthwhile to discuss all of this with your builder prior to signing your contract, if you do not own a home insurance policy be sure to get one before staring any home projects  . 

3. Interior Design 

   Spend some time evaluating the spaces you would get a lot of use from inside your new custom home. “How many bedrooms do we need with storage? How many baths do we want? What have we always dreamt of having in our next home?” Here is a little pro tip: it is very good to ask yourselves these things and then add them to your wants vs needs list. Some people are avid wine connoisseurs and require a wine cellar. Instead of having a second bedroom downstairs, that square footage should be able to be reallocated to give you that wine cellar (and perhaps a larger living room.) And, of course, there is the ease factor as well: you do not want to spend time after the home closing to work on your new home. The home builder you select should be working with you to customize your interior layout with respect to your rooms and room sizes and of course all of your self storage needs, so that on the day you move in your home is precisely the way you envision it to be and stay for years. 

4. Long-Term Home Requirements

   Are you looking to build this home for your short term needs, as a vacation home, or are you looking to build a home that meets your needs for decades? With the increasing needs of modern families, there are even more things for customers to consider. In-law suites which provide semi-separate living spaces are becoming increasingly popular as the number of multigenerational households increasing. Although, go ahead and learn more here about home improvement for your kitchen, bathroom and more. While in-law suite design varies depending on the needs of each family, creating one that perfectly meets your loved ones needs is possible with careful planning during the budget and architectural design process. Homes with dual master-suites are also becoming increasingly popular. Dual master-suites offer increasing comfort and convenience to families that look forward to spending decades in their dream home. There is something special about being able to have the space for children and grandchildren to comfortably stay under your roof when they come for a Summer weekend or during the holidays. And, of course, there is the hassle factor as well: are you willing to track up and down the stairs after decades of living in your home, or would you be more comfortable knowing you have a full master-suite downstairs to meet your needs as the years progress.

5. WANTS vs NEEDS

   In a few words, be flexible but don’t sacrifice what you really want. Remember that you set a budget for a reason, and while you may want to squeeze everything you possibly can into your custom home, it is good to work with a builder who will be very honest and work with you. Prepare a list of your ‘must-haves’ and ‘want-to-haves’. A true custom home builder will do everything they can to provide you everything on this list, but when it comes down to increasing your budget or nixing a few things, it is beneficial to know where your priorities lie. For example, many builders will offer you a plethora of choices for things like flooring, technology, and kitchen selection options, but many couples spend a lot of time entertaining so they like to budget some additional dollars for upgrades. Know what it is you want, know what it is you can’t live without, and then discuss these things with your builder to see how they can accommodate as close to every one as they can. You should remember that there are things that should be done properly, for example, concrete raising and leveling. You should work with the reputable contractors like PURlevel Inc (more at https://www.purlevel.com/) to expertly handle any of your needs.

Lastly, be sure to communicate all of these things explicitly to your builder and their design professionals. Ask them to provide you spreadsheets of your choices, and be sure to carefully read through and initial every choice on every document. These tips will not only take a significant portion of the unknown away from your evaluation process everything after you’ve selected your builder, but they have the potential to cut out a significant amount of the time you spend on the choices you make for your new home!