What Makes A Home A Custom Home?

Have you ever come across a home that you find “perfect” or “ideal”? All my life I have not yet come across a house that makes me go “Yes, this is the one”. There is always something that doesn’t click. I had always compromised at some point. If a house had an excellent structure, it did not have a backyard. If a house had ample sitting room space, it did not have spacious rooms. I had to compromise at some point or the other. This led me to research custom homes. Just the word "custom" makes them sound "out of reach expensive", right? They are not. Sure, they are on the higher end of the price spectrum. But, for the options and satisfaction they offer, it is worth the price.

The truth is that we don’t really come across custom homes anymore. Production and modular homes are easier. They are cheaper and there is no hassle. All you need to do is pay and you get everything done for you at your doorstep. This is why custom homes took a back seat for the past few years.

With people becoming aware of interior designing and remodeling, they want to stand out from the rest. This is why custom homes are back with a bang.

What Makes A Home Custom?

A home that is designed specifically keeping in mind the specifications of a client is known as a custom home. In other words, every space in the home is custom to you. It is different for every client. There are two ways to do build a custom home. First of all, the homeowner can tell the designer what sort of home they want. This can start from the house plans to the exact amount of room space they need. On the other hand, there is an option of making changes in home plans. Homeowners are given the option of customizing the plans a builder or designer provides to them. They can make additions, revamp entire rooms or remove things from the current plan.

Another way is to sit down with the designer and work on a model. The homeowner gives a general idea of how the house should be. Then, it is the work of the designer/builder to give them options of how things can turn out to be. All these choices differ on the level of customization you want. Even making a few changes here and there is known as a custom home.

How Much Can You Customize Your Home?

This largely depends on the builder/designer you are working with. Some designers define customization as choosing which color of paint to use, which sort of lightbulbs to install, what type of countertop to select etc. For others, this is not the case. “The sky is the limit” holds when it comes to building a custom home.

One thing is for sure, building your custom home is a dream come true. It can be fun as well as overwhelming. There is so much that goes into building a custom house that things can go very wrong. For this, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind.

Know Your Budget

Even before you sit down and decide what you need in a custom home, you need to allocate a budget. Try to be as precise as you can. NEVER lie about your budget to the designer or yourself. To have perfect work done, be specific about how much money you have. This will make the process of customization practical, affordable, and doable.

Note: Working with a design-build firm means you have the entire team at your fingertips helping you to custom build the home of your dreams while staying within budget. This happens through a series of decision-making. Which customizations are putting you over budget and what options do you have to compromise?

Know What You Want

Make a list of things you want in your custom home. As you are building a custom home, the designer/builder is going to ask you a lot of questions. Do you want an open living area? Do you want an attached kitchen to the open living area? Do you want the kitchen visible? Do you want to have a corridor from the kitchen to the dining room etc.? What design style are you hoping to achieve in the home?

These are just some of the hundreds of questions that will come your way. Therefore, it is important to know EXACTLY what you want and need to be able to explain it to the builder/designer. It is okay to be confused. If you are not sure what you want, be clear with your designer/builder. He/she will help you out and give you multiple options to select from.

Get a Reliable Builder

Every important step in making your custom home is to have a reliable builder/designer. If you are sure of the expertise of the builder, go for them. Do your research well. Your custom home is an investment and very close to your heart. So, be sure to go for the best. A builder/designer who understands what you need exactly and can deliver that.

So, you can see why people prefer custom homes to prefab and modular homes. Customs home might be a little expensive, but it is worth the wait.

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