Building Your Dream Home: Things to Consider

You’ve read our last blog, To Build Or Buy A Home?, and you’re back to learn more about the process. In this post, we’ve compiled a few tips to consider when building a new home to make the process a little smoother, help you make decisions a little easier, and hopefully make the journey of building your own home as happy as the home itself.The Right BuilderJust as important as creating your ideal floorplan is finding a builder who can make your dream a reality. Don’t be afraid to do your research. Does the builder have a long-standing reputation in the area? Are there model homes you can view? Most importantly, does the builder have positive reviews from other homebuyers? The process of building a new home can be stressful in itself—you’ll want to choose a builder who does not add to this, but makes it as enjoyable as possible with clear communication and good work ethic.Location, Location, LocationOnce the decision to build new has been made, it’s tempting to immediately look for the right floorplan or start searching for your perfect interiors. However, even more important is finding the right location. You might have your dream house, but will it be too far from your place of work? Too close to a busy highway? Not in the right school district? If faced with the choice of paying more for location and having to spend less on special features, choose the better location. Features can be upgraded later—floors and fixtures can be changed—but location is permanent.Safety and QualityWhen working with a set budget, it can be tempting to cut corners on less visible, less frequently used features in order to spend more on aesthetics. No one sees the security system and, hopefully, a fire sprinkler system will never need to be used. So why not pay for average quality on these systems and have more to spend on luxury finishings? True, you may choose not to install impact windows or top-of-the-line plumbing and still have an impressive home; but such choices may prove problematic, if not disastrous, in the long run. Even short term, choosing quality and safety over luxury will save you money, on both insurance premiums and energy bills. Your new home will be an investment, probably the greatest one you’ll ever make. Making choices with quality and safety in mind are the best way to protect that investment.Plan for the FutureAre you building a home in hopes of starting a family there? Will this be the place in which you plan to retire? While it’s necessary to consider your current needs when building a home, it’s also wise to think ahead to what your needs may be in the future since a custom-built home is one which you’ll likely keep forever. The dream home that is perfect for today may not suit your needs several years down the road. With the future in mind, choose a floorplan that can be flexible or modified later. A room originally designed to be an office could be converted into a bedroom; a large screened-in porch could be transformed into an in-law suite. As life progresses, our dreams often do as well. Make sure your dream home can change with you.We hope these points help make the process of building your dream home a little bit easier. And don’t forget, when it comes to protecting your investment from inclement weather, Castle is here, with a range of quality products sure to fit your custom-made life. Contact us for a free estimate and to learn how we can best work with your builders to make your dream home a reality.