Roadmap for Designing Your Custom Home

Taking the first steps toward the custom home of your dreams is such an exciting time! But, it’s also the start of a long journey that requires patience and perseverance. Having a goal to work towards is an amazing way to make sure your build stays on track, and to make sure that you enjoy the process. So, before you start designing, begin by creating your goals in 3 steps: goal setting, goal fusing, and goal realizing.

3 steps for success in designing a custom home

Step 1 – GOAL SETTING

The first, most critical step, goal setting establishes the purpose and intention of the dream home you’re building because it will end up affecting the design and build of the space.

Is the home it a place for you to retire?

• • It won’t require too much space or too many bedrooms, but will need to be accessible.

Is the home a family home?

• • These are often designed to be open-concept with communal space for play and rest, a large kitchen for family gatherings.

Is the home a vacation destination?

• • These are frequently designed with seasonality in mind, and feature more bedrooms to accommodate guests and a number of children.

Step 2 – GOAL FUSING

The home design and build process has emotional bearing for all parties involved, so get spouses, relatives, or those who will be participating in the design-build of a dream home (whether financially, or subjectively) on the same page from the very start.

Spend time together discussing what it is you truly want to accomplish, and be honest and completely open about your vision for the new home. Speak up about your ‘must haves’ vs your ‘nice to haves’, and openly discuss the key things you all know you want out of this project in the end.

Come into these projects prepared for some give or take and prepared to make some concessions for the greater good, but having these talks at the beginning of the process means there won’t be any surprises or potential for conflict halfway through the build (causing delays and adding costs.)

Step 3 – GOAL REALIZING

Your next and final step is finding a partner — professionals who share your vision and will turn it into a reality from the ground up. Traditionally, construction projects have the client appointing a builder on one side and a designer on the other, but you also have the option of going with a design-builder.

A design-builder is a single company that takes care of the entire project, from concepts and blueprints, to construction, down to the final paint touch-ups. This approach is becoming more and more common worldwide because it changes the traditional sequence of work for the client’s benefit. Plus, communication is easier, since you’re working with one team from start to finish. The project success is anchored by one goal, one accountability, and one delivery. Find your perfect partner by asking for referrals, search through reputable local associations, and/or looking at online portfolios.

What happens after you set your goals? Get our complete guide to Designing a Custom Dream Home to find out!