5 Things to Consider When Building Your Custom Home

Guest Post by Andrea Erickson

Many people equate “custom home” with “dream home,” fully believing that choosing their own materials and floor plan will guarantee them their ideal dwelling. Unfortunately, the tale of homeowners becoming dissatisfied with their custom build shortly after move-in is all too prevalent. In fact, it is even common for people to sour on their custom home during the construction process, as constant delays and unplanned disruptions cause them to want it to “just be over so they can move in.” To avoid these unsavory scenarios, take a close look at the following 5 points to consider when building your custom home.

Hire the Right Professional

Many people fully believe that they can build their dream home piece by piece and be their own general contractor throughout the process. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, but many of these same people quickly realize that trying to balance their daily responsibilities while also coordinating the schedules of various architects, builders, and designers can quickly take the “dream” out of the process.

Therefore, it is highly worthwhile to consider the benefits of partnering with a full-service build design company, like PRK Williams Building Group. A build design company has experience in streamlining all of the similar aspects of custom builds while also making them unique to your particular project. When partnering with a build design company, a typical custom build from the idea stage to finish will look like this:

You contact the company to inform them of your interest in building a custom home
You meet with the company to have an in-depth discussion of your vision for the home
The company will draw up a plan for your project and put together an estimate for the cost
Once you approve the estimate, they order materials and get a team together, providing you with a construction timeline
After work is complete, you once again meet with the company to ensure your satisfaction

The result is better communication and a more cohesive build from start to finish, helping homeowners achieve their dream through a custom build.

Design For Your Future

Everyone knows that homeownership is one of the best investments a person can make. However, too many homeowners cut corners during custom builds and choose bargain basement materials to make the initial cost more palatable.

While this is certainly understandable, don’t forget that 10, 20, or 30 years from now are arguably more important than today when it comes to a home. Will the home maintain its curb appeal in the midst of inclement weather? Can it accommodate a growing family? Will materials need to be replaced before the home hits the resale market?

With these factors in mind, it is worth your time to look into building with durable materials such as fiber cement siding, fire resistant roofing, engineered hardwood floors, and quartz countertops.

Plan For Storage

Americans are notoriously in love with their stuff. Whether it is due to a sense of nostalgia or a belief that it will someday come in clutch, they just can’t seem to get rid of those trinkets that have sat in a box for years, making the guest bedroom inaccessible due to its role as a storage den. As a result of this behavior, the self storage industry ballooned to a whopping $38 billion recently as homeowners have simply run out of space on their properties.

Therefore, despite your commitment to shed unwanted items over time, be sure to build your custom home with ample storage space so that you are not paying hundreds of dollars every month to store items you didn’t know you have. Remember, building a custom home usually goes hand in hand with accommodating a growing family, so having a place for strollers, cribs, bassinets, and the like during transitions between kids will be something you will not regret.

Consider Healthy Home Building Materials

Businesses in all walks of life–from food to transportation–are under increasing scrutiny to use safe, non-toxic materials. As such, you should make them a priority in your custom build as well. While there is an extensive list of products from which to choose, some of the best for promoting health while also enhancing the home’s performance and aesthetics include:

Hemp insulation, which uses natural hemp fibers to make insulation batts that provide an R-value of up to 3.5 per inch
Non-toxic paints and manufactured stone veneer facades that are free from harmful VOCs
Touchless sink faucets to minimize contact with germs
Nonporous quartz countertops that do not absorb bacteria and can be cleaned with a sanitary wipe
Air scrubbers and advanced HVAC vents that remove dust, pollen, and pathogens from the air

Not only will these health-friendly materials keep you and yours safe, but they will serve as highly attractive features on the resale market.

Consider Energy Efficient Building Materials

There is arguably no hotter issue as we head toward 2023 than energy efficiency. From electric cars to solar panels, people are being encouraged to do what they can to curtail their nonrenewable energy consumption.

As such, energy efficiency should be a top priority for your custom build. Check building code insulation requirements to guarantee that your home is above industry standards–and is well-positioned to remain there indefinitely. Some other ways to build with energy efficiency in mind are to install numerous large windows to promote natural light transmission, frame with insulated concrete forms to prevent unwanted air and moisture transfer through the building envelope, and use screen facades and attached pergolas as heat mitigation devices to reduce reliance on forced air systems.

5 Key Considerations When Building Your Custom Home

While building your own custom home is a great way to ensure the utmost satisfaction, happiness is not a given. You have to be intentional at every step of the custom-build process to make your dream home a reality. With this in mind, hiring the right professional, designing for your future, planning for storage, considering healthy building materials, and choosing energy-efficient options are 5 key considerations when building your custom home.

Andrea Erickson is a freelance writer that loves sharing her knowledge and expertise on commercial building cleaning and maintenance. She lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas where she enjoys spending time with her husband and decorating with her children. Andrea’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource launching in Fall 2022.