Tips for Designing Your Dream House

Are you ready to build your own custom home? Are you unsure how to get started? If so, you aren't alone. Designing a dream home is a daunting and challenging task; however, it's not impossible. From planning the right square footage for your family to determining the cost of a pool, use the tips and information below to plan and design your dream home.

Start Out Simple

You don't need any type of fancy software to start making decisions about your custom home. In fact, all you really need is some paper and a pencil. Take time to sketch your ideas and brainstorm about what you like and want. Create a list of features you want in each room. The goal here is to get your ideas out of your head and on paper. Creating rough sketches will also help your home design team better understand what you are looking for.

Think About Your Family's Needs

It's a good idea to use the available home design magazines and books to figure out what types of features you want. However, you should also consider the type of living space that you and your family need to be comfortable.

Consider things like what is working in your current home and what rooms you love. You should also consider what doesn't work with your current home design or if there are unneeded or missing elements. It's also smart to track and consider the "living patterns" of your family. Note things like what rooms are used the most and where "traffic jams" tend to occur. This is going to help you create a design that eliminates these issues.

Think About How Your Life Will Change in the Future

Are you planning to have children in the coming years? Will your children be grown and moving out? Are your aging parents going to need to move in with you? It's a good idea to think about what your future will look like and the space you may need in the coming years. You may also be interested in working from home. If this is the case, then including a flexible space that can be used as a home office in your home design is recommended.

Create a Design That Is Stylish and Livable

While you need to keep your personal style in mind when you start designing a dream house, you can't forget your family's lifestyle. Consider the type of neighborhood that everyone would like. For example, would your family be better suited to a suburb or a waterfront property? Do you want a formal and refined home or more laid-back and casual? Do you want space for entertaining or something that's relaxing and for you? When you consider these factors, you can create a design that accommodates your family and what you enjoy doing. It will also suit your life and how you want to live.

Create a Design That Showcases and Maximizes Your Lot

Sometimes, if you are in the market for a custom home, you own the property where it will be constructed. If you know where your home will be situated, make sure you consider things like the lot's size, best features, and topography. For example, if you have a lot that looks over a naturescape, you may want to have the living room facing this feature. This will allow you and your family to watch nature. However, if there's a stream or brook that runs through your property, you may want to put the bedrooms closest to the stream to enjoy the sound of running water while you are sleeping. Also, consider what windows you want facing the best views and consider how the land slopes. For example, planning a custom home design for a lot with a steep slope will look completely different from one that has a flat lot.

Balance Your Style Goals and Budget

When designing a custom home, people commonly do not keep their budget top of mind. If this happens, you may find that you have to cut corners later. The best way to avoid this issue is by knowing your budget and keeping it in mind from the beginning. Some things to consider include how long you will live in the house. Is it long enough for it to be considered a retirement investment? Also, what will your monthly costs be with all factors, including insurance, mortgage payment, and property taxes? Understanding the future costs of the home will help you stay on budget and ensure you don't overextend yourself financially.

Prioritize the Most Important Features

After your ideas are clear and roughly sketched or listed, it's a good idea to prioritize the features for your dream home. As mentioned above, designing a custom home can exceed your budget if you try to get everything you can imagine. Today, there are more features and luxuries to choose from than ever before, making it easy to get carried away. Consider what is most important to you, though. For example, have you always wanted a gas stove with all the bells and whistles? If so, that should be a priority over a box window in your kitchen. You have to make these decisions now, during the planning stage, to ensure you get what is most important in your new home.

Provide Your Builder with Scope and Direction

After you know your family's living needs and the style of home you want, you can start working with a reputable and professional custom home builder. You need to make sure you provide the builder with as much information as you can to ensure you get what you want.

Planning Your Dream House

When it comes to planning a dream house, using the tips and information here will help you with this. Remember, this is your design and your life, so you need to take time and work through the process to ensure you get what you want without exceeding your budget. Your custom home builder can help you along the way.