Building a new home is an excellent choice in today’s housing market. According to the U.S. Census, over 600,000 new homes were sold in 2017. That number is projected to grow. For new construction, there are a lot of things to keep on top of and to consider. One of the advantages of homebuilding is that you can easily choose a floorplan that best suits your needs. That being said, here are some things every first time homebuilding enthusiast should know.

Plan Excessively: Houses are investments. This is especially true when homebuilding. Make sure you take significant time to plan out your home needs. Consider how long you plan on living there. What about kids, will your family be growing? Will you have frequent guests or be hosting parties? What types of activities do you enjoy? Do you have space for all of your stored items? Taking time to think through these questions will ensure that you choose a floor plan that matches your lifestyle.

Blend with the Landscape: Rather than trying to fight the natural landscape of your home, blend with it. Think of the long term here again. Trees will grow. Bushes will fill out. Do you want a garden? What types of plants grow? How are the winters here? What about the summers? As you plan, it is ok to leave some open space for future potential plans (swimming pool, tennis court, garden, etc.).

Consider Safety Features: One of the things about a home, is you should always feel safe in it. Make sure you plan for features like exterior lighting, a security system, fire exits, and other reasonable safety features. Again, planning goes a long way here. If you are living in a tornado prone area, for example, you should probably consider having some tornado safe rooms.

Stick With Your Budget: Especially if you are a first time home builder, it can be easy to get too excited and start adding things that end up putting you way outside of your budget. Whatever your budget is, know it and stick to it. Remember that the size of your home will affect many things including mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities, and general household maintenance. Think about what you need this home for, then choose accordingly.

Let The Professionals Handle It: Look, it doesn’t matter if you are Bob the Builder or the founder of Home Depot, you hired professionals for a reason. It is easy to want to be more and more involved in your home as the construction progresses, however that usually ends up significantly increasing the amount of time it takes to finish as you are usually just in the way. Make sure you stay up to date with the progress via the head contractor, but asking for significant changes in the middle of construction or attempting to tell the professionals how to do the job “the right way” only hinders the timeline and costs you more money. You can relax and know that your construction is in good hands. We have been building luxury homes for years and know exactly what we are doing. Trust us, we want to make your home a dream home just like you do.

In the end, building a home is a hugely rewarding project. You put in a significant investment of both time and money to ensure that you get a home that fits your lifestyle and is a place you can comfortably live for a long time, perhaps the rest of your life. We are here to help you. Whether it is planning out the ultimate luxury home, or building a custom single family house, we have the tools and experience to make your dream a reality.