Preliminary Steps of Custom Home building

Construction is not rocket science or a surgical procedure. Most of the elements are pretty straight forward and are detailed in the plans and specifications of a custom home. The challenges of constructions are more related to the budgets than the actual phases of the construction. For most of the clients, its the most money and effort that they will ever spend on a project which makes custom home building a worthy challenge. Three important elements of construction (schedule, quality and budget) never cooperate with each other in real world but they all carry equal weight for a successful completion. Some important tips that can help everyone in building their homes.

• Make a budget, set up realistic time frames, and determine the needs of spaces and overall size of the home. Get involved in conversations with mortgage lenders if you need construction loans. Your budget essentially depends on your financial situation so its better to sort this puzzle out in initial phases.
• Hire an architect: YES! You do need an architect to draw plans for your custom home. Architect turns all your dreams for your new custom home into detailed construction documents that are later executed by builder/subcontractors during the coarse of construction to build your home. Architects make sure that plans and specifications comply with all building codes and requirements of HOA, city/county. Architectural plans essentially eliminate ambiguity and systematically tell any project manager/builder how to achieve the desired built environment.
• Never save money on critical professionals in design phase: Almost every construction project requires structural plans designed by structural engineer and building inspections. Some projects require input from civil engineer/drainage specialist and Geo-technical engineer depending on the site location and topology. Surveyor is another professional that will save you tons of money and headache down the road. Its never a good idea to assume things and skip any of the above professionals. Some cities/counties will not approve permits unless you have structural plan and Septic plan by certified designers/engineers.
• Involve sub-contractors in the design phase. Most of the builders have a decent idea of costs but its always a good idea to keep your subcontractors involved in the design process to avoid surprises in the future.
• Consider other team members: Landscape architects and interior designers depending on the budgets.