Building a house is a large undertaking and something people can dream about for years. If you’re thinking that building a home is something you’d love to see in your future, we have some tips and ideas to help you get started long before you even find a plot of land.

Analyze Your Current House

If you’re dreaming about building your own home, chances are there’s something that you haven’t been satisfied with about your current or previous living spaces. Of course, we can all think of the obvious things like a bigger kitchen or an open floor plan, but what about the little details? Think through the day-to-day things;  where you enter the house, if you need a mudroom, what storage spaces you’re missing, areas of the house you don’t use, where you wish your laundry hookups are, and just what type of person you are in your home.

Analyze Your Friends House

Now, depending on the friends you may or may not want to tell them that you’re doing this, but take a look around every home you enter and make a mental note of what you like and what you don’t love. Look at where their windows are, where closets are, how much space they have for entertaining, and where the 

little piles of clutter end up. Seriously, we’ve had people design their houses specifically to reduce the possibility of clutter corners.

If you’ve got a great relationship with the people who you’re visiting, chat with them about the things you notice. Maybe to an outsider, the closet by the front door is helpful, but they’ll tell you it tends to overflow and cause and issue with the front door. Maybe you didn’t notice that their bathroom has a double door, but it’s made things great for guests. It’s always interesting how different living in a home actually makes it, so gather as much information as possible from the people who live in it.

Visit Modular Home and Mobile Home Lots

Now, you might be shocked by this news since you have no plans to buy a modular home or a mobile home. That’s why it’s on our list of sneaky tips and tricks from the pros! Visiting lots like this can give you creative ideas that you may not have seen before. Pay attention to entrance ways, light fixtures, kitchen colors, half walls, and other details. These homes can have a variety of styles and builders, so you might stumble upon some creative ideas that you’d never considered.

Take Your Budget Seriously

This is something that will be an ongoing process while you work with your builders, but it’s important to be as realistic as possible as fast as possible. It’s easy to think more is better, but when it comes to a home, you need to be responsible and consider where your priorities are. Costs of owning your own home don’t start and end with building, so do research on maintenance and repairs when it comes to deciding on certain fixtures or “extras”.

Plan for the Future

This is a big one. When we say plan for the future, we don’t just mean grandkids and family visiting for holidays, we mean the hard stuff too. Consider how the home will function as you age and how long you hope to live there. Planning your bathroom and bedroom in a way that you’ll be able to care for yourself for years to come is pivotal to the dream home being a forever home. Keeping essentials on the first floor is always a responsible choice to keep an eye on mobility for both old age, and any injuries that can come down the pipeline. It’s not fun or glamorous to include these considerations in home building, but it is important.

The Fun Stuff

Don’t be afraid to go crazy. Make lists of your huge wishes and throw reality out the window. Include that fountain on the front lawn and the glass elevator that transports you directly into a warm bath. Then, get more realistic. Narrow things down to realistic dreams, necessities, and must-haves. Being able to prioritize in the beginning is much easier than getting halfway through a project and starting to scramble.

Find A Builder You Trust

If it’s not too bold, we recommend ourselves, but we also know every job isn’t the right fit for us. Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations, reviews, and get to know the people who will be making your home a reality.