Nine things to consider when building a custom home

We’ve compiled a list of points to consider, to help you when planning for your new home.

Firstly, how long do you plan to live in your new home?

If it’s to be a stepping stone home (say you only plan to live in it for two to five years), the design and finish to your home will be significantly different to that if you were building your forever home. Motivation matters. Paying attention to your motivations for building and understand the outcomes you’re trying to achieve. Keep your design simple and modern – this is what is on trend right now.

Family home?

If this is the home you’re going to raise a family in, consider how your needs and use of space will change. A toddler will need a playroom, a teenager will need a study for example.

Your forever home?

If you are building your forever home, you will need to pay more attention to those little details to ensure you’re getting the final look exactly like you want it. The goal is to wake up every day living the dream. It’s important to work closely with your builder and have an open dialogue with what you want to achieve. Be sure to be clear with what is important for you to have in your forever home. You never know, your builder may have a way of delivering your dream home in a way you never thought possible.

Work within your means

Obviously budget is important, everyone has one. But not everyone works within their means. Work with your builder or designer to create a plan that works within your means and prioritises the ‘must-haves’ on your wish list. Having a wish list of what is important to you in your new house is vital – and even more importantly, share your wish list/priorities with your builder.

Foundation is key!

Get the foundations of your home right first, don’t prioritise the add-ons. If you can’t afford cooling now, installing a heating system with the capability of adding cooling later is a great and cost-efficient option. If your budget means you have to choose between one thing or another, choose the thing that can’t be changed later on. Keep that 4th bedroom rather than installing a stone benchtop!

Trends, trends, trends.

Trends come and go, and while Instagram and Pinterest are good for inspiration, think about what makes you happy and communicate this to your builder/designer up front in order to receive an accurate quote.

If you don’t know exactly what you want, think about what you don’t want. Your builder can help you create a plan and style that works for you. (Hint: a good place to start can be thinking about what you do and don’t like about your current home.)  

In the long run.

With cost of living continually increasing, you’ll come across having to make decisions around things you think are unnecessary, but in the long run – these items are going to save you big time. For example, double-glazed windows, may seem expensive at the time but guaranteed they’re going to save you in heating/cooling costs. Understanding how long you plan to be in this home will help you decide where to invest in these efficiencies. Have a conversation during the design process, your builder/designer may have ideas on how to make your home more efficient.

Maintenance

How much time and effort do you want to put into ongoing maintenance? If you’re thinking of rendering or using weatherboards, know these will need re-painting, whereas bricks for example, are forever.

Honesty

Probably the most important thing to remember….  be honest with yourself and your builder or designer.

If you can come to your builder or designer for a quote having given these ideas some thought, it's going to make the planning and quoting process quicker, easier, reduce your stress levels and keep you on budget.

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