Taking your custom home or renovation project from the ideas stage to the project stage is a big step, one that slows down many homeowners who are unsure of how to proceed.
There are three fundamental parts to your custom home journey:
- Deciding what you want — including features, size, style, and location
- Deciding how much you are prepared to spend
- Deciding who you will work with
How you approach these three steps will determine the course of your project and ultimately the success of the outcome. Ready to start the exciting process of building a custom home? This article explains how to get things rolling.
Planning a Custom Home Build
At the beginning of the custom home journey, most people have a few specific things in mind. Possessing creative control allows for total customization of every aspect.
While choosing finishes and fixtures is a fun and exciting step, there are a million other details that must be decided that will impact the home’s efficiency and functionality. You also have the opportunity to invest in what is most important to you, such as energy efficiency, modern smart home technology, or aging-in-place features.
It’s important to consider how your family and lifestyle might change over a couple of years and into the future.
Whether you’re building from scratch or renovating your primary residence, aspects of the custom route include managing the timeline, budget, communication, permits, and a staggering number of design decisions. Having an experienced custom home builder in your corner from the very start, advising on everything from budget and feasibility to design and approvals, will make the process smoother and guide you to a better result.
Custom Home Budget & Timeline
Fully Consider Your Budget
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make during the custom home building process is the budget. You’ll need to have a solid idea of how much you’re willing to spend before you embark on the process. Having established the details of what you want will influence your final budget, as your budget will influence the house you ultimately build.
It’s important to note that costs aren’t limited to materials and labour – there are permits, inspections, services and other costs that come with building a home. And as the design process evolves, budgets or your wish list may need to be adjusted as well.
Keep in mind that costs for design and construction will be very different compared to simply buying a pre-owned home. We recommend setting aside a contingency fund for the unexpected costs. For a rough estimate, it’s best to consult a professional home builder with your generalized design plans just to get an idea.
Determining the Timeline
Timeline is another aspect to consider. Much of the timeline will be impacted by how long the design process takes, and changes mid-project can add significant delays to your project completion. Working with a Design + Build professional can help ensure you don’t encounter these expenses down the road. Your builder ensures everyone from the architect to the landscape designer are on the same page so nothing is missed while keeping an eye on the budget.
Once the design is finished, allowing a professional builder to handle all the permitting will be far quicker than attempting to do it yourself. Initial permits can take a long time to acquire and it’s worth it to have someone following up and keeping the process moving.
Designing Your Custom Home (You’re Not Alone)
When you’ve reached an understanding of budget and set your priorities about what you want in the home, it’s time to begin designing your dream home. Chances are, you’ve already got plenty of ideas, inspiration and home features swimming around in your head and saved online. The challenge will be to organize them into a series of decisions – including the ones that aren’t so glamorous or exciting.
Even with serious dedication to the design process, it will help to have a professional designer working with you. To ensure your project is feasible and on budget, you can also work with a custom home builder, who can also hook you up with one of Victoria’s many talented architects.
If you’re less confident about making hundreds of design decisions and only have a general vision in mind, Horizon Pacific Contracting offers a design and build service that takes much of the onus off of you. This kind of solution takes architecture and design under one roof, integrating the process and getting everyone on the same page within the budget you have set.
Find a Lot
Finding a lot for your new custom home is an exciting part of the process. But it’s also an important one that will require close attention from the home builder. Construction feasibility and zoning, and budget will need to be closely considered by professionals to determine if you are able to build the house you want in the chosen location.
There are a number of factors that will impact what and how you build. Slope is a big one. Sloping land can create extreme construction challenges and balloon costs, but it can also provide opportunities for unique and beautiful design, like this Modern Lakeside Sanctuary.
But slope is just one piece of the puzzle. Your builder will be watching for everything from soil composition and natural hazards to utility access and regulations in the area.
And most of the time, there will already be a house on the lot. Decisions will need to be made about whether to move the house or deconstruct.
Choosing a Home Builder
A big step in this process is choosing who will bring your plans to life. This means choosing your builder. You may also be selecting an architect, interior designer and landscape designer, and you will want to be sure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
Bringing a custom home builder into the process well before construction time is the best way to ensure the team working on your project is aligned with your vision. A Design + Build specialist, such as Horizon Pacific Contracting, will manage the team and even help connect you to professionals who match your personal design and communication style. Horizon Pacific Contracting has a proven process for taking a house from the idea stage to the completed home.
- From early on, we help ensure the feasibility of your project and navigate tough challenges like affordability, structural complexities and local permitting.
- Then we’ll crunch the numbers, calculating costs that influence design decisions.
- From there, we’ll either walk you through our design and build service or help match you with an architect who is experienced in your chosen style of home.
- Next, we’ll tackle the trickiest phase of any custom home or renovation project – approvals. Failing to acquire the correct permits can present major barriers and unexpected costs, so getting this part right will be crucial.
- At this stage, we are ready to start building. Your project manager will oversee your project from start to finish, ensuring you always have a direct line of communication to your builder.
Ready to start building your dream home? Let’s Talk!