Living in a home built for someone else?

You’re not alone. If you are an aspiring chef living with a tiny galley kitchen, a porch swing lover without so much as a front stoop, or a home repair-challenged individual living in an 80-year old cottage, you have just joined the ranks of thousands living in homes that do not fit their needs or wants.

Build a custom home.
There’s a sense of calm that comes with living space where everyone and everything has a place, where everything works as it should and the design makes sense. It is a haven at the end of a long day, and it can be yours to enjoy by building your own custom home.

Feel overwhelmed by such a large project? You’re still not alone. Whether you love your neighbors and would like to rebuild right where you are, or you’re looking to get closer to the nightlife, we can help you navigate through this exciting time.

Gather your ideas. Dream.
Often the best place to start planning your new home is in the one you have now. What would you keep? What would you change? Love your large kitchen island, but hate that it gets in the way when opening your refrigerator? Take notes. Then, look around your friends’ homes. While you’re at it, pick up a few home magazines the next time you are in the check out lane. Don’t just dog-ear the pages you like – rip those pages out, and start an idea file. If it helps, lay out all of your pages on the floor and look at them together. See any themes? Is there a color palette and home style that you are drawn toward?

Put your ideas on paper.
Next, gather up your file and sit down with an architect. (If you don’t know one, we’re happy to provide recommendations.) No detail is too small to share. If you own three vacuum cleaners, you will want to ensure lots of additional storage space and your architect will want to know that. Take your time with this part of the project. Measure key pieces of furniture to ensure they can be placed in the rooms as you would like them. Think about how light and sound might affect each room. Would you like your washer and dryer right next to the baby’s room? Or does it make better sense to separate them? A good architect can help you think through every possibility.

But go slowly, taking it one detail at a time. There will be time later to choose your faucets. For now, just focus on where the kitchen sink should be placed.

Move dirt.
Once you have a set of plans that you are excited about, it’s time to have your home builder put together a clear and detailed cost estimate. From there, you can scale back or add in additional features to ensure your budget is met. Would adding green building features such as spray foam insulation or a grey water recycling system be important to you? Your contractor can help educate you on all of the options.

It won’t be long before ground is broken and you can see the home you’ve envisioned taking shape before you.

Move in.
It’s fun to daydream. It’s even better to make your dreams a reality…