Overcoming the 4 Biggest Challenges of Custom Home Building

Building a custom home is a dream of many homeowners, but it’s not a decision that you should take lightly. The process will test you and you’ll need to have the proper plan in place to ensure that you end up with the house of your dreams.

The 4 Challenges You Must Push Past

When you build a custom home, the possibilities are endless. You get the opportunity to take a vision and transform it into a tangible, visible reality. But any time you start an intensive process from scratch, you can expect some friction along the way.

Here are a few of the challenges you can anticipate encountering, as well as some solutions and suggestions for pushing past them.

1. Finding a Builder

Custom homebuilders are everywhere. You can find dozens in and around your city. The problem is that not all homebuilders are created equal. Some might talk a good talk, but will they actually follow through? You can increase your odds of zeroing in on a reliable homebuilder by doing the proper due diligence.

Start your search for a custom homebuilder by asking friends, family, and neighbors for advice and recommendations. Start with people who’ve built homes over the last five or six years. Would they recommend their builder?

Online research will yield plenty of insights as well. You can read reviews, search for ratings, and ask for recommendations via social media.

Once you find a couple of good options, set up a consultation to meet with them and discuss the project. In addition to pricing and construction methods, consider what your gut tells you. Does this seem like someone who you’d work well with?

2. Cost and Budget

For 99 percent of families, cost is a consideration. You have a budget and it’s important that you work within the confines of these financial constraints. But saying you want to stay within your budget and actually doing it can be two completely different matters.

Start by making a realistic budget of how much you can afford to spend, what the loan will look like, and how the monthly payments will impact your future household spending budget.

After setting up a budget, you need a way to stick to it. Ironwood Custom Home Builders, Inc. recommends a few different options – including tracking costs in a spreadsheet and/or using an app like Mint to track home building expenses. There’s no such thing as being too detailed.

3. Permitting and Paperwork

The paperwork side of custom home building can be a nightmare. Between zoning and permits, it can be challenging to get all of your proverbial ducks in a row. But it doesn’t have to be impossible.

The right homebuilder will work with you to proactively avoid issues and keep things moving. They’ll constantly be one step ahead of you – foreseeing possible delays and addressing them head-on.

4. Decision Fatigue

Decision fatigue is the challenge that nobody talks about. Every little detail has to be worked through, considered, debated, and selected. From the type of insulation used in the attic to the height of hanging light fixtures to the size and color of the kitchen backsplash grout – the choices are endless. You’ll make hundreds – if not thousands – of small choices throughout the process. And if you aren’t careful, decision fatigue will hit you in the head like a wayward 2×4.

Once again, this issue comes back to the builder. If you have a builder you trust, you can tell him to handle all of the small details and to come to you with questions about significant elements. Ask him to present you with one to three options for each, rather than dozens. This will keep you focused and leave you with a result you can be happy with.

Build the Home of Your Dreams

As challenging as it can be to build a custom house, it’s something every family should consider doing at least once. It gives you the opportunity to tailor every single element – from the floor plan to the finishes – to your specific needs and tastes. The process is exciting, liberating, and invigorating. And if you do it right, it can be highly rewarding for years to come.