5 Tips for Building Your Custom Home

Building a custom home can be one of the most stressful projects you'll ever face. Putting together a comprehensive plan, scheduling, and creating a to-do list based on that schedule will help alleviate a lot of the headache.

Use the following 5 tips for building your custom home to help get you started in the right direction:

Map it Out

Planning is essential when building a home. Without a plan, the finished product will look nothing like what you had in mind.

Some of the more pertinent things you'll want to decide early are the direction of the home, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, the flow of each connecting room, floor material and more.

There are a number of free online tools that can help with this process.

Work the Budget

Once you've got a plan in place for your future home, the next step is to work the budget.

Creating a realistic budget is where most people fall short. It's always best to plan on spending more than you actually think you will.

In terms of costs to build a custom home, the builder might not include things like landscaping, fencing, cable hookups and more. While these items seem small in comparison to everything else that goes into building a home, they can easily add up to thousands of dollars.

To help account for overages, plan on spending about 25 per cent more than you had initially anticipated.

Pick Your Builder

Another essential item to get out of the way, in the beginning, is picking a home builder that's right for you.

To get this decision right the first time, consider the following factors:

●      References - Always look into references from prior jobs. A large amount of unhappy customers means you should be looking elsewhere.

●      Licenses - Does the builder carry the required state license and is the insured? They should also be a member of the National Association of Home Builders.

●      Style of Work - The previous work of your builder should be similar in terms of the style you're looking for.

Everyone you hire will be working for you so don't be afraid to ask your new home builder questions if they come up. Being forthright about your concerns can save you a lot of frustration down the road.

The Agreement

One of the most important items you'll need to accomplish is carefully reviewing any agreements with the builder prior to signing on the dotted line. In the end, there should be no surprises as to what the costs cover and what they don't cover. Hiring a lawyer to review the document is also necessary, even though doing so will cost you more money.

Before building, look at any potential rebates or credits that you might be entitled to. If you're building your first home, talk with your local mortgage lender or local city officials to determine what type of cost savings you could receive.

Finance the Home

If you're like most consumers, you'll need some type of financing to get the building process going.

To do so, you'll need to search for a lender that specializes in construction home loans. They are different than normal home loans because the lender will not release all of the funds at once. Certain stages will be agreed to and funding will be released based on meeting those milestones.