You’ve decided that you are going to buy a lot to build a future home on! It’s a great time and can be a lot of fun. However, to make your search, and your life, a bit less stressful and frustrating, do one simple thing before you jump in the car. Establish a budget first. Sounds obvious, I know. However I’ve seen more personal and marital stress caused by skipping this little step than I care to comment on.

I can almost guarantee the lot you, or your spouse, falls in love with at first sight, and absolutely must have, is one that’s way over your budget. Do not “window shop” for lots. Here’s what happens that causes the real problems. Every lot you look at after that “one perfect lot” will be compared to it. And since you’ll be looking at lesser priced land that first one may keep looking better and better and better. This drags on your search because nothing looks quite good enough and nothing is quite as nice as the first one. This generally causes stress and some hurt feelings as well. Not a good way to start out.

Here’s the other thing that happens. That first lot that you or your spouse falls in love with is way more than you can, or want to spend, so you eventually purchase a different lot. A fine lot. A lot perfect for your needs, in a great area, within your budget and with a great view or whatever. You or your spouse will never forget that first lot. Ever. How often do you care to hear or think, “Well, I do like this new house, but it would have been even better on that first lot I liked.” Establish your budget, including the taxes, before you start your search and only look at lots within that budget. If you and your spouse only see lots that are in a comfortable price point, you’ll find a great one without the, “Gee, I wish…” factor.

The Perfect Lot Myth: Here’s the typical method your average person uses when looking for a lot. They may jump in the car on a Sunday afternoon with the newspaper classifieds section and go driving around. Or they may contact a real estate agent, jump in their car and go driving around. The goal? Find the perfect lot. Maybe the perfect lot for you is one with a big oak tree in the front yard, or with a stream running through it, or close to a school or in a specific neighborhood or any number of things. The chances of finding a “perfect” lot, one with no issues, challenges or problems, is slim.

There could be one small issue, or several big problems, but there is usually something that needs to be, or at least should be, addressed. When looking for a home site in a planned community or development, do not fall into the trap that many do. It is very easy to get lulled in by a community with the new homes, the fancy landscaping, the big front yards and so on. Don’t do it. Everything may look great and neat and well presented, however do no let this cause you to buy without doing your homework.

And if the lot does look perfect, and it’s available at a great price, but only ’til the end of the week, and there are 3 other people looking at it today, and they don’t think it will be on the market long?! Slow down. Take a breath and see past any hype or sales pitch. I’d rather you buy a $70,000 car than a $70,000 lot without doing your homework first. Why? Because you can fix a bad car. You very often can’t fix a bad lot. You’ll be out there looking for the perfect lot and, due to some human nature quirks, you may “force” a lot to be perfect in your mind. You’ll see on and think, “This is it! Perfect! I’ll take it!” and that’s when you get in trouble. Add in time pressures, sale pitches and, perhaps, an impatient spouse and you’ll find yourself leaping before you look.

Please take your time when looking at and purchasing land. You’ll be glad you did!

Something that architects and contractors take for granted but that homeowners rarely experience, is the construction site. When it is your house being built or added onto, I recommend that you spend as much time as possible with the “insides” of the place where you will be living.

It is a bit like viewing the inside a person during an operation. Yes, it may be messy and confusing unless you know how everything works, but it is always fascinating and sometimes beautiful. Not to take the metaphor too far, but a home has structure like we have bones, wiring and controls as we have nerves, and mechanical systems like we have…maybe I’ve gone too far, but you can see where I’m going.

The most universal observation is that during the building process, the scale of rooms and the overall building changes dramatically depending on the phase of construction. When the foundation is poured the space may look too small, with the framing up, the building may look too large. Trim, siding, windows and roofing bring the massive structure back into proportion. Inside finishes and trim as well as cabinetry and paint make a room that felt too large or small, feel comfortable.

The craftsmanship that goes into the framing and rough plumbing and electrical work pays off as the home is being finished. Straight, plumb, and square walls and floors make the trim carpenter’s work easier and faster. You can tell a lot about a contractor by the way the early stages of the building are completed. If they care about the way the house is framed, chances are they will take the same care in finishing the job. A friend and talented photographer, Michele Muir was at one of our job sites photographing everyone in our office, and took some time to record the beauty of the job site.

Of course, a lot of people dream about building their own home. And while you may not design the actual layout yourself, you can certainly give the architect ideas about what you want the finished design to look like.

But more than often people do not think practically when they are in the process of designing and building a new house. Indeed, it is quite natural to think about how the finished result will look, rather than what it might cost you in ongoing bills; but if you don’t look beneath the surface in this way, you might end up paying dearly for it in the future.

For example, you will need to spend some time thinking about what type of energy you are going to use in your home. Do you want to use gas right through the property? Would you prefer electricity? Or perhaps a combination of the two might suit you best? And if you have always moved into an existing property in the past, this might seem like a strange consideration; after all, you normally just move in and get used to whatever is already there.

However, this is your house - that means you get to decide what services you do and don’t want, right from the start; which of course, can prove extremely beneficial. And while personal preference does come into it, you should also think about how much each service is likely to cost you. Of course, the price of electricity can vary greatly over time, as can the price of gas; what you start paying when you move into your property will very likely change before too long.

It will also pay you to build a home that is as carbon neutral as possible, since it can result in bills being even lower. Therefore, if you can consider this in the planning stages you might just be rewarded with lower bills.

You can also save money by getting both utilities - if you are going to have both - from the same provider, and there are usually reasonable discounts given for this. You will also save more by paying via direct debit and when you add these together, you can normally save quite a bit over the course of the year.

In short, compare gas and electricity carefully before you decide which one is right for you, or whether you need them both. However, there is no simple answer to which one is best - it all depends on you, and which companies are offering the best deal right now.

After you’ve made the decision to build a new home the style of your home builder must be determined. Depending on your area the names and definitions of these styles of builders may be slightly different however the main points will be pretty similar. While most home builders will fall more or less into one of the categories below be aware that there will be niche builders in all categories. For example you may find a volume builder dedicated to green building practices, or a custom home builder specializing in homes over 8,000 square feet. Overall there are four main styles of home building…

Volume or Production Builder

A volume or big builder is one that often builds hundreds or thousands of homes per year either on a regional scale or nationwide. A typical scenario is the production builder will buy a large parcel of land, develop that land (put in place roads, services, amenities and so on), divide that land into saleable lots and build homes on those lots. The size of the home sites, homes and the price points will vary depending on location and the demographics of that area.

Semi-Custom or Track Builder

A track or semi-custom builder is in some ways similar to a volume builder however on a much smaller scale. Many will have several standard floor plans they offer on lots they own or they may build their plan on a home site you already own. Typically a home owner will have far more flexibility and options when it comes to the building of the home compared to a volume builder. Most semi-custom builders will offer their floor plans on their lots and some may also build their floor plans on land you own as well.

Custom Home builder

A custom home builder is one that builds a unique home for a specific client on a particular home site. Most often a custom home builder will build a home on land that you own rather than offering you a choice of lots in a planned community like a volume builder. If you’ve already got a home site you’ll probably be looking for the services of a custom home builder. Due to the nature of the one of a kind homes that this builder produces they typically will build a small number of homes per year, often less than 10. Typically you would have your own home site and your own floor plans drawn up by an architect or home designer. Custom home builders will, on occasion, build a home on speculation as well.

Building a Home Yourself (aka Acting as your own general contractor)

Many people looking to build a home consider acting as their own general contractor. The general feeling is that it’s not all that difficult and can save you some money on the project, perhaps 10% to 20%. The impression that some get is the general contractor shows up on a job site, looks around for an hour and leaves. Just what does that general contractor do anyway? Seems the other guys do all the work! What is not understood is the hours spent scheduling and negotiating, the understanding of the structural and acetic needs of a home, knowledge of which subcontractors to use for which jobs, the permitting and inspection process, ensuring that all insurance, workers compensation and licensing is in place for all suppliers and subcontractors (an uninsured worker being injured on a job can be financially devastating to the home owner). In most areas a land owner has the right to act as their own general contractor and completing a home can be a very satisfying experience. Check with your local town or county office to see the rules and regulations in your area.

No matter which style of home builder you choose the process will follow generally the same steps. The major differences will be the degree to which you can customize your home and the amount of involvement you’ll have along the way. The home building process can be very stressful and will typically take many months from start to completion. Be sure to employ a builder with whom you are comfortable, have confidence in and can deal with for many months! Best of luck!

Whether you know a lot about home building or just have some ideas of how you want your new home to look and function, you are an important member of the team designing and building your home. Contributing to the layout and building plan in the design phase will ensure that you realize your dream of living in the perfect home for you and your family. Increasing numbers of new homeowners are taking this approach by actively working with their building contractor and designer.

You may already have some good ideas of what you want to manifest in your design, or you may be starting from scratch and in need of inspiration. Outlined below are some sources of ideas for you to see what is available and how it would work for you.

Visit Open Houses

This first step can be a fun way to spend an afternoon on the weekend, as well as a free source of good ideas for your project. You can check out houses in your price range, as well as those that are more expensive, just to see what an additional investment can buy. Some ideas in very high-end homes can be adapted to other price level building with little or no loss of quality. You can also see what appeals to other potential buyers who are touring the same home, and what pitfalls to avoid. This can be important in terms of preserving market value in your new home design. You may also have access to the expertise of a wide variety of realtors and agents in terms of what works for most families and what appeals to the real estate market. Don’t be afraid to pick their brain!

Magazines and Stores

Think of those glossy home improvement and lifestyle magazines as compact stores for you to window shop in from the comfort of your living room. These magazines were created to give you ideas for your design and should be considered even if on the surface they seem out of reach for your lifestyle.

You can tear out and collect pages that have elements of what your are looking for in your new home, and the juxtaposition of different magazine photos can stimulate brand new ideas that have never before been seen in any magazine or in anyone else’s home. Isn’t this ability to be one of a kind an important reason you decided to build rather than purchase an existing home anyway?

For a “hands-on”, three-dimensional feel for what different elements look like and how they work, nothing beats a visit to your local home improvement store. They have set up mock kitchens, baths, and entryways to give you a real feeling for how their products function together in a realistic setting. As they say, take what you like and leave the rest.

Rather than sitting back and waiting for someone else to come up with the home of your dreams, isn’t it time to get out there and participate in that once in a lifetime opportunity to create the perfect space for you and your family to live and enjoy life? With a little work and imagination, your dream home can become a reality.