Designing and building a custom home gives you and your family exactly the dream home you have always wanted. It is a partnership between you and your builder. The custom building journey is an investment in both time and money; however, the rewards are numerous.
Custom building may seem complicated, but at its core, it is nothing more than the creation of a solid, streamlined design based on your family’s specific needs. As simple as this concept is, the implications are woven into every part of day-to-day life. A custom built home makes your daily life easier, as it’s designed to function best for the way your family lives. Custom building allows you to define and carve out different spaces in your home to maximize efficiency and improve your lifestyle. A custom design transforms your home, taking it from something to work around to a workhorse that does the heavy lifting for you.
A custom built home is more expensive than a production or semi-custom home because your custom home has never been built before nor is it being built in volume. It’s hard to determine the exact cost of your home because there are so many variables. Unlike the purchase of an existing home where you can see exactly what you’re getting when you sign the contract (even if it may not be exactly what you want), building a custom home comes with a certain perceived risk that some people are more concerned with than others. These uncertainties are known to cause more than a little stress and may not be right for the faint of heart! In my experience, if a client is non-visual, the process can seem daunting and overwhelming. Building a custom home is as much a fluid and creative process as it is line item costs for sticks and bricks.
It’s imperative to partner with a great team from the beginning to reduce these uncertainties and resulting worry. It is equally important to have confidence in that team. After all, a partnership can only be as good as the individuals involved. All sides must be fair, honest, and worthy of the trust necessary to reach mutual goals. A good team can make the exciting, often complicated process of bringing an intangible idea to life streamlined, manageable, and even a fun journey. Functional design is also essential for a custom home. Relating to my clients and deciphering their aesthetic is just as important as respecting their budget. And understanding a client is the first step toward accommodating them. As a mom and working professional, I can relate to the day-to-day tasks it takes to manage a busy household. I think it’s very important to ask detailed questions to better grasp their goals and make them comfortable. What’s important to them is important to me – no matter how small. Blending technical knowledge with high-level design to satisfy a client’s needs is the subtle difference that makes a house a home. Is custom building right for you? Only you can decide, but I hope these tips have helped in your journey to find the answer.
Using her trademark blend of tradition and innovation, new old co-founder Mary Ludemann has been designing and building dream homes for more than a decade. To find out how she can bring your ideal home from a dream to a reality, visit www.newold.com, call 704-975-3723, or email building@newold.com.