Custom Home Myths: What TV Shows Don't Tell You

When you settle in for the evening to watch your favorite HGTV show, you’re probably excited to see everything that’s going to happen. However, these shows typically set up a false sense of reality. While you’re watching, you might get the impression that it’s no big deal to build a custom home. These shows accomplish the task in only half an hour or, maybe, an hour. But, these shows aren’t what happens in real life. They’re setting up custom home myths and if you’re planning on building a custom home, it’s important to understand the real process.

Custom Home Myth #1: A house is built in an hour, a week, or a month.

When you watch your favorite home improvement show or a show focused on home renovations, you don’t get the full picture of the build time. A simple drywall patch may only take an hour or two, but a custom renovation or the custom home building process takes weeks or months. To get that look you see on TV, you need to have a realistic timeline in mind. Be sure you talk with your custom home builder about the timeline of the build.

Custom Home Myth #2: Budgets are fixed.

Often times, the TV shows you see about custom home building depict fixed budgets. You might see a handyman or a contractor say that something will cost $1,000 or a feature for the home will cost $10,000. These items seem to be fixed, but in reality, building a custom home requires a flexible budget. There is a lot that goes into purchasing building materials and paying a crew to build. Many of these materials have costs that constantly fluctuate with the market. If your custom home builder is offering a house for X and not a penny more, then you should consider talking to another builder. You need to have flexibility in your budget to account for changes in material prices and added features.

Custom Home Myth #3: Making changes during construction is no big deal.

In fact, making changes to your custom home during the construction process is a huge deal. Not only can it add cost to your overall budget, but it can also extend the timeline of the project. What might seem like a simple switch like changing the design of the crown moulding can be a much bigger commitment. Different materials have different costs and require specific installation processes. Your custom home builder most likely won’t call you up with a change suggestion and say he can get it done in the same amount of time. Instead, they’ll stick to the plan. If you have a change you want to make, they’ll take care of it, but it’s important to know that the change has a larger effect on the project.

If you’re thinking about building a custom home, the builders at G&G Custom Homes would love to talk to you about our custom home building process. We’ll discuss budgets and timelines and all of the ideas you have for your future home. Are you ready to get started with your project? Contact us to get started today!