5 Tips to Conquer Custom Building Stress

Building a custom home is one of the most significant investments you will make in life — and it should be one of the most exciting and rewarding journeys as well. You are working towards home. But what do you want and expect when it comes to your custom build? What really matters?  

These are challenging questions. Let’s work on finding some answers. 

5 Tips to Help You Evaluate What You Want in a Custom Home 

1. Ask Yourself “What Does Home Mean to Me?”

What do you want?  

Some days, even answering the question, “What do I want for dinner?” can be taxing! When it comes to what you want from your home, it can be overwhelming and stressful. The beauty of a custom build is that you are in control of the decisions, over all of the elements, over all of the features and functions that will be included. All of those thousands of decisions! That’s also the challenging part.  

Put the details aside for a moment and go back to basics. What is your dream home? How do you envision yourself living and moving within it? Who is there with you, and how do they utilize the space? Take the time to think about and imagine what home is, what you want it to feel like, how you want to enjoy it. 

It sounds unscientific! But this is an important step. After you clarify your vision, you can begin coloring in the details.

2. Remember Location, Location, Location 

Remember, home also includes the community in which you will live, work, play, make memories, establish relationships, and put down roots. What do you want your home to offer? For example, do you want easy, close access to work, services, and schools? Trails, museums, festivals, and cultural events? Neighborhood amenities like pools, fitness centers, golf courses, tennis courts, and social spaces? 

Take the time to evaluate what neighborhood and community amenities and features are most important to you. 

3. Balance Current and Future Goals 

Building a forever home involves looking at both your current needs and your future goals. For example, you may want to start or grow a family and/or plan for aging in place. Your home should evolve with you, and it can when you have a clear understanding of what you want — and expert guidance in terms of how to achieve it.  

For example, G&G clients Andrea and Jeff Wright wanted to future-proof their home. They have young children, but as Andrea says, “When we’re older and can’t go up and down the stairs, what are we going to do?” They decided that the current playroom could transition into their future master suite.  

She adds, “We put headers for doorways in that room so eventually we could knock through the wall if we needed to. A lot of thought was put into that, and a lot of help from the architects and from [G&G owner Joe Garcia].” 

Your dream home can accommodate you even as your dreams change.

4. Know When and How to Reach for the Sky

When you choose to build a custom home, you are making the decision not to settle for what’s on the market or to compromise on what you really want and need from your space. You also have the opportunity to incorporate outrageous, over-the-top, and completely practical features that will enhance your experience.  

From full-size indoor basketball courts and climbing walls to Michelin-worthy kitchens and personal spa retreats, you can create a home that caters to your every need and desire. Again, it comes down to the question: what do you want?  

5. Talk It Out

Not sure exactly you want? Is your vision compelling but a little cloudy at this point?  

An important step in evaluating what you really want in a home is speaking to others, eliciting opinions and feedback, asking for suggestions, sharing your ideas…. You will establish a better idea of your goals, as well as feasibility, workarounds, budget, and other practical matters. The point is: when you are building a home, you do not have to navigate the process alone. Bring in an experienced designer, builder, and team to help. 

Decide How You Want the Custom Home Building Process to Work   

No, this isn’t about a feature or a function of your home. It’s about how you get there. Deciding what matters most to us is critical; deciding who and how it will come to fruition is equally essential.  

G&G Custom Homes intentionally selects a limited number of homes to build each year. This enables the team to establish close, personal connections with homeowners and guide them through the journey, step-by-step. This goes a long way in reducing the stresses of an average new home build and creating a process that is streamlined, positive, and infused with energy and excitement.  

Evaluating what you want in a custom home is an ongoing process; the details may shift, the fixtures and features may change. What remains is your vision of a forever home.  Connect with G&G to start bringing it to life.  

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