7 Things You Need to Know Before Building a Home

Fratantoni Design • May 28, 2021

Building a new home is an extremely exciting and somewhat overwhelming experience, which is why you need an experienced builder. After years of valuable experience, we’ve compiled a list of seven things you need to know before building a home. Read about it below.

Know Your Numbers

Before you can get started on building a new home, you need to calculate how much you can afford to spend. We’ve seen time and time again clients hyper-focus on their wish list that the cost starts to add up. And ultimately it will end up costing more than you planned for if you don’t set that budget from the beginning. It’s wise to plan a contingency fund for any construction expenses that may arise in the process.

Hire the Right People

For individuals with no prior building experience, you someone on your team that you can trust and rely on. We cannot stress this enough. When you are building a custom home it’s so important to research your contractor’s reputation. You must ensure that your contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured. It’s crucial that you request information from the contractor about the previous homes they’ve built. All in all, you should take the time to drive by to look at their work.

Consider Hiring an Interior Designer

Whether your project is a remodel or building a custom home, you should strongly consider hiring an interior designer. Many individuals have their design style determined but with the number of decisions, the building process can quickly become overwhelming. Interior designers understand the language of the building process, which will be foreign to you. They will be a helpful go-between when you are trying to communicate your ideas to the contractor. Lastly, designers will help you save money because they know how to budget while still achieving the look you want.

Design for Your Future

Whatever stage of life you may find yourself in, there is always room for growth. With that in mind, as you start the process of building a home consider how your life might change in the future. Whether you need a bigger or smaller house depending on the size of a growing family. Additionally, no matter how much you may love the home you are building it’s improbable that you will remain there forever. Therefore, it’s important to keep resale value in mind. Be mindful of the value of the neighborhood and the number of upgrades you add.

Timelines Aren’t Concrete

If you are new to building a home, you must understand that it takes time and patience. You will be much better off viewing your building schedule as a timeline. Of course, unexpected things will happen and it’s important to keep that in mind. There will be aspects of the building process that are simply out of your control which can and will delay the project. Just to name a few, bad weather, building issues, and scheduling contractors takes time. In short, you must realize that rushing the process can result in mistakes.

Plan for Storage

When you are building a custom home, you have the luxury of planning for every storage need. We all find ourselves needing more space to organize all the items that make up a home. For many individuals, planning won’t be the most exciting aspect of the building process, but it will have a huge influence on your lifestyle later. Areas like the kitchen, bathrooms, and closets need the most attention for planning your storage needs. Take inventory of what you have and decide on a place for everything, that way you will be organized.

Stressful but Rewarding

The home building process is by no means a walk in the park, however, with the right crew, we can alleviate the stress that comes with it. There will be a never-ending list of wants and needs and compromises. Despite the setbacks, trust in the professionals you have hired to help guide the process in the most seamless way. There is much to learn from the home building process and what an advantage to design your home exactly to your needs. We will be with you every step of the way and the reward will be immeasurable.

Final Thoughts

With over 30 years of experience, Fratantoni Luxury Estates , Fratantoni Design , and Fratantoni Interior Designers have your best interest in mind when you start building a new home. Our team boasts of world-renowned, in-house builders, architects, and interior designers.

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