Building a custom home is an extremely exciting and overwhelming undertaking all at the same time. Maybe you’ve been dreaming about this home for years and the wait is finally over. It’s time to make your dreams come true, but where to start when building a custom home. We’ve compiled some helpful tips to get you started on the right foot.

Buckle your seat belts, because although it will be a fun and rewarding process it may be accompanied by bouts of stress. There are lots of decisions to be made and sometimes you won’t know the answers. As you prepare to build your custom dream home we want to help you establish your expectations and to prepare you by sharing some tips that will help guarantee your satisfaction. 

Our favorite part of the entire process is seeing our clients faces when they walk through their front door on home reveal day. It’s incredible to hand someone the keys to the home that they’ve dreamed about for so long, but seeing the satisfaction on their face when they enter it for the first time, there’s nothing better! We desire every custom homeowner to have a positive experience. Consider these 3 tips when preparing to build your home and enjoy the ride. 

Where To Start When Building A Custom Home:

TIP # 1 – Date The Right Home Builder 😉

“Think of your relationship with your custom home builder as a dating relationship.”

When you first meet there should be instant feelings of attraction. As you get to know each other your eyes are wide open and you look to see if you are compatible. You explore to find any red flags and weigh whether or not you want to pursue the relationship. We draw this comparison because building your dream home is a long process taking months to a year plus. You want to make sure that you’re able to work well together with your home builders through the ups and downs that may come.

So do your due diligence and ask for recommendations from friends. If you’re new to the area ask some locals if they know of any good custom home builders in the area. Talk to a local realtor or the most common approach is to turn to a good ole google search. For most new custom homeowners their search starts on the internet, much like modern dating come to think of it. Everyone brings their A game online so it’s important to dig deeper than face value.

Research Reviews & Testimonials

We recommend checking out their reviews and testimonials to see what their clients have to say about them. Don’t just look at whether they’re a 5 star rated company, make sure you are reading all their reviews. If a company only has 5 star reviews with no client experiences or comments be a little weary. You want to find a builder whose clients write rave reviews about their experience. On the other hand if a company has a lower star rating, give them a chance by reading the reviews people have left. It’s sad, but there are people out there who impulsively leave bad reviews without much care. The sad part about this is that one poor review can bring down a company’s star rating and it may not even be legitimate. All that to say, don’t neglect to read testimonials but read them with discernment. 

Communicate Well

When you find a custom home builder you’d like to pursue, make sure that your communication is on point. The key to every successful relationship is COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION! It’s important to establish your expectations and to be completely honest and transparent about your dreams and desires. It’s also important to have a willingness to find compromises when the budget or reality are not on your side. However, if you find a good custom builder they’re going to make sure they can give you as much as they can from your wishlist. If you are sensing that they’re not being upfront with you, it’s ok to question them to get answers. This brings us to our last point, make sure you are working with a trustworthy company. 

Make Sure They’re Trustworthy

It’s your responsibility to make sure the company you choose is trustworthy. Here are some ideas to help you verify their trustworthiness:

• You should look at their longevity and experience. 
• Request a tour of one of their homes to see if they have the relationship with their clients to get you into one. (Obviously, this is not a deal breaker if they aren’t able to but it never hurts to ask.)
• Ask around and make sure they have social proof. 
• Another important thing is to verify that they are licensed & insured. 
• Check to see if they are upfront with their processes.

These are just a few ideas. The most important thing is to make sure you choose someone who can come alongside you and help you accomplish your dreams. 

TIP # 2 – Understand The Process

As we mentioned before, the custom home building process can take time, but if it’s the right time for you to proceed with your plans, then we’re confident you’ll be pleased with your investment. If you’re brand new to the building process it’s important to familiarize yourself with it. We have put together a free step-by-step guide to custom home building that you can download. It will walk you through what to expect when building your dream home. Depending on where you are at in the process it could look different for you than others. For example, whether you have a homesite location or you still need to find a homesite there are different steps involved, etc.

If you’re looking for land to build on in Colorado Springs, CO we have several available options for you to explore. Contact us and we’ll let you know what lots we have available. 

TIP # 3 – Establish Your Expectations

Again, we touched on a few of these specifics earlier but it’s a big investment to build a custom home so it’s worth repeating. These are the things that other people have told us they wished they understood before they started. 

It’s A Long Haul

Keep in mind that it takes a long time to build a custom home so pre-decide to have patience and you won’t be disappointed. For some it can take over a year to complete their project so think of it as a marathon and not a sprint. 

There Are Lots Of Decisions

Remember that you will have to make lots of decisions along the way. This can bring stress into your life, especially when you don’t know the answers. Remember the reason why you started in the first place! Have a mental image of you sitting in your cozy new home enjoying a peaceful morning or a lively dinner party in your gourmet kitchen. Whatever it is that got you excited to start the journey in the first place is what you should remember when things get stressful. It’ll all work out and one day soon you’ll arrive at the front door with the key to your dreams! 

Choose The Right Custom Home Builder

Take care when choosing your home builder. This will be the best investment you make so find the company that you can work well with and who understands your vision. Working together will make it an amazing experience and you’ll more likely be satisfied with your outcome. Hopefully this helps you have a better understanding of where to start when building a custom home. 

Do You Need A Custom Home Builder In Colorado?

We would love the opportunity to get to know you. If you are looking for a custom home builder in Colorado we are here for you. We’re located in Colorado Springs, CO but help clients along the front range and in the surrounding areas. You can contact us directly (719) 488-8818, or you can submit our contact form to get in touch with us.

Ready to jump in and get started? Get A FREE Cost Estimate for your custom build from us by completing the form and we’ll get back to you. We look forward to connecting with you!