Building a Custom Home? Tips to Smooth the Decision-Making Process

Building your dream home is a complex project and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the process, especially when you’re confronted by the hundreds of decisions you’ll have to make! Here are some tips from a leading residential architect on how to make this a little easier – and your home an even bigger success.
  • Don’t wait to mention big changes: It’s normal to want to tweak your home’s architectural design even when the building is in process, but any change – especially a big one – needs to be mentioned as soon as possible to your team. Things like adding a fireplace or window, or moving a wall can have a dramatic impact on the design and construction of your home, even affecting major structural areas, so the sooner you talk to your architect and contractor, the better.
  • Keep track of your choices: There are hundreds of choices to be made when constructing a home, so it’s easy to forget what options your team suggested and what you chose. Start early with a big notebook and gather product samples to catalogue and write down every choice you make. This is the perfect reference for when you do have a moment to breathe and make a final decision on paint colors, door handles, lights, cabinet finishes and all the rest. Everything is about your personal taste, so you need a clear record of what your options are if you’re going to get the result you want.
  • Don’t over-customize: Building a home is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you’ll want to get everything just right. However, unless you have a limitless budget, customizing every single feature is going to make your home unaffordable. It’s also important for resale purposes, where over-customized homes simply don’t suit most people and it’s difficult to find a buyer. Instead, standardize your basic features and customize smaller stuff to add personality.
Custom Home Plans from Your New Jersey Residential Architect 
With 20 years of experience, the architecture firm of Seth A. Leeb knows that the secret to creating outstanding homes is building a great client relationship. As a full-service architectural firm, we are able to assist our clients all the way from site analysis and design conception through the construction of their home itself. For more information on our residential architecture design services and custom home plans, please contact us today and speak to a talented residential architect or visit our website at http://sethleeb.wpengine.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hybrid Office Design: A Guide for Architects and Employers

Image
Hybrid office design is now standard practice across the board. Some companies still require employees to be in the office full-time, while many others offer a permanent hybrid work alternative.  Gallup  states that hybrid workers are, on average, coming into the office three days per week, which requires a rethink of modern office architecture. We need innovative office spaces to accommodate the diverse needs of hybrid work. That being said, our team of architects in NJ have put together a guide to hybrid office design based on the most recent commercial office additions to our portfolio. What Are Hybrid Work Models?    What are flexible and hybrid work models at their core? They link remote workers with on-site employees and include spaces such as home, the office, and a third space that could be a local coffee shop or a more ambitious spot like the beach. Employees have the flexibility to choose when they will be in the office, unless there are team-specific ...
Read more

How to Keep Commercial Building Costs On-Budget

Image
Commercial building projects are highly complex and demanding – and it’s important that they not only stay on schedule, but that they stay on budget too. While unforeseen circumstances can push both of these goals out, there are ways recommended by  Commercial architecture in NJ   to help prevent delays and rising costs. Know the Weak Points in  Commercial Building Design  and Construction Projects  When a commercial building project is facing delays and rising costs, there are several areas where weak points in the project are often found. By knowing these weak points and having a strategy that prevents them from collapsing, your project should move forward much more smoothly. These weak points include: Lack of vital design information –  Incomplete architectural plans that lack certain details and specifications will cause confusion, delays, miscommunication and even more work due to tear-outs. Choosing cheap contractors –  Contract...
Read more

How Residential Architecture is Responding to Climate Change

Image
Climate change is something every industry, including architecture, has started  adapting to. Building residential architecture that is made for the ever-changing weather challenges like extreme hot temperatures, flooding, and storms has become an integral part of the future.  Climate adaptation in architecture has changed to increase sustainability and the safety of the people who reside in homes that experience extreme weather patterns. Our team of  residential architects in NJ  takes a closer look below:  Evolution of Climate-Responsive Residential Architecture Climate architecture considers the environment and the structural adaptations of a building to thrive in its abode. Here are some ways in which the building industry has transformed residential architecture for climate change: Using eco-friendly resources Incorporating natural building materials Maximizing the building structure Focusing on the environment to reduce carbon emissions has become vital. T...
Read more