Whether buying or building, finding your dream home can be both exhilarating and intimidating. We’ve walked through the process hundreds of times with prospective homeowners, and we’ve gained insights from every project.

Here are five tips we’ve gathered for building your dream home.

Don’t Rush

One of the most common mistakes we see in custom design and build is a desire to rush the process.

Custom homes take more time than standard builds. They require more thought and decisions. When eager and well-meaning homeowners attempt to hurry the process, they inadvertently sacrifice quality, which often creates more time-intensive problems in the future.

Allow yourself and your team the real time necessary to build your home with excellence.

Be Patient

In the same vein, consider carefully the time estimates your team provides and extend some patience in the process.

As your home build progresses, you’ll notice ebbs and flows in the speed of construction. It’s normal to experience flurries of activity followed by lulls as important, although less obvious, work takes place. Be patient in those lulls.

You’ve spent years dreaming, months researching, and hours communicating and fine-tuning your vision. You’ve hired a team of experts. Be patient and trust that your team can handle the process.

Plan for What You Want

You’ve decided to build your dream home. That’s an exciting step. Yet so often we hear clients ask, “But what does the market want?” That’s the wrong approach.

Don’t get caught up in evaluating what the market wants. Consider your needs and desires, and build the home that works for your lifestyle. After all, it’s your home.

Enjoy the Process

At times, the home build journey feels long and grueling. We understand that sentiment. It’s an emotional, financial, and time commitment—from the land purchase to design concept to build process.

Find ways to enjoy each step of the journey. Get excited about the project—celebrate milestones, connect with your team, and embrace the experience. Allow the home’s conception and construction to be part of the story.

Participate with Your Team

Each one of these tips becomes infinitely easier when you relate to and rely on your team. We’re relationship-driven. Our clients are the inspiration for our designs and the motivation for our builds. We truly want what’s best for them.

Engage with and trust your home design and build team. They’re just as excited to see you at home and happy in your new space as you are.