When it comes to building your brand new custom home, it’s easy to get carried away with details and upgrades. The options available these days are virtually endless, from custom cabinetry, to heated floors, to high-end appliances and more. This is something you’ve likely worked and saved for, and have imagined doing for a very long time, so you want to make sure you get exactly what you’re looking for. Unfortunately, reality can slip away from you and before you know it, you’ve blown your budget.
Trust us, we get it, and our goal is the same for all of our clients: to bring their dreams to life. However, we can work together to build the house of your dreams – and stay within your budget.
In order to do this, we will help you determine where you should focus more of your budget, and the areas where you can get away with cutting some corners. We’ve put together a brief guide to give an idea of where it is a good investment to splurge for your new home, and where you should try to save your money.
Smart Places to Splurge
As a general rule, it is most sensible to splurge on the parts of the house that are permanent or more difficult to change down the road. A few examples are:
- Design square footage
If you have a growing family, or know that you plan to entertain a lot in certain rooms of the home, it’s best to take that into account when choosing your floor plan. Moving walls and stretching rooms is not so easy once the house is finished. So if a large kitchen or spacious bathroom for the kids are going to be important to you, include those at the beginning of construction.
- Ceiling height
Taller ceilings can give a feeling of luxury and create more space in a room. It’s very difficult to change the height of a room after the house is constructed, so if ceiling height may ever be a priority for you, it’s better to splurge on that now.
- Quality materials
Buying better materials for your home will make it safer, more secure, and more structurally sound. Consider buying top tier materials for your foundation, windows and doors, HVAC system, and insulation, as these will lead to a higher quality home for years to come.
- Kitchen
The kitchen is typically the most used room in a home, and it’s where family and guests usually gather. It is also an important space for home buyers, should you ever decide to sell. It is wise to carefully consider your kitchen’s layout, storage space, countertop material, and appliances, as these can be expensive to upgrade later on.
Safe Places to Save
Just as it is smart to spend more money on the permanent fixtures in your home, it is also smart to save money on items that are not permanent. These items do not affect the structure and are generally less expensive to replace in the future.
- Fixtures
Faucets, knobs and pulls, and light fixtures are great places to save because they are easily replaced. In fact, as trends change through the years and your taste and style evolve too, these are things you will likely consider replacing to refresh and redecorate your house.
- Flooring in low-traffic rooms
Some rooms, such as guest bedrooms or half baths, will likely have less foot traffic, meaning you can save money with cheaper flooring. Also, if you have young kids and know that they will put some wear and tear on the playroom carpet, you can opt for a cheaper carpet now with plans to upgrade it when they are a little older.
- Consider function over space
The bigger the house, the more expensive it is to build. To really max out on your budget, try to consider the function of a room more than the space. Minimize wasted space with an efficient layout. You can creatively use your space without spending money on unnecessary rooms.
This list, of course, is all subjective to the goals you have for your new custom house. At the end of the day, we want to make your dream home just that – yours.
If you are interested in starting on your dream home and want to work with a team that will help you get it done within your budget, contact us today.