What you should think about when you want to build a custom home.

Think about what you want your custom home to look like on the outside before starting your custom home drawings.

If you are in the planning stages of your custom home project, make sure that you take some time to stop and think about what you really want out of it. For example;

• What do you want the house to look like? Colours, style?
• What materials do you want to build the house out of?
• Will your vision fit in the lot or property that you own? Does it make sense at that location?
• Are you maximizing the space provided and the natural topography of the land?
• Are you highlighting the features of the property with the design and position of the home?
• Are you designing a house that will fit into your realistic budget?
• Do you want a large house with lower end finishes or do you want a smaller house with higher end finishes?
• Will the house fit into the neighbourhood that exists already?
• Is there a house already on the property? Are you aloud to have it removed? Is it a heritage building?
• Is being environmentally friendly really important to you?
• Do you like modern conveniences? Or are you a traditionalist?
• Is the property environmentally protected?
• Are their restrictions on removal of trees and soil?

All of these questions need to be looked at and decided on before you start the drawing of the home. With these decisions made you will save yourself a lot of time and money when you meet with your architect or draftsmen. These professionals will be billing you for their time; every time they have to re-draw something it’s going to cost you money. That’s why it’s so important to walk in with as many answers as possible before it starts.

The easiest way to help the professional that is drawing your new home is to give them pictures of other homes that you have seen in the area or have liked in magazines and brochures. You can mix and max anyway you want too. The job of the architect or draftsmen is to interpret all of your ideals and bring them together in a way that look's right in your new home. They are professionals so they will be able to tell you from experience some of the things to stay away from and some of the things that have worked well in projects they have drawn in the past.

So remember do a lot of your research, thinking and planning before you arrive in the office of the professional that is going to draw your custom home, it will help them and you get what you want and what you really need.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.