Concept, Customize, Create
When you envision your dream home, what do you see? What design scheme would you use, and how would the flow of the space work? Creating your dream home is our duty and responsibility that we live for. A one of a kind, custom, living experience is something every family should enjoy.
The trust in taking a family’s vision from concept to paper to reality is a relationship we spend careful attention and time to nurture. As we all know, our time spent at home has increased dramatically, and no matter what is going on in the world, our private interior lives will always be our foundation where we can find consistency and peace. If you are in the market for a new build or are planning on undergoing a full home renovation, there are some key checkboxes to make sure you hit along the way. Our experience in bringing custom home builds to fruition has enabled us to dissect this otherwise heavy subject into these top four tips.
CUSTOM HOME TIPS
1. Find the Right Team
Ready? Set, GO! As you start on your custom home journey, the first thing we suggest you do is find the right team. Surrounding yourself with the right people will set you up for a successful custom home design. Your team should include the right builder, architect, designer, and landscape architect if you have the budget. Communication is essential among all of your teammates.
Make sure they all have reputable referrals. These speak volumes about their experience and care in completing a project. If you can find a team that has worked on projects together previously, it will help in their workflow and collaboration. Depending on their specialty, it may change what you look for in each of them slightly. No matter their part in your custom home build, they are all there for you. This means they should understand your expectations, style, and needs based on your conversations, inspiration, and the end goal of your new space.
When it comes to looking for the right builder, make sure you team up with someone who has financial stability. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is certain, so you’ll want to team up with someone who is going to be safe and prepared for whatever life will throw at you. Dallas is home to some of the best home builders. Our favorites that we have had the pleasure of working with are Hawkins-Welwood Homes, BuildiTect, and of course our sister company RI Custom Homes. You can also find more on the Dallas Builders Association website. You will also need an architect if you are planning on building a true custom home.
If you are hesitant to hire an architect, trust us when we say they are well worth the investment. Your architect will sit down with you in the early stages of your home design. This preliminary work will prevent costly issues or mistakes later down the line. The more collaborative you can make this relationship, the better. Make sure you bring in your designer early to the design process before submitting or permitting begin. An interior designer will see the other side of the overall design that architects are simply not trained to see. Your interior designer should also have an understanding of the construction process.
An interior designer’s form of a construction lens over the project will allow them to know what to look for as far as what the builder is executing in reference to what has been stated in the plans. If you are able to have the luxury of a landscape architect, consider someone who thinks about how the interior and exterior will work together. An easy way to test drive this is to sit down and look out your window. What do you want to see on the other side? Ideally, the exterior design will complement the interiors of your home to create a cohesive haven.
2. Plan Accordingly
In our previous blog post, Planning Makes Perfect; we talk about the importance of planning. Those same principles apply to your custom home project. The more time and leg work on the front end will alleviate any downtime during and upon completing your custom home build. You will want to scope out the look, the style, and the overall feel of the home with your designer and architect before meeting with builders. If you can diagnose the level of finish out you want in your home, then the builder will set realistic budgets and allowances for each key piece of your design. Your plan not only gives builders an even playing field to provide you with their best and most accurate estimates, but it also helps to avoid any surprises moments from a budget perspective.
3. Budget, Budget, Budget
Yes, that’s right, we said the b-word. Budget, budget, and budget should be top of mind and top of the conversation to ensure everyone is on the same page and understand the investment at hand. We want to remind everyone to leave more than enough budget for furnishings! An excellent way to ensure you have an ample budget to play with later is to edit yourself and try not to overbuild. This will give you wiggle room so the rooms in your home can be finished precisely how you want them. You can read more on our Budgeting for Furnishings blog, where we lay it all out so you can clearly assess where your budget needs to be for all phases of your project.
4. Trust the Process
Trust is something we talk about a lot because it’s not something as black and white as budgets or plans. It is something you feel and believe. Trusting the process is one side of the trust treaty. The other side is trusting that you have vetted the right professionals to help you execute your custom home beautifully. Trust yourself and the relationships you’ve made to get you where you are in this custom home journey. Trust the team to help guide you through the process, and trust that their skills and expertise are the right fit for you and your family’s home. You’ve done the homework, and you’ve done the research, now is the time to trust that and get started on your custom home design!
You can trust that RI Studio will understand you and your style. We’ve had the opportunity of working with many different interior tastes, budgets, and unique circumstances. All of which has brought some of the most thoughtfully customized and beautifully adorned homes out there. We are accepting new projects and would be honored for the opportunity to bring your custom home to you. Connect with us today to get started!