Over the years I’ve been asked countless questions about the things you need to know before building a custom home. To me, it’s simple and straightforward because I’ve been in the residential home building business since I was ten years old. But if you’ve never built a custom home, you need to make informed decisions. Here are some insights that uncover the top custom home building myths and reasons why you should consider building a custom home.
Myth: Building a new custom home is more expensive than buying a used home.
NO. 1 BUILT AROUND YOUR BUDGET: When you buy a used home you could pay for features and space you don’t want or need that could result in costly remodeling. At Konkol Custom Homes & Remodeling, our partnerships allow us access to quality materials for the best value at the best price. After reviewing what’s most important to you, I project costs so you can make informed choices. Once a preliminary budget is agreed upon, the architectural design process begins. Then after the site, floor plans and elevation is developed, I will again review projected costs to make sure everyone is on the right tract.
Myth: Tearing down an existing used home costs too much to rebuild.
NO. 2 LOCATION-LOCATION-LOCATION: Tearing down an existing used home can actually cost less than remodeling. With the proper equipment and machinery, the tear down process sometimes takes just a matter of days. If your desire is to stay or live in a particular neighborhood, the cost to build after a tear down is less because the lot is already set-up with water, utility, and sewage services.
Myth: Custom home construction loans are hard to get, and not for 1st home-buyers.
NO. 3 A SOUND INVESTMENT: With trends showing construction is on the rise, banks have started to back the custom home building industry. This makes it possible for your dream home to be your first home.
Myth: Custom home building takes too long.
NO. 4 NO TIME IS WASTED: The custom home building process doesn’t always take as long as some people think. If we consider the average building timeline, from start to finish, is 120-180 days, it is a possible that someone could be living in their dream home in just half a year.
Myth: The custom home building process is too complicated and requires design experience.
NO. 5 NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY: A common fallacy about building a custom home is the idea that it’s a complicated or stressful process. Another one is that you have to have design knowledge or experience to create the perfect custom home. I developed “The Design-Outline” which can be found in Chapter 8 of my book, Building Your Dream Home-What You Need To Know. This 20-minute exercise will save you time and heartache. It will help you prioritize what is really important to you.
Myth: Custom home builders insulate hidden costs and push for costly features and upgrades.
NO. 6 CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES!: I strongly recommend making your selections before construction begins on your new custom home- color, fabric, plumbing, hardware, paint, and more. Yes-all selections! In my book, Building Your Dream Home-What You Need To Know, I created a “Helpful Checklists” section. Each checklist is designed to make it easy for you to keep on track throughout the entire building process.
Myth: I won’t know what my custom home will look like until it’s finished.
NO. 7 DESIGN CONTROL: Once we gather your customized design selections, we create a detailed rendering that captures the future look of your new home. While you might not be able to fully experience living your dream home until it’s complete, I believe this is an important tool for you to visualize what it will look like.
The Bottom Line
Don’t let any misconceptions prevent you from making your custom home dreams come true.