How to Prioritize the Things You Want in Your Custom Home Design
The blank canvas of a new home is an exciting prospect. You finally have the chance to get a house with all the features you want.
With so many options, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with the possibilities. How do you decide which options to go with, and how do you decide which features you can afford? Here are some tips on prioritizing for your custom home design.
How to Prioritize Features for Your Custom Home Design
Make sure to write down your list of features. You’ll probably end up revising or rewriting your list several times over the process.
Reflect on Past Homes
Your personal experience is your best tool for deciding which features you want. Think about all the homes you remember living in. What did you like about them? What did you dislike? These are the features you’ve already experienced first-hand and have spent a good deal of time living with.
Visit Lots of Homes
Time to expand your reference pool. While you’re in the design process, take chances to visit homes you like in your area. Visit the homes of friends and family. Take advantage of a local open house tour, or check out model homes. You can also draw inspiration from magazines or online articles. Take note of the home features that stand out to you.
Eventually, you’ll have your dream home wish list put together. Now comes the tricky part. Paring the list down to a realistic list of features you’re happy with will take time, but it is a necessary step to get the most out of your custom home design.
Start With the Basics
Begin by identifying the features you can’t live without. These are the things you are not willing to compromise on. This will vary for everyone. If you like to cook, a huge kitchen and pantry may be a must-have. If you’re looking to expand your family soon, extra bedrooms may not be optional.
Now that you have a base it’s time to start whittling down the rest of the features on your list.
Factor in Your Budget
Early in the design process, you should put together a budget detailing how much you’re willing to spend on your new home. Use this budget to add the secondary features to your list of necessities. Your custom home designer can help you determine what falls within your price range.
Consider the Design and the Flow of Your Home
While you map out your floor plan with your designer, think about how certain features will work with the overall design of your house and each other. Maybe your desire for a small and intimate living room clashes with your desire for an open floor plan. In this case, you’ll need to compare these two options against each other and decide which is more important to you.
There’s truth to the phrase “less is more.” Loading your kitchen with a wine shelf, central island, and built-in bar may create too much clutter.
This is the point where you need to make hard decisions. Your designer from Walters Homes will help you, offering advice on what features may work the best and where they may work.
If you’re looking to create your new home in Ocean County, New Jersey, contact Walters Homes. We’ve been building in the area for over 30 years, and have experience installing modern home features, like smart tech and energy-efficient appliances.
Visit our model home to get started on your own features list.
