Are you preparing to build a custom home and you’re feeling a lil bit terrified that you’ll make design decisions you might later regret? Maybe you’re looking for guidance on how to avoid making the ‘wrong’ choices? Well, if you avoid these 3 common mistakes that lead to design regrets, then you will be well on your way to building a home that you absolutely LOVE!
3 MISTAKES THAT LEAD TO DESIGN REGRETS WHEN BUILDING A HOME
MISTAKE #1: STARTING THE HOME DESIGN PROCESS WITHOUT A CLEAR VISION
As with any large project, it’s important to think about the end goal and to define your future home vision (in crystal clear detail) before you ever start making design decisions.
If you start the home design process WITHOUT a clear vision or an understanding of the big picture of your future home, you’ll likely end up making design selections room by room without looking at the big picture of how your design will flow throughout the whole home … and this approach can lead to a choppy design that does NOT have a cohesive flow and rooms that don’t tie together.
MISTAKE #2: MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT IS CURRENTLY TRENDING RATHER THAN WHAT YOU LOVE
Trends are fun, but they are just that … trends. They come and go … and some trends are out of date before you even move into your home.
When you choose selections based only on what is currently trending in design, you end up with a trendy (not a timeless) home that might not even be YOUR style. And this can lead to some serious design regrets.
So, be sure to choose design selections based on what YOU would still love regardless of whether or not it’s currently trending.
MISTAKE #3: MAKING DECISIONS IN ‘REAL TIME’
You need plenty of time to research your options before making decisions, so it’s important to be thinking about your choices ahead of time. By the time your builder needs you to choose finishes, your build will be moving so quickly that you won’t have time at that point to thoroughly think about your options or weigh the pros and cons.
Making design decisions for an entire home is not something you want to procrastinate on or else you’ll have to make snap decisions without giving them enough dedicated thought. And making design decisions this way (that is, in ‘real time’) is one of the biggest factors that can lead to design regrets.
WANNA DIVE DEEPER?
Believe me … the more effort you put into preparing for your home build, the more likely you’ll end up with a home that you LOVE and is designed perfectly for YOUR family!
If you want to dive deeper into planning for your home build the right way, download a copy of my *FREE* ‘Custom Home Build Prep Guide’ and learn the five crucial steps to prepare for a home build with less stress, more confidence, and without blowing the budget!
So true and helpful, Carrie! Building during this unprecedented time has proven that you should have a short list of options – not just a single selection or you’ll find yourself living mistake #3. Unfortunately, you never know when you’re going to get that urgent phone call to either make a new selection for (insert item here – master tub and bonus flooring for us, so far) or to delay completion because an item is no longer available or backordered for months/years. If you take Carrie’s advice of having a vision of things you love and do the work on the front end, you’ll be able to roll with the punches and still have the house you’ve dreamed of!
Aww, you’re SO sweet, Logan! Thanks for your kind comment :). – Carrie