I see you out there … you’ve been dreaming about building a house forever, but now that it’s becoming a reality, you have NO CLUE where to even start. You want someone (anyone) to just tell you the FIRST STEP (and the next steps) to prepare for a successful (and pleasant) home build experience.

Preparing to build a home can be overwhelming. Believe me, I know. I’ve been there and done that. Now, I’m here to guide YOU through this process!

Your dream home IS a reality and I’ll help you take the first steps forward :).

Below are five steps that you can easily follow to prepare for a successful home build BEFORE you even break ground.

Consider this your blueprint (pun intended!) of how to move forward and take the first steps toward your home build.

5 STEPS TO PREPARE FOR A SUCCESSFUL HOME BUILD

These five steps will take some time to complete (thoroughly), but I guarantee that the time you invest in preparing BEFORE YOU BUILD will save you time, money, and headaches later once you’re in the process of building your home.

STEP 1: DETERMINE YOUR HOME BUILD BUDGET

Your budget is the absolute foundation for your entire home build. Your budget will determine what type of build you choose (production vs. custom), your maximum floor plan square footage, your design finishes, and your land size.

Soooo … it’s imperative that you get your budget figured out before making any other decisions for your new home.

Many people want to dive straight into designing a floor plan, choosing a builder, and making design finish selections for their future home.

These are all things that you can start working on, but you can’t fully commit to any design choices until you know how much money you have for this project.

It’s best to have a SOLID budget (NOT just a tentative ‘I think we can spend X amount, but I’m not positive’) determined and set before you meet with your builder and/or architect.

Your home build financing is crucial information that your home building professionals need in order to help you develop a plan that is within your budget.

STEP 2: DECIDE ON CUSTOM VS. PRODUCTION HOME

Once you have your budget figured out and understand how much money you have to spend on your new home, the next question is whether or not your budget allows you to build a custom home or whether you should go with a more economical production (or semi-custom) home layout.

There are many factors that go into choosing between a custom or production build:

• How many decisions you want to be responsible for
• The length of time you have to complete your home
• What your desired builder normally builds
• Your budget
• Your ability to visualize the finished product without a model home example

If you’re new to building a home (which I imagine you are or you probably wouldn’t be reading this post), then you might not know the difference in pricing between custom and production homes.

You’ll need to have conversations with local builders to get estimated pricing of what you can expect.

STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR BUILDER

Now that you’ve determined your home build budget and you’ve chosen your type of build (i.e. custom vs. production home), it’s time to choose your builder (and an architect if needed).

Choosing your builder is a HUGE part of the building process. Your builder can make or break this whole situation.

You’ll be spending a lot of time in the next few months with your builder, so find someone you respect, trust, and can communicate well with.

Your relationship with your builder sets the tone for your entire building experience.

STEP 4:  SELECT LAND TO BUILD ON

Many of these steps are completely dependent on each other … finding land to build on is no exception.

Your land options will depend on your type of build (i.e. production vs. custom), your budget, and your desired floor plan (see Step 5).

What do I mean by this?

If you are building a custom home, your land options are endless. You are free to build wherever you can find a plot of land (and you can even tear down an existing home to create land).

If you build a production home, on the other hand, you are likely limited to the lots your builder already owns. These lots are typically in the builder’s planned communities. You simply choose your desired lot in one of the neighborhoods in which your builder owns the land.

STEP 5:  CREATE (OR SELECT) A FLOOR PLAN

Creating or choosing your floor plan is a HUGE part of building a home. It’s exciting to design your floor plan, but it’s also important that you really think about what you’re doing.

You want to create a home that flows well for your family … and you want it to fit into your budget.

Recommended Reading: 5 CONSIDERATIONS FOR CREATING A CUSTOM FLOOR PLAN

CONCLUSION

Now you are armed with the 5 steps to prepare for a successful home build. Having a simple step-by-step plan should make you feel more in control of this situation.

If you want to dive deeper into these steps and really learn HOW to put these steps into action, grab my *FREE* Custom Home Build Prep Guide and learn the 5 crucial steps to prepare for a home build with less stress, more confidence, and without going over budget.