Building a home will likely be one of the largest projects you ever take on. It can be emotionally and physically draining, but it can also be really fun. Believe me … I know this from first-hand experience so I’m sharing 8 CRUCIAL tips for your first-time home build to help make this process easier for you.

I’m not gonna lie … building a home can be an emotional roller coaster.

However, I don’t want this to scare you. Just like pregnancy and childbirth, building a home is ALL worth it in the end (and you’ll eventually block the process from memory). Promise!

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8 CRUCIAL TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST-TIME HOME BUILD

All right, let’s dive into the 8 crucial tips for your first (or next) home build.

TIP 1. HAVE AS MANY FINISHES PICKED OUT AS POSSIBLE BEFORE YOU BREAK GROUND

Choosing finishes (e.g. your home exterior materials or flooring) very early in the process will keep your home build running on time and smoothly. 

You’ll find that some finishes are on backorder or have a long shipping time (especially in the last few years since Covid began). 

Other finishes might not even be available anymore, so choosing finishes early in the process allows you time to go back to the drawing board and make a different selection if needed.

When you choose and order your finishes (or fixtures) early, there’s a much better likelihood that the products will be in your builder’s possession as soon as the subcontractors are ready to install them.

And believe me … you want things ready to go when your subs are ready to work on your home. Otherwise, you might have to wait while they move on to another project that does have materials in hand.

TIP 2. BE PREPARED TO GO OVER BUDGET (BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A LOT)

I’m sure you’ve heard friends and family say, ‘you’ll go way over budget because everyone does’. 

Raise your hand if you’ve heard that one … I know I have.

However, it’s not always true. 

My husband and I were able to stay VERY close to budget when we built our home because we were very clear with ourselves and our builder about the caliber of finishes we wanted BEFORE he priced our custom home.

And that’s one of the keys to staying close to budget when building … you need to be very clear about the level of finishes and upgrades you want. 

If you are 100% honest and upfront with your builder about EXACTLY what you want BEFORE he or she prices the house, then you won’t go over budget very much. 

The people who say ‘I was 50% over budget … blah blah blah’ likely had many change orders and ‘upgraded’ their home while they were building because they weren’t clear about the caliber of home they wanted before they started building.

Psst … Wanna know how I was able to build my house VERY close to budget (without sacrificing my must-haves)? Register for my FREE on-demand training, ‘3 Simple Steps to Build a House You Absolutely Love (without blowing your budget)’.

TIP 3. IF YOUR BUDGET IS TIGHT, LET YOUR TOP PRIORITY BE YOUR GUIDE

If you have a tight budget, focus your budget on aspects of your future home that are most important to you. 

If you’re interested in fancy custom details in your home (e.g. window seats, crown molding, high-end appliances, custom cabinets, etc.), then focus your budget on your finishes rather than your square footage.

On the other hand, if you have a large family and you need more square footage, focus your budget on the size of your home rather than the level of your finishes. That is, opt for stock cabinets, laminate counters, inexpensive carpets, low-end appliances, etc.

Keep in mind that you can always upgrade finishes and fixtures in the future, but it is much harder and more costly to add square footage after you build your home.

Psst … looking for advice on how to stay close to budget while building? Register for my FREE on-demand training, 3 Simple Steps to Build a House You Absolutely Love (without blowing your budget).

TIP 4. DOUBLE-CHECK ALL INVOICES (EVEN IF YOU DON’T CARRY THE LOAN)

Double-check all your invoices even if your builder is carrying the construction loan. 

Let me say it again … DOUBLE CHECK ALL INVOICES!

Many times the builder carries the construction loan so homeowners don’t take an active role in reviewing invoices and making payments. 

If this describes your situation, make sure to include yourself in this process.

We carried our own construction loan so we signed off on all invoice payments. My husband diligently checked all invoices before signing off on draws. 

He found very few errors, but there were some minor errors that may have been overlooked by our builder if we had only relied on him.

TIP 5. MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE ROOM (LOTS O’ ROOM!) IN YOUR BUDGET FOR WINDOW TREATMENTS

It can be insanely expensive to do even basic window coverings when you’re talking about covering an ENTIRE house of windows.

People typically budget for new furniture and home decor post-move-in, but it’s also VERY important to add window coverings into your budget as well.

TIP 6. BE ON-SITE DURING INSTALLATIONS

One of my top crucial tips for your first-time home build is to be on-site during installations.

I learned this lesson the hard way. 

My electrician hung my kitchen table pendant where he thought it should go … which was not where I thought it should go.

He didn’t center the pendant above where our future table would be placed. He did (reluctantly) move the pendant placement for me, but my ceiling still has a scar from this change. I can still see where the ceiling was patched and re-painted almost ten years later.

Electricians and other subs will make decisions FOR you if you aren’t on-site.

You do NOT want them to make the decisions for you. TRUST ME! 

If possible, be on-site for all installations so you can answer questions and point out exactly where you want things to go. 

If you’re building in a different location than where you currently live and you can’t be on-site, I recommend that you’re very clear with your builder ahead of the installation. Let them know exactly what you’re thinking for placement and then your builder can relay the information to the sub. 

Another option is to FaceTime the electrician (or other subs) during installations.

TIP 7. YOU CAN HIRE A DESIGNER TO HELP WITH DECISION-MAKING

There are sooooo many decisions to make when building a home. There will be decisions you didn’t even know existed (for me, this was choosing my grout color and doorbell).

If this sounds overwhelming to you and your builder doesn’t have an on-site designer to help with selections, you CAN hire an interior designer to help with your decision-making. This can significantly decrease your stress and overwhelm.

You can work with an e-designer (a designer in another location), but it’s optimal to work with a local designer who can be on-site and understands your local building codes.

TIP 8. DON’T STEW OVER IMPERFECTIONS DURING YOUR HOME BUILD

If you are a perfectionist and detail-oriented (like me), you will (probably) stress over all the imperfections during your build. 

I vividly remember calling my builder when I first saw my daughter’s bathroom tile grout after it was laid. I freaked out because the grout was so dark and noticeable, but he assured me it would be ok (and it was once we moved in). 

Same thing with a small gash in our wood flooring. That gash just stared at me as we finished building our home … it drove me crazy. 

Guess what, I forgot about it once we had furniture in the house. It’s still there almost ten years later, and I never notice it. 

I forgot about all of the imperfections (and they were no longer obvious to me) once we moved our furniture into the home.

The same will happen to you, too. 

I will say that if something isn’t just an ‘imperfection’, but more of something you just don’t like the way it was installed and never will like, then go ahead and make a change. 

I did this with my fireplace surround. I didn’t like how the tile was installed, so I had them tear it out and start over. I would have never gotten over that :). 

NEXT STEPS

All right, there you have it … 8 crucial tips for your first-time home build. I hope you find these tips useful as you embark on your home-building journey.

If you’re dreaming of building a home and have no clue where to start, download my *FREE* Custom Home Build Prep Guide and learn my simple framework to build your dream home with less stress, more confidence, and a strategic plan to stay on budget. Yes, please!