If you’re getting ready to build a house or remodel, let me tell you something right away … you do NOT need to be an expert in anything ‘building’ to build a house you LOVE.

(spoiler alert … you ARE an expert in what matters most … more about that later)

If you’ve never built or remodeled a house before, you might be thinking:

How in the world am I supposed to know what I’m doing?!

It’s ok, take a deep breath … you do NOT have to know everything.

Promise!

You’ll build a team of experts to guide you along the way.

You’ll have a builder who is an expert on how to build your house.

You’ll possibly have an architect who is an expert on turning your ideas into an actual floor plan.

And depending on how much help you want with the design and selections, you can hire an interior designer who is an expert in choosing finishes.

The experts are there to guide you, BUT this is still YOUR home, and many final decisions will ultimately come back to you.

Things like:

• Your house layout
• Your priorities
• Your budget
• What you want to splurge on
• What you’re willing to give up
• How you want your home to function for your family

So while you do NOT have to be an expert on building a house, you DO need to become an informed homeowner who: 

• Understands what matters most to YOUR family
• Knows what questions to ask, and 
• Feels confident making decisions alongside the experts you’ve hired

And, believe me, you are 100% capable of doing this because you ARE an expert on YOUR family. 😊

(continue reading below)

Home Build Prep Resources:

• Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠
• Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠
• Download my FREE HOME BUILD START GUIDE

Free On-Demand Class: HOW TO BUILD WITHIN BUDGET AND WITHOUT REGRETS!

What Do You Really Need to Know Before Building a House?

One of the biggest fears before building or remodeling is assuming you need to know everything before you start.

Good news … you do NOT need to know everything!

You don’t need to understand every detail of construction.

You don’t need to know every building product on the market.

You don’t need to walk into your first meeting already knowing exactly what your floor plan should look like.

And you certainly don’t need to have every finish picked out before you hire your builder.

That’s what your team of experts is there for.

Know What Matters Most Before You Build

But you DO need to understand enough about what you want from your home so you can actively participate in the decisions that affect it.

Some things to consider:

• How does YOUR family actually live?
• What’s working—and NOT working—in your current home?
• What matters most to YOU?
• Where are YOU willing to spend more?
• Where are YOU willing to save?
• What are YOUR priorities and must-haves?

These are the kinds of questions I brought up in my post about what to consider before building a house, because this is where planning a home really begins.

It’s not about knowing everything … it’s about getting VERY clear on what matters most to YOU.

How Do You Make Confident Decisions When Building a House?

In my last post about how to make decisions when building a house, I talked about how the MOST important person to listen to when making decisions for your home is YOU.

It’s not because you know more about construction than your builder.

You don’t.

It’s not because you know more about architecture than your architect.

You don’t.

And it’s not because you know more about design than an interior designer.

You probably don’t.

You Are the Expert on YOUR Family

It’s because YOU are the EXPERT on YOUR FAMILY.

No one else knows YOUR family better than you do.

Here’s the thing …

You don’t need to know HOW to build the house … that’s what your team of experts is there for.

But you DO need to help them understand what you’re trying to create and how you want your family to actually LIVE in the house, because:

• Your builder doesn’t know that everyone dumps their shoes, backpacks, and bags in one particular spot the second they walk through the door.

• Your architect doesn’t know you want to see your kids in the backyard while you’re making dinner.

• Your designer doesn’t know that you couldn’t care less about a gorgeous freestanding bathtub because you haven’t taken a bath in years. 

YOU know these things.

And that’s the expertise YOU bring to the table.

The professionals on your team bring their expertise, and you bring YOURS.

And the real magic happens when you know how to use what you know about your family to ask better questions and make informed decisions.

Ask Better Questions About YOUR Home

Instead of asking:

What’s the best flooring?

Ask:

What’s the best flooring for OUR family, lifestyle, and budget?

Instead of:

Should we make the pantry bigger?

Ask:

How important is pantry storage to us, and what are we giving up elsewhere to make it bigger?

Instead of:

Is this upgrade worth it?

Ask:

Is this upgrade worth it to US?

There isn’t one universally right answer.

There’s simply the answer that makes the most sense for YOUR family, YOUR priorities, YOUR lifestyle, and YOUR budget. 🙌

Psst … want help determining what is most and least important to YOUR family? Grab my SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠.

You Don’t Need to Be an Expert — You Need to Be an Informed Homeowner

So if you’re thinking, ‘I WANT to be involved in this, but I don’t know enough about building’, I want you to hear this: YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING!

You’ll hire a builder because you’re not a builder.

Maybe you’ll hire an architect because you’re not an architect.

And if you choose to hire an interior designer, you’ll hire that person for their design expertise.

You don’t need to BE any of these experts.

BUT you DO need to take an active role in your home build (if you want to love the final product).

Be Prepared, Not Perfect

The goal is to be prepared enough to make thoughtful decisions with the information you have.

• Know what matters most to YOUR family
• Understand YOUR priorities
• Know YOUR budget
• Ask the right questions
• Listen to the experts you’ve hired

And then make the best decisions you can for YOUR home.

Ready to Feel More Prepared Before You Build?

You don’t need to know EVERYTHING before you build, but you DO need to know where to start.

My FREE Custom Home Build Start Guide will help you think through some of the most important decisions to make BEFORE you start building so you can move forward feeling more prepared and confident.

And if you want to dive even deeper with structured guidance (so you can stop googling and ChatGPTing until your eyeballs fall out), join us inside BEFORE YOU BUILD℠.

You’ll learn exactly how to:

• Get crystal clear on YOUR priorities before the decisions come at you fast and furiously
• Vet and hire the BEST builder (and other experts) for YOUR home build
• Create (and stick to) a realistic budget that accounts for YOUR family’s must-haves and non-negotiables
• Mentally walk through your floor plan through the lens of how YOUR family actually lives
• Build your personal design foundation that serves as your beacon and guide for every single design decision you’ll make for your home

And believe me … when you have all of those things (↑) in place, you’ll walk into your home build meetings feeling ultra prepared and ready to confidently make decisions for YOUR home. 🙌

Get ALL the BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ details here!