Building a custom home is one of the most exciting (and overwhelming) projects you’ll ever take on. You’ll make hundreds (and hundreds) of decisions … selecting flooring, counters, paint colors, exterior materials, and SO. MUCH. MORE. But what about the small details that often get overlooked? That’s what we’re talking about in this episode. I’m covering 15 common custom home oversights and, more importantly, how to avoid these so you don’t end up with any regrets.

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Links Mentioned in this Episode:

• BEFORE YOU BUILD℠

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Below is the full transcript for this podcast episode.

Welcome back to the Before You Build podcast. I’m your host Carrie Barker (aka Caroline On Design), and today in episode 81, I’m sharing 15 common custom home oversights … and how to avoid them. 

Here’s the thing …

Most people who are building for the first time focus on the big items—square footage, kitchen design, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. 

And these are all extremely important details for sure.

But the small, often-overlooked details are what really make the difference between a home that’s simply beautiful and one that’s truly functional for YOUR family’s daily life.

And trust me—nothing is more frustrating than moving in and realizing you missed something important.

I imagine you don’t want this … and I certainly don’t want this for you either!

So, let’s talk about 15 often-overlooked details when people are designing and building a custom home.

The Most Overlooked Details in Custom Homes

With so many moving pieces in the building process, it’s easy to overlook things that could make a big difference in your family’s daily life. 

First, I’ll walk you through the top 10 home-building oversights that most people don’t think about (but should!). Then, I’ve got five bonus details that can make your daily life even easier.

1. Outlet Placement

It’s not just about having enough outlets—it’s about having them where you actually need them. 

Think about your home’s furniture placement before electrical wiring is finalized.

(side note: you should be thinking about furniture placement anyway because you want to feel confident that you have enough space in each room for your desired furniture configuration) 

This helps you avoid moving in and realizing your couch is blocking an outlet or your bed is covering a vent.

You want to think about these things ahead of time … BEFORE your electrical is installed.

💡Pro tip: Consider floor outlets in open spaces (for lamps or charging stations) and be sure to have outlets anywhere you’ll want to charge phones, computers, and other devices.

2. Traffic Flow

Another overlooked detail is traffic flow.

How will people move through your home? 

Avoid bottlenecks by planning for:

✅ Wider hallways and doorways

✅ Smart placement of kitchen and mudroom entry points 

✅ Enough space between furniture and walls

You want to really think about this while you’re creating (or tweaking) your custom floor plan.

A well-thought-out layout makes daily life so much easier!

3. Functional Storage (Not Just Any Storage!)

Another thing to think about is your storage. 

Not just any storage … you want to consider FUNCTIONAL storage.

A walk-in pantry sounds great—until you’re losing everything in the back. 

Walk-in closets are dreamy, but do they have enough shelving and organization?

🔹 Prioritize usable storage over square footage. Built-in organizers, pull-out drawers, and custom shelving make a huge difference in how functional your storage is.

4. Laundry Room Location 🧺

If your laundry room is across the house from your bedrooms, you’ll be carrying clothes back and forth, and it can get old fast.

Now … it’s totally manageable. I did this very thing just this morning in my own house, and it’s certainly not the end of the world.

But … in my next house, I will have my laundry room closer to my primary closet.

✔ Best location? Place it near your bedrooms for easy access.

✔ Bonus Tip: Add a counter for folding clothes, a deep sink (especially if you have a small dog to wash), and fold-out drying racks for convenience. These are little details that go a long way in creating a functional laundry room.

5. Future-Proofing Your Home

Another thing to think about is how your family will use your house in the future.

Your home should work for you now and in 10+ years. 

Think about:

🔹If you’re nearing retirement, think about aging-in-place features (main-level primary suite, wider doorways, no-threshold showers)

🔹If you plan to move in a few years, think about your home’s resale value (do you have a neutral layout that appeals to many? Is your home energy efficient? These are things to think about if you plan to sell your home in a few years)

🔹If you have small children, think about changing family needs (maybe add flex spaces that can evolve over time … this is what we did with our playroom. Our girls were little when we moved in, so we had a playroom that we were able to convert to a ‘teen room’ as they grew older.)

Even if you don’t plan to stay in your home forever, future-proofing your house adds value!

6. Natural Light ☀️ (You’ll Never Regret More Windows!)

Another big oversight is natural light.

One of the biggest regrets people building their first home have? 

Not adding enough windows!

I see this ALL. THE. TIME. when I’m reviewing BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ clients’ floor plans. 

I see large bedrooms with one teeny tiny window. This is a no-no!

💡 Prioritize well-placed windows in main living spaces, but do NOT forget about your bedrooms! Consider transom windows, skylights, and larger sliders to maximize brightness. More natural light = a happier, airier home!

7. Privacy (in Your Primary Suite + Powder Room)

Aahhh … this is BIG one! I see this mistake in MANY floor plans that I review.

Make sure that your primary suite is NOT visible from your foyer, your family room, or your kitchen!

Nothing kills a relaxing bedroom vibe faster than zero privacy. 

Avoid placing your primary suite too close to high-traffic areas (like the kitchen or great room).

💡 Another big one? Powder room placement. No one wants a guest bathroom right off the dining area or foyer—trust me, I see this all the time when reviewing floor plans!

8. Outdoor Living Spaces 🌿

Even if you don’t use it daily, a covered patio, porch, or deck extends your living space and adds value.

I live in the Midwest, and we have COLD winters. 

We can only utilize our outdoor space for about half of the year, but we have maximized our screened-in porch. 

For six months out of the year, it’s basically our family room. 

It’s where we hang out, it’s where we eat, and it’s where we watch TV. 

✔ Sooo … think ahead: Add outdoor outlets for string lights, a TV, or holiday décor

✔ Make the space functional: Add ceiling fans, heaters, or screens for year-round comfort (this is exactly what we did … screens to keep the bugs out, fan to cool things off in the summer, and a heater for cool Fall nights)

Outdoor living spaces are important … no matter what climate you live in.

9. Drop Zones & Everyday Functionality

Think about where your keys, shoes, backpacks, and mail go when you walk in. 

Without a designated drop zone, clutter will creep into your main living areas.

(this makes me cringe!)

🔹 Fix it: Add built-in cubbies, hooks, and a charging station near your informal entry. Even a small, organized drop zone makes a huge difference! Our drop zone is in our mudroom and it’s directly by the garage (which is how we always come in the house).

10. Sound Control 🔇

Another thing … sound control. 

Noise travels—so plan for it! This is especially important if you have small children who need a quiet space to sleep. 

Or you have teenage children who are very loud when their friends come over, and YOU want a quiet place to sleep. 🙂

(I’ve had both situations … can you tell?!)

Here are some easy fixes:

✔ Insulate walls between your bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as insulate ‘hang out’ area walls (for example, we added extra insulation to our basement ceiling to reduce noise traveling upstairs)

✔ Keep laundry rooms away from quiet areas

✔ Use solid-core doors to minimize sound transfer

✔ Carpet your upstairs to help with noise absorption

All right, so those are my top 10 most common custom home oversights, but here are five more details that often get overlooked but can make your family’s daily life so much easier.

More Overlooked Home Features You’ll Be Glad You Thought About

I’m just going to quickly go over these five.

11.  Door Swings & Clearances – Avoid doors that swing into each other or block hallways. 

(I see this a lot in bathrooms when I’ve reviewing floor plans … so make sure your bathroom door isn’t swinging into a linen closet door or your vanity.)

12.  Outlets for Holiday Décor 🎄 – Think about everywhere you’ll be putting holiday decor and add an outlet ahead of time! Places to consider are your stair railings and mantels, great room floor (where your Christmas tree will go), stove hood, and your front porch.

13.  Garage Size & Functionality 🚗 – This is simple … make sure you have enough room for your cars AND storage!

14.  Outlets Inside Cabinets & Closets 🔌 – These are perfect for charging small kitchen appliances out of sight or if you want to charge your phone in your closet.

15.  Coat Closet – Sounds obvious, but many floor plans forget this. 

This is another mistake I see in SO. MANY. floor plans I review for my BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ clients. 

If you wear coats at any time of the year, you need a coat closet … so make sure you have one! 

All right, we covered 15 common custom home oversights (and how to avoid them). Don’t worry if you didn’t take notes … you can find all of this in this episode’s show notes.

Next Steps: Avoid Regrets & Build with Confidence

Here’s the deal …

Most people focus on the big home-building decisions, but it’s the small, often-overlooked details that can truly improve your daily life the most after you move in.

The good news? 

With a little planning, you can build a home that includes these small details and works beautifully for YOUR family — without any “I wish we had thought of that” moments.

And I’m here to help you.

If you want to make sure you’re covering everything before you build and planning in the best way possible … I invite you to join my BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ program.

This step-by-step framework will help you:

✅ Stick to your budget (yes, please!) 

✅ Avoid costly mistakes

✅ Avoid design regrets (i.e. no ‘I wish we did this differently’ thoughts)

Building your dream home should be exciting, not stressful and overwhelming! 😊

👉 Click here to join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠

👉 Want to learn my EXACT 4-step framework to build YOUR dream home WITHIN BUDGET and WITHOUT REGRETS? Grab a seat in my *FREE* class! 👈