Custom home exterior regrets are something you really don’t want to discover after the fact — and yet it happens all the time, even on expensive homes in beautiful neighborhoods.
I’m sure you’ve driven by houses or walked by houses, and something just looks ‘off’.
Maybe you can’t figure out what’s off, but something doesn’t look right.
I see this a lot, actually.
I see it on houses in my own neighborhood, and I even see it when we’re driving around on vacation or when we’re visiting our daughter at college.
And it’s not just inexpensive houses … I see this on multi-million-dollar homes, too.
So it’s not a budget issue.
It’s actually a gap in the design process.
And the good news is that it’s easy to fill in this gap that SO. MANY. PEOPLE. miss.
Here’s the bottom line …
Avoiding home exterior regrets all comes down to one simple thing … SEEING your home BEFORE it’s built.
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Why some custom home exteriors look “off”
Here are some common reasons exterior design looks ‘off’:
1. Clashing exterior materials
Think stone that doesn’t complement the siding, brick that fights with the trim color, or a mix of textures that feel chaotic rather than intentional.
When materials aren’t chosen with the full picture in mind, the result looks busy and just ugly (to be honest) — even if each individual element is beautiful on its own.
2. Awkward proportions
This one is subtle but SO noticeable once you see it.
A roofline that feels too steep or too flat, a porch that’s slightly too small for the scale of the house, a window that sits just a little too close to the roofline — these things add up fast.
Proportion is EVERYTHING in exterior design, and it’s incredibly hard to visualize from a 2D drawing.
3. Randomly placed windows
Windows should feel intentional — like they belong exactly where they are, both inside and out.
But when the interior floor plan is designed without considering the exterior elevation (or vice versa), you end up with windows that look scattered, mismatched in size, or strangely spaced across the front of the house.
4. Awkward garage placement
The garage is often the most dominant feature on the front of a home — and one of the most overlooked in the design process.
A garage that sticks out too far, faces the wrong direction, or uses a door style that clashes with the home’s architecture can single-handedly make a beautiful house look awkward.
These are all very important details that often get overlooked, and then the homeowner is stuck with regrets.
The good news is that they are all completely avoidable … it’s just a matter of ‘seeing’ the whole picture BEFORE you break ground.
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Why do expensive custom homes still end up with exterior regrets?
The price tag of your home has almost nothing to do with whether these mistakes happen.
I’ve literally seen these mistakes or ‘oddities’ on $300K homes and multi-million-dollar homes.
The issue is NOT whether or not you have a large budget — the issue is not seeing the full picture before you commit to your exterior materials.
The problem with 2D elevation drawings
When you’re planning a custom home, you’re working with 2D construction drawings — flat lines on paper that represent walls, windows, and rooflines.
Your architect or draftsman will give you a front elevation drawing, side elevation drawings, rear elevations drawings, and this is a good start.
But here’s what those 2d drawings DON’T show you:
- How your chosen materials will actually look together on the house
- Whether the proportions will feel balanced or awkward at full scale
- If your window placement will look intentional or random
- Whether that garage door style is working with your home or against it
- How your color palette reads as a whole
You can’t fully see these things in a 2D line drawing.
This is the gap that catches people completely off guard, even people who have thought carefully about every other part of their build.
How can I see what my custom home will look like before it’s built?
So the question is … how can you see what your custom home will look like in real life (before it’s built)?
The answer is simple … you get a 3D rendering of your home exterior.
This is the part most people don’t know about — and honestly, it’s a game changer.
A 3D exterior rendering takes your construction drawings and creates a near-photorealistic image of what your home will actually look like when it’s finished — materials, colors, proportions, windows, garage, all of it.
It’s the difference between guessing what your completed home will look like and KNOWING what it will look like.
My own 3D rendering story
We did a 3D rendering for our home exterior, and it was the BEST money we spent.
I’m SO glad we did it because when I saw my exterior in a realistic 3D view for the first time, I hated how it looked.
Seriously HATED it.
And that’s how my exterior would look today if I hadn’t gone through the 3D rendering process.
We went through several rounds of rendering revisions before I landed on an exterior I truly loved. It’s exactly what my home exterior looks like now in real life … and I LOVE it!
To me, getting a 3D rendering done is a non-negotiable because it’s the BEST way to prevent ending up with a home exterior that you don’t even like.
(psst … click here to see my 3D rendering evolution… every revision I did and why)
How can I get a 3D exterior rendering?
It’s so easy to find 3D rendering options online. When I built back in 2013, I was limited to expensive companies that charged WAY more than you pay now.
Many of my BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ clients have used Fiverr and gotten great results.
There are also higher-end rendering companies online if you want a more polished product.
I recommend starting with Fiverr and, if you find that you want something a little more custom, then move on to a higher-end company.
I used XR3D … that was 13 years ago, though, so I don’t know if they’re still doing residential renderings, and I have no idea how much they now charge. I think I paid around $500 back in 2013.
If I were building today, I would start with Fiverr, for sure. You can also get interior renderings and video walkthroughs of your floor plan… all kinds of fun stuff that wasn’t available to the masses when I built.
Another option is to ask your builder or architect. Sometimes they include 3D rendering as part of their process. It’s definitely worth asking.
What does a 3D exterior rendering cost?
This all depends on which company you use.
This may be part of your package from your builder or architect. Ask!
If you use Fiverr or another similar website with independent contractors, the price is very low.
My clients have paid as little as under $100 for an exterior rendering with revisions!
If you choose a higher-end, premium rendering company, you’ll get a more premium result, but you’ll likely pay 10 times what you would pay with Fiverr.
My Recommendation: Start with Fiverr
That’s why I recommend starting with Fiverr and then going on to a more premium company if you want your rendering to look even more real.
Again, I used XR3D. I was happy with the results. I don’t receive any compensation from them, and I have no idea what their process is now.
Another premium company I’m familiar with is Brick and Batten.
At least one of my BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ clients used them and was very happy with her renderings. So that’s another premium option.
I imagine you can do a simple Google search and find all kinds of options.
What’s the best way to avoid custom home exterior regrets?
So … what’s the best way to avoid custom home exterior regrets?
Get a 3D rendering of your exterior long before you ever break ground!
Don’t finalize your exterior until you can see it in 3D.
It’s that simple!
When you can see your home before it’s built — like, really see it, with your actual materials, colors, and proportions — you have the chance to catch what isn’t working while there’s still time to fix it and before it becomes a regret.
The great thing about a 3D rendering is that you no longer have to guess what your home exterior will look like … you’ll know exactly what it will look like.
A 3D rendering is worth every single penny, and you’ll be SO much happier every time you pull into your driveway and look at your home. I promise!
My Exterior 3D Rendering Journey
See the 3D rendering evolution of my home exterior going from “what was I thinking?!” to what it looks like today (which I’m biased, but it’s beautiful … thanks to getting a 3D rendering).
This blog post shows my entire 3D rendering evolution in photos … where I made changes and why.
And if you want to make sure every major decision — including your exterior design — is one you’ll love for years to come, grab a seat in my free class, 4 Steps to Build Your Dream Home Within Budget and Without Regrets.
I’ll walk you through the four things that make the biggest difference between a home you’re proud of and one that leaves you with regrets.
