I want to start with a question … ‘Do you know how to prioritize your home build budget?’
More specifically, do you know what YOUR family’s priorities are?
Do you know exactly where to spend your money and where to pull back … and do you know this now, BEFORE the decisions start flying at you?
Because there is a BIG difference between just having a budget (a number) and knowing your priorities well enough to protect that budget throughout your home build.
Not knowing your priorities can cost you tens of thousands of dollars in budget overages. 😳
Listen to this episode or continue reading below.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Free On-Demand Class: HOW TO BUILD WITHIN BUDGET AND WITHOUT REGRETS!
Welcome back to the Before You Build podcast. I’m your host Carrie Barker, aka Caroline on Design, and in today’s episode, we’re talking about one of the most important things you can do before you break ground … and that is getting crystal clear on YOUR family’s priorities so you know exactly where to splurge and save.
Why do people go over budget when building a custom home?
Let’s just get right into it, because I think the answer might surprise you.
It’s not because custom home building is inherently expensive (though it is a big investment, but it’s not WHY people go over budget).
One of the most common reasons people go over budget when building a custom home is because they don’t know their priorities BEFORE the decisions start flying at them.
And here’s what happens …
They say yes to upgrades they don’t even care about because they feel like they should want them (because other people say these are a ‘must-have’).
They say no to things they actually love because other people say they aren’t that important.
Then, they reach the end of their build and realize they went $30,000 or more over budget on things that don’t even make them happy … and they wish they’d spent more on the areas that mattered most to THEIR family.
This isn’t a money problem.
This is a PRIORITIES problem.
And the good news is that it’s completely fixable.
Is it possible to build a custom home without going over budget?
Yes. Absolutely.
I know this might be hard to believe, especially if you’ve been watching prices climb, or you’ve read horror stories from other people who completely blew their budget.
(I think we’ve all heard those stories.)
But, I can tell you that it IS possible.
I did it, and I’ve helped hundreds of other people do it, too.
Now I won’t lie … there is A LOT that goes into building within your budget, and we cover ALL of it inside my BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ program.
But one of the easiest and most important things you can do to build close to budget is to simply get CRYSTAL CLEAR on YOUR family’s priorities before you break ground.
WHERE I SPLURGED AND SAVED ON MY CUSTOM HOME
Here’s a story from my own custom build to illustrate the importance of knowing your priorities.
When my husband and I were building, I wanted trimwork ALL OVER my house … EVERYWHERE … it was an absolute must-have and a non-negotiable for me.
But trimwork is expensive, so we knew we would have to cut something else to stay within our budget.
Here’s what made the decision SO easy … we already knew our priorities.
We knew that we wanted to finish our basement, but it wasn’t a must-have to have it finished right away during construction. We knew it was something we could do later.
So we left the basement unfinished, got all the extensive trimwork I wanted, and we finished the basement a couple of years later when our budget allowed.
There was no second-guessing our decisions.
There was no blown budget and no regrets.
That’s what having clarity on your priorities does for you. When cuts need to be made (which they will!), the answer is clear because you’ve already done the work BEFORE building.
How do you figure out your home build budget priorities?
Okay, so let’s talk about what this actually looks like … because getting clear on your priorities is simpler than you might think. It really comes down to two things.
1. Learn the SPLURGE + SAVE FORMULA℠
It’s really simple. Splurge on your must-haves and/or things that are hard to change later. Save on things you don’t care about that much and/or are easy to upgrade later.
That’s the SPLURGE + SAVE FORMULA℠ in the most simple terms — it’s two rules that will immediately make your budget decisions much easier.
2. Apply it to YOUR Family
This is the part most people skip … and why so many people end up blowing their budget.
Instead of doing the work to figure out THEIR family’s priorities, people rely on generic lists … and hope for the best.
But here’s the thing … it’s VERY important that you are clear on YOUR family’s needs, lifestyle, and non-negotiables BEFORE you start making decisions.
This clarity gives you something to refer back to throughout your entire build so that every single budget decision is grounded in what matters most to YOUR family.
Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start with your home build? Download my FREE CUSTOM HOME BUILD START GUIDE, and learn my proven 4-step framework to build within budget and without regrets!
What is the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠?
If you’re building a home and you don’t have a Splurge + Save Plan yet, you need one!
I created a brand new SPLURGE AND SAVE PLANNER℠ that I honestly believe should be in the hands of EVERY SINGLE PERSON who is building or renovating a custom home.
This mini course guides you step-by-step through creating YOUR personalized Splurge + Save Plan based on YOUR family’s must-haves, non-negotiables, and priorities.
This is not just a generic list of where to splurge and where to save.
It’s a plan built around YOUR family.
Here’s what you’ll find inside:
01. The SPLURGE + SAVE FORMULA℠
I walk you through the full framework, share a curated list of the best general places to splurge and save when building, AND show you where I personally splurged and saved in my own home to get your wheels turning.
02. Guided Workbook Prompts
This is where the real magic happens. These prompts walk you step-by-step through YOUR family’s priorities, needs, and lifestyle BEFORE you start making decisions. By the time you’re done, you’ll have your own personalized Splurge + Save Plan in hand.
BONUS: The SPLURGE+ SAVE AI COACH℠
Your 24/7 home build budget brainstorming partner, trained on how I think and how I coach. Instead of getting generic AI responses that could apply to anyone, you get guidance built on my exact framework. It’s like texting me at 2 am when you’re spiraling over whether to upgrade your kitchen countertops. 😄
BONUS: The Budget Clarity Bundle
This bundle includes all the financial stuff I WISH someone had told me before I broke ground. It covers unexpected costs, construction loans, getting on the same page as your spouse, and much more!
GET ALL THE SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ DETAILS HERE!
Will the Planner ensure I build on budget?
Obviously, I can’t guarantee you’ll build on budget because home build budgets are complex, and this is just one piece of the puzzle.
However, I CAN tell you that you will feel FAR more confident making decisions and will likely stay FAR closer to your budget when you have a personal Splurge and Save Plan built around YOUR family’s priorities.
(psst … want to learn all the budget pieces? Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠!)
Getting clear on your priorities BEFORE building is an extremely important piece of the home build budget puzzle, and the PLANNER is the tool that helps you do it.
GET ALL THE SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ DETAILS HERE!
The bottom line on prioritizing your home build budget
Going over budget when building a custom home is NOT inevitable. It’s not just “the way it goes.”
The people who build within budget and without regrets got CRYSTAL CLEAR on their priorities before they ever broke ground.
They knew what to say yes to and what to say no to BEFORE they ever needed to make those decisions.
You don’t need an unlimited budget … you just need to know YOUR priorities.
DIVE INTO THE SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ … it will walk you step-by-step through understanding your family’s priorities and knowing exactly where YOU should splurge and save. 🙌
