If you’re planning to build a custom home, you’re probably worried about the typical things … you know, like staying on budget or making the right design decisions so you don’t have regrets. But guess what? There are other things you might not even realize you need to think about until you are already in the thick of building your home. Don’t worry … I’ve got you covered with a list of 9 things I wish I had known before building a custom home.
Listen to this episode or continue reading below.
Note: This episode was recorded in 2022, but the content is still 100% relevant today! I have updated the blog post with additional tips and resources in May 2026.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Free On-Demand Class: HOW TO BUILD WITHIN BUDGET AND WITHOUT REGRETS!
9 THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME
Here are 9 things I wish I had known before we built our custom home.
(1) YOU WILL (MOST LIKELY) GO OVER SOME ALLOWANCES
This is a tip that I’m sure you’ve heard before. I’m not saying you will necessarily go significantly over budget (we didn’t!), but you will most likely go over some allowances.
We far exceeded our appliance allowance, for example, but we were under budget on cabinets, so it all worked itself out.
Here’s the thing about allowances … builders typically set them based on average costs as opposed to YOUR taste.
This is exactly why it’s SO important to be clear with yourself AND your builder about the level of appliances and finishes you’re envisioning from the very beginning.
The more clarity you bring to those conversations upfront, the fewer surprises you’ll face mid-build.
Want help figuring out exactly where to splurge and where to save? My SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ was made for exactly this!
(2) VISIT YOUR WORKSITE DAILY
It’s very time-consuming to visit your home build site daily (especially if you live in a different city), BUT if you want things done correctly, you NEED to oversee installations as much as possible.
If you aren’t on-site to direct electricians and other subcontractors, they will make the decisions for you. And believe me … you do NOT want them making decisions on your behalf. This is how I ended up with a breakfast nook pendant that was completely uncentered. Ugh!
If you don’t live in the same city, you can install cameras to keep an eye on the project and/or FaceTime with subcontractors when they are at the house doing work.
(3) THINGS THAT BOTHER YOU DURING YOUR BUILD WILL BECOME A DISTANT MEMORY
This is a good thing! Once you have furniture in your home, you will no longer be laser-focused on the imperfections (e.g. a small crack in your wood flooring).
There WILL be imperfections (lots of them, in fact) in your new home, and this is totally NORMAL! We all assume a new home will be perfect, but it won’t be perfect (unfortunately).
The good news is that the imperfections won’t be as glaringly obvious once you furnish your home. Honestly, you’ll be SO thrilled that the build process is behind you that you probably won’t even think about the imperfections anymore.
Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start with your home build? Grab my FREE CUSTOM HOME BUILD START GUIDE, and learn my proven 4-step framework to build within budget and without regrets!
(4) YOUR HOUSE WILL APPEAR SMALLER THAN EXPECTED DURING THE FRAMING STAGE
During the framing stage, my husband and I got a little nervous. We had conversations about whether or not our family room and bedrooms were big enough. They looked TINY at this stage.
Thankfully, our builder reassured us that this is very normal. It’s some kind of optical illusion, but once the drywall goes up, you’ll feel MUCH better about your room dimensions.
So if you’re standing in your framed house, having a mild panic attack about room sizes … just breathe. It’s going to look much better soon!
(5) YOU WILL SPEND LOTS OF MONEY ON WINDOW COVERINGS
When you move into a brand-new home, keep in mind you will have no window coverings.
So be sure to include plenty of room in your budget for window treatments because even the most basic (inexpensive) window coverings can ADD UP when you are dealing with an entire home of windows.
Be prepared to spend several thousand dollars on blinds or shades (YIKES).
(6) YOU’LL ALSO SPEND LOTS OF MONEY ON YOUR YARD
Your yard will be a blank slate when you move in. I recommend sodding your entire yard if you can. We planted grass seed in our backyard, and it took three years (and three planting seed tries) before our yard finally looked normal and plush.
The good news is that you can do your landscaping in stages … you can budget it out over several years and/or do most of the work yourself to save money.
(7) INVEST IN A PORTA-POTTY (!)
Did that get your attention? I am VERY serious about this recommendation.
Guess what happens when you don’t have a porta-potty (or whatever you call it in your city)? Subcontractors might use your sump pump as a urinal.
Unfortunately, this is what happened at my house while under construction, and I had no idea until I started smelling the evidence. GROSS!
This may be more of the norm (and expected) on work sites nowadays, but it wasn’t when I built in 2013. I learned this lesson the hard way. 🙈
(8) YOUR (GORGEOUS) TRIM WORK WILL CRACK
This really made me sad (because I have a TON of trim work in my home). I had NO idea how much cracking would occur when my home ‘settled’.
I do live in a climate with extreme temp variations and high humidity, so I think this makes my location more susceptible to settling and expansion.
At any rate, be prepared for cracking. It WILL happen … and it will continue to happen. The first couple of years are the worst, but we still experience cracking after 12+ years in our home.
Thankfully, your guests will NOT notice the cracks as much as you do. Also, most (reputable) builders will come back at your one-year anniversary and fix any house issues.
After the first year, it’s typically up to you, the homeowner, to remedy any issues.
(9) YOU’LL WISH YOU DID AT LEAST ONE THING DIFFERENTLY
Hopefully, you will be VERY happy with the majority of your design selections. I know that I was … actually, I’m still happy with my decisions 12+ years later.
However, there will probably be at least one thing you wish you had done differently.
This is totally normal and OK!
Just make a mental note of what you want to do differently in a future build. 😊
FAQs: Building a Custom Home
What do most people wish they knew before building a custom home?
Most people wish they had visited their build site more often and communicated more proactively with their builder. Beyond that … the financial surprises tend to catch people the most off guard.
How do you avoid going over budget when building a custom home?
The key is PLANNING before you ever break ground.
The families who build within budget are almost always the ones who did the strategic work upfront. That’s exactly what BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ is designed to help you do … so you walk into your build with a complete plan and zero guesswork.
What should you do before breaking ground on a new home?
Get crystal clear on your must-haves, understand your budget inside and out, choose your builder carefully, and make as many design decisions as possible before construction starts.
The more clarity you have going in, the fewer costly surprises you’ll face mid-build.
Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start with your home build? Grab my FREE CUSTOM HOME BUILD START GUIDE, and learn my proven 4-step framework to build within budget and without regrets!
NEXT STEPS
I hope you feel more prepared to build after reading this list of what I wish I had known before building a custom home.
Just knowing what to look out for (and knowing that these things are NORMAL) will help you feel much more confident going in.
Plus, you now know that you need to leave plenty of room in your budget for window coverings and landscaping!
And speaking of budget … my husband and I were less than 1% over budget when we built our home. And I’m here to help you do the same.
Promise!
Want to learn how? Watch my FREE on-demand class 👇
4 Steps to Build Your Dream Home Within Budget and Without Regrets
