Most people think planning a home starts with floor plans, Pinterest boards, and picking out beautiful finishes. But what if that’s actually the wrong place to start?
The most important decisions happen long before you ever choose a countertop or paint color.
In this episode, I’m sharing the three things I believe everyone should consider before building, renovating, or buying a home … and why skipping them is the reason so many people end up unhappy with the final result.
If you’re in the dreaming or planning stage, this episode will help you shift focus from the house itself and start creating a home that truly supports the life YOU want to live.
Listen to this Episode or Continue Reading Below:
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
- 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!
So this is a weird way to start an episode about what to consider before building a house, but I have to tell you that we bought an existing house a little over a month ago. If you haven’t heard that crazy, unexpected story, go back and listen to episode 115.
I thought buying an existing home would change what I teach (because I’m the ‘Before You Build’ girl).
However, I realized that it actually reinforces what I already teach.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I’ve spent years helping people prepare to build custom homes.
And I’ve always assumed that when my own family was ready for our next home, we would build custom again, too … or at least gut-renovate an older home, because there are no empty lots in the established neighborhood we want to be in.
In fact, doing a massive renovation was the plan.
We were even very close to buying a 70-year-old home in an incredible location and taking it down to the studs when something completely unexpected happened.
We heard about an existing home that was privately available in the exact area where we wanted to live.
We toured it the day we heard about it.
And within hours, we made an offer and went under contract the next day.
This was NOT the plan … AT ALL!
And, honestly, I wrestled with myself a little bit about buying an existing home that needs very little work when, as I said, I’m the ‘Before You Build’ girl.
But here’s the part that surprised me most … buying an existing home didn’t actually make me question everything I’ve taught about planning a custom home.
It did the exact opposite.
It reinforced it.
As I walked through our future house and thought about why we were willing to completely change our plans to build from scratch or gut-renovate, I realized that the same principles I’ve taught for years apply whether you’re building a custom home from scratch, renovating an existing home, or simply making design updates over time.
The project might look different.
But the planning is the same.
And this brings me to what I want to talk about today … what you should consider before building or renovating an existing house.
I think most people start in the wrong place, and I don’t want that to happen to you, so let’s talk about this.
What Should You Consider Before Building a House?
So, what should you consider before building a house?
When you start thinking about building or renovating a house, it’s really easy to immediately focus on the HOUSE.
What will the kitchen look like?
What style of cabinets do you want?
What kind of flooring?
What does the exterior look like?
What finishes are you drawn to?
And listen, I LOVE all of that.
I love beautiful homes. I love design.
But these are NOT the decisions you need to make FIRST.
Your Home Should Support Your Life
Before you start thinking about what your home will look like, you need to think about how you want your home to support your life.
Think about …
What matters most to your family?
How do you actually live every day?
What do you wish was different about the home you’re living in now?
What do you want this next home to make possible?
What are the things you’re willing to spend more money on?
And what isn’t that important to you in your new house?
These questions aren’t nearly as exciting as picking out gorgeous kitchen finishes, but the answers will influence every single decision you make while designing your home.
And I was reminded of this in a BIG way when we found our new house.
What Matters Most When Planning Your Home?
The house we’re buying is 17 years old and does have some finishes I wouldn’t have chosen if I were designing it myself.
But … NONE of that made us hesitate about buying the house … AT ALL!
Not even for a second.
Why?
Because we had already gotten very clear on what mattered MOST to us.
As we made this decision, I realized our entire thought process came down to three things.
(And honestly, I think these are three of the most important things anyone should consider before building, renovating, or buying a home.)
These are Location, Layout, and Lifestyle.
I’ve talked about these three things before, but this experience showed me just how important they really are.
LOCATION
First is location.
Our new house is in the community where we’ve wanted to move back to for years.
It’s on the golf course. It’s close to my parents. It’s close to many of our best friends.
It’s the location that we can see ourselves staying in for a very, very long time.
We can change finishes, but we can’t move the lot (and it’s a perfect lot).
LAYOUT
Then there’s the layout.
The floor plan works perfectly for the way our family lives now AND for the next stage of our lives … which is empty nesters.
The bones are there.
There is not a single wall that needs to be moved.
The layout already works for our family.
LIFESTYLE
And the third thing is lifestyle.
This one might be the biggest of all.
I could immediately picture our life there.
Walking to the pool.
Friends walking over.
Sitting outside and watching golfers go by.
Being less than a block from my parents.
Our girls coming home from college.
Hosting family and friends.
Living in the community we’ve wanted to move back to for years.
THAT’S what we’re buying.
Not countertops.
Not light fixtures.
Not bathroom vanities.
We’re buying the foundation for the life we want to live in our next phase when our youngest graduates from high school.
And that’s what you are BUILDING … the foundation for the life you want for YOUR family … and that all starts with the location you choose, the layout you create, and the lifestyle you want for your family.
How Do You Plan a Home You’ll Love for Years?
This might be the biggest realization I’ve had through this entire unexpected home-buying experience.
For years, I thought I was teaching people how to prepare to build custom homes.
But I’m realizing that isn’t exactly what I’ve been teaching.
Yes, I’m definitely teaching how to prepare for a successful home build, but what I’m actually teaching is how to make confident decisions before investing hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars into your home.
And the same decision-making process applies whether you’re building a custom home from scratch, renovating an existing house, remodeling several rooms, or slowly making changes to a home you plan to live in for years.
You need to know what matters to YOU.
You need to know how YOU want to live.
You need to understand YOUR priorities.
You need a realistic picture of YOUR budget.
And you need to be able to separate what you truly want from all the noise telling you what you should want.
That’s how you create a home you’ll love for years.
Not by making every decision perfectly.
Not by choosing the most expensive finishes.
Not by predicting which design trends will still be popular ten years from now.
And definitely not by copying someone else’s home.
You do it by making intentional decisions based on your family, your priorities, your lifestyle, and your budget.
This is important when you’re building, but is also just as important when you’re renovating or redesigning an existing home.
Where Should You Start Before Building or Renovating?
So if you’re wondering what you should consider before building or renovating, here’s my answer …
Don’t start by thinking about the house itself.
Start by thinking about the life you want that house to support.
That’s where clarity begins.
Before you choose finishes based on inspo pics you fall in love with on Pinterest and Instagram, take the time to figure out what you actually want to create.
What matters most to your family?
How do you want your home to support your everyday life?
Where are you willing to splurge?
Where are you perfectly happy to save?
What would you regret NOT including?
What can easily wait until later?
And what does “a home you love” actually mean to YOU?
Here’s what buying our new house reminded me …
You don’t need every single detail figured out to make a great decision.
When the things that matter most are already in place, everything else can evolve over time.
And that realization has made me more passionate than ever about helping you do the same.
Whether you’re building a custom home from scratch or renovating an existing home, I want you to feel confident about the decisions you’re making.
I want you to know what matters to YOU before everyone else’s opinions start getting loud.
I want you to spend your budget intentionally.
And ultimately, I want you to create a home that doesn’t just look beautiful, but also truly supports the life you want to live.
Because if there’s one thing buying this house taught me, it’s this:
The best home projects don’t start with finishes … they start with CLARITY.
And over the next few weeks, we’re going to talk a LOT more about how to create that clarity before you build or renovate.
Next Step: Free Home Build Start Guide
But in the meantime, I’ve created a FREE Home Build Start Guide that walks you through the four foundational steps I recommend taking before you build (or renovate) a home.
And although I originally created this guide specifically for people building from scratch, the same planning steps apply if you’re preparing for a major renovation too.
You can download the free guide here and start getting clear on your next steps today.
Because whether you’re building from scratch, renovating an existing home, or making thoughtful changes over time, the goal is ultimately the same … it’s to intentionally create a home you absolutely love.
