Before you start designing your custom home, there are many things to consider; you’ve got lots of great ideas, but how can you go about deciding what your home really needs in order to be functional and comfortable?
In order to ensure that your home is a perfect fit for your family, there are several questions to ask yourself; Who’s is living there? Where does your family spend the most time? Answering these questions and others helps you develop the vision of your custom home.
Who is Home?
Who will live in your home?
Obviously you need to have an appropriate number of bedrooms and bathrooms, but you need to dig deeper- a single person has different needs for his or her home than a young family, a retired couple, or a couple who plans to have their in-laws move in.
How will you use the spaces in your home?
Looking at your everyday life and how you live in the different spaces of your home can provide great insight on how to structure and decorate the spaces. Where does your family east most meals? Does your family usually watch TV together or do you prefer separate TV watching areas? Do you need a playroom or bonus room?
Do you have big dinner parties or frequent house guests?
You may want more and bigger living spaces, an outdoor grill and entertainment area, and a separate bed & bath suite for visitors.
Are you planning to remain in your home for years?
It can be hard to anticipate every life change, but if you are planning to remain in your custom home for more than a decade you should do some long-term planning.
Don’t forget about budget.
Once you’ve established your list of needs and wants, it’s very important to come up with a budget for the project and prioritize that list. Do you really need marble floors throughout the kitchen and bathrooms or would you rather opt for more affordable wood floors and put that money toward upgraded appliances?
Research your style
Websites like Pinterest can be a great resource for helping you develop your vision for your home- and if you haven’t visited Houzz, you’re missing out! You can use resources like these to discover your style and put some visual context around your wishlist.
