Where Do You Start When Building A Custom Home?

There is something special about living in a home that is customized for your family’s needs and lifestyle. However, not many people know where to begin the process of building a custom home. Listed below are some fast track items to start you on this rewarding journey. We will discuss researching custom home builders in Amarillo, finding land or neighborhoods that fit your interests, finding and hiring an architect to design your custom home, and setting budgets. We will then discuss taking care of all the pre-construction work to start your project.

Research custom home builders in Amarillo

Start by researching custom home builders in your area. A builder’s reputation in the community goes a long way! Most will have portfolios. However, you can actually go see current houses under construction and post-construction in order to see their quality of work. The finishing is what separates good builders from great builders. As you are reviewing Amarillo custom home builders, be sure to check references. A reputable builder will be happy to provide references for you to contact.

Find land or neighborhoods that fit your interests

Finding land or knowing the neighborhoods of interest in and around Amarillo will expedite things considerably. This step will start determining your budget, assist with finding a custom home builder and an architect, and will jumpstart the construction process.

For example, a family wants a gated community on a prestigious golf course in Amarillo, Texas. From this neighborhood choice, we know the minimum size of a home, types of homes that can be constructed (landscaping, roofs, and design), what scale of homes are currently established, and which custom home builder to use. We also know which designer can draw this type of home, current pricing of houses or land in that area, and ultimately who your neighbors will be.

Hire an architect to design your custom home

An architect will need to be hired in order to design your custom home in Amarillo. An architect is recommended over having a builder put together some CAD drawings on his or her computer thinking this will jumpstart your home building overnight. The perfect home takes a lot of insight to make it perfect for you.

Your custom home builder in Amarillo is a great place to start in finding an architect. Builders will have established relationships with different designers in your area and it will put you in a great position once construction begins. After the first consultation, a builder generally knows by the expectations, the neighborhood, and the budget, which designer the potential homeowner needs to work with on their particular project.

Set a home building budget

Now it’s time to have some fun and design the custom home that you have always wanted to own. When it comes to this stage of the process, it’s a wise idea to set your home building budget first. Your Amarillo custom home builder will help with this process. Builders will cost out the particular trades and put pricing together. Always account for incidentals when you are budgeting; this helps ensure that you don’t end up spending more than you originally planned.

As you go about designing your dream custom home in Amarillo, start with the basics. You will need “x” number of bathrooms, “y” number of bedrooms, a kitchen, a garage, and a living room. From there, add in the special rooms that you would like to have, such as a patio, home office, game room or theater room.

This layout gives you and your architect a frame to work within. After you get each room positioned and sized just how you want it, you can add custom features throughout the house. These features can include inset shelving, wine storage, bay windows, dormers, and more.

Once this framework is complete, it’s time for the finer details. These details include the materials that the house will be constructed from. You will need to decide what types of wood to build cabinetry from, the type of stone or brick for the exterior, and the flooring you want to use. This part of designing your house can be a little overwhelming. Your Amarillo custom home builder should help with this. However, it’s never a bad idea to hire an interior designer to help. These designers have the experience and skill to help you create the visual effect you want to achieve.

Take care of pre-construction work

When the plans and the details are all ready to go, that’s when pre-construction takes place. This pre-construction of your custom home in Amarillo will entail securing financing, applying for permits, locating utilities, dirt work, and ultimately starting construction.

From start to finish, you will need to stay in close contact with your Amarillo custom home builder, architect, and design team. Your builder will help coordinate everyone to make sure that the house they are building is exactly the one you want. Your builder’s job is to make sure that everything moves at a nice, even pace from the moment the foundation is laid until the last shingle is fixed in place.

Building a custom home is one of the most exciting things you will ever experience. With the right team, it can also be one of the most memorable events of your life. At Champion 1 Builders, we have a proven track record for custom homes in Amarillo and the surrounding area. Give us a call today at (806) 282-6903 or Contact Us via email. We look forward to bringing your dream custom home to life.