Whether or not you’ve purchased a lot on which your custom home plans need to be designed, following the tips we’ve put together below will ensure that your custom home designs produce the home of your dreams.
1. Establish excellent communication.
Poor communication can ruin a custom blueprint set. For example, if your architect doesn’t really understand what you want in your custom home designs, you could end up with a custom home that you don’t really enjoy. Alternatively, you might be surprised to see your “custom” plan on a new home development. (Some architects turn their best custom plans into generic, widely available floor plans.) Avoid these two unpleasant outcomes by clearly outlining what your custom home plans should include and whether or not you are comfortable with modifying your custom design into a universal home plan.
2. Choose a designer with experience working with similar properties.
If you’ve already purchased the land for your dream home, make sure your designer has experience working with your property type. For example, while a steeply sloped lot often offers the best views, it also poses unique design challenges.
3. Verify that your architect has liability insurance.
Accidents happen, that’s why insurance was invented. If something goes wrong with your custom home design, liability insurance can cover rebuilding costs or other incidental expenses. Professional engineers and designers are insured to defend their clients against costly mistakes. Make sure your custom home plans come from a designer with liability insurance.
4. Expand on the details.
A full set of custom home plans will include enough information to make construction easier. Contractors must be able to quickly find details on dimensions, materials, and construction techniques. Unclear floor plans will bring all sorts of problems. Costly mistakes often occur because contractors cannot read or find the necessary details in a set of custom home plans. The last thing you want is a carpenter or plumber to guess what your custom home designs are up to. Work with an architect who includes many construction details in the house plans.
5. Ensure compliance with the building code and state certification.
Federal and local building legislation is always changing. If your custom home design does not follow these building guidelines, city officials may reject it and you will face additional expense to make your design “code compliant.” Because this is such an important topic, be honest with your designer. Ask how they ensure code compliance and check with past clients to make sure the city’s approval process went smoothly. One last bit of due diligence: check that your architect or designer is professionally certified by your state. If any red flags arise during this investigation, select a different architect. Otherwise, you could get stuck with home plans that can’t actually be built.
6. Select an architect whose style matches yours.
Doctors specialize in body systems; writers specialize in different types of communication; architects specialize in different styles of design. Make sure your designer is experienced in producing the type of home you prefer. For example, if you like the Tudor style, you should choose a designer who has produced beautiful custom homes in this design mode. Don’t expect a Frank Lloyd Wright lover to suddenly switch to a Tuscan approach.
