Here’s How to Start to Develop Your Custom Home Design…
Now you get to have some fun! While you continue to dream about the possibilities for your new custom home, let’s create a “Dream Home Notebook.” Gather some magazines and tear out pictures of features you really like or want in your home and, just like you did in art class, start collecting them in a notebook. You may also want to take photos of features in other homes you have walked through. Model homes, friends, or neighbors’ homes can be great sources of ideas. Write on each picture specifically what it is you like about it. Why did you tear it out? People often begin collecting pictures but months later they can’t recall why they tore it out in the first place. Write it down.
Create A Dream Home Notebook!
Creating your Dream Home Notebook can be an inspiring and enjoyable activity, and it will be very helpful to your builder and design team. As you accumulate more and more pictures, begin to categorize them.
Here are some suggestions for your categories:
- Exterior Features
- Kitchen Features
- Master Bathroom and Bedroom
- Common Living Spaces
- Specialty items such as fireplaces and mantles
- Trim details, paint colors, textures, styles, etc.
- Any floor plan that interests you. Write down what interests you about a particular plan. It may be the relationship of rooms, the uniqueness of design, or even a small feature like a hidden pantry or a workstation for mom.
- Things you specifically DON’T like
- Your written notes
Sometimes it can be difficult to express what you like and don’t like in new home features. So the Dream Home Notebook is a helpful resource in the planning process. The saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” also applies to the development of your custom home design. An experienced builder can look at the pictures and listen to the conversation (and often read between the lines) to help you better articulate what you are thinking but are unable to put into words. It’s also helpful to write down your expectations. You may want to include stories (good and bad) of what your friends have gone through in their home-building experience. Also, write down the elements in your home that are important to you. When you finally meet with your builder, you will have a well-organized, thoughtful notebook to share, which will help tremendously in your design and building process. Cut out or take pictures for your dream home and organize them in a single place along with your notes on what you really want.
