Custom Home Building: Starting the Journey
Among the advantages of working with a custom home builder is the opportunity for the project to meet your exact needs. Do you need a super-sized walk-in closet off the main bedroom? Check. Hoping the kitchen counters can be a little lower or higher than what is standard? No problem. Looking for a rec room that can transform into an in-law suite when necessary? That is doable, too.
“When we’re looking at the houses that are available on the market, it’s a huge feat to find a perfect home that meets all of a homeowner’s specific needs, and even renovating a house can usually only go so far in getting exactly what we may want,” says James Anthony of Anthony Homes, a Guelph-based builder that works one-on-one with clients to build their dream home from the ground up.
“Working with Anthony Homes to design the house together gives you the freedom to specify exactly what works for you. Pretty much everyone knows their budget limit, but they may not know exactly what it will get them. We get stars in our eyes when we think ‘dream home’! When it comes to custom home building, my advice to clients as we sit down together is to consider the following,” says James.
Prioritize your needs
His first suggestion is to prioritize your needs compared with what would be nice to have. He encourages creating a scoring sheet or similar system, especially when the home is being built by more than one homeowner. “It’s a great communication tool to explore what matters most to you both and checking all high priority boxes.”
Have financing in order
As you work out the project cost, know where the funds will come from to pay for it. Have you been saving? Or will you need to arrange for a mortgage or construction financing? Having financing in order reduces the stress of planning the build, says James. “Further, we work closely to discern what design features mean from a cost perspective and give clients options to consider to stay on budget.”
Involve us in your planning
James says his ultimate goal at Anthony Homes is to draw on his knowledge and experience to provide the right information to help clients meet their goals while remaining realistic about the exciting journey that’s ahead. His team of professionals starts working with customers at the design phase. This ensures all homeowners’ needs are accounted for from the start while looking at other considerations such as municipal zoning bylaws and soil conditions. All these factors need to be considered in the initial phases to ensure successful execution of your dream home, says James.
“Every relationship is built on a foundation of solid communication and mutual understanding, and working with a home builder is no different. We put the time into these conversations, and give honest advice, so that the process goes as smoothly as possible,” says James.