If you visited any of the models on the Spring Parade of Homes here in the Twin Cities this past weekend you may be dreaming up new ideas for building your dream home. This might mean you are starting a checklist of all the things you want to include in your new home design for when you do decide to take that exciting next step. This part of the process can be super fun, but also a bit overwhelming and so full of ideas that you don’t know where to start. That’s where we come in, to help you build that ultimate checklist for building your dream home.

This checklist is meant to help get you on the right track, narrow in on your ideas and give you a preview of the overall process.

1. Create a vision board.

This is where you can go crazy and dream big! What else is Pinterest meant for, right!? Create a board (or multiple boards) and place all of those dreamy ideas in there. Consider separating out the “needs,” “wants,” “dreams,” and “don’t wants.” Providing too many options to your designer could cause confusion and potentially create a lot of back and forth before narrowing things down. No one said building your dream home would be easy as pinning your dream home ;)

2. Keep it simple.

Building your dream home is no small feat and there are tons of different resources and ideas out there for inspiration. Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram, the list goes on and sometimes it can become overwhelming with all of the ideas that you like. This is where we suggest keeping it simple and really narrowing down your vision board. Make a list of each room and what it is that you specifically want, or better yet, what you specifically need. For example, instead of showing five different tile options that you might like for your kitchen backsplash, narrow that down to one or two, so you have less to worry about when starting the design process with your builder.

3. Know your budget.

When you begin to think seriously about building your dream home, knowing what you can afford is crucial. So many times we see lofty ideas that don’t always fit within what the budget allows. Having conversations about your budget with your builder and designer right away will help them provide you costs and expectations within the budget you have set. They will work with you on where you can save money on certain pieces, therefore giving you a bit more flex for certain upgrades. Because let’s be honest, everyone loves an upgrade or two :) even us!

4. Understanding critical design factors.

This is another area where we sometimes see some lofty ideas that…well…just aren’t realistic. Take into consideration your climate and what’s feasible for windows or doors, your lot and the square footage you have to work within or your city/towns building codes and requirements. For example, large openings onto a porch or deck and the ability to screen those in, to keep out that pesky Minnesota state bird…mosquitos. These things all factor into your design options when it comes to building your dream home.

5. Pick your team.

Time to start assembling your dream team! You’ve got a good start of ideas on what you might want in your new home but now what? Do your research and look into builders and designers that will work for you and the home you want to build. Ask friends, family members and neighbors on if you they have any recommendations. Better yet, get out and view the Parade of Homes models to really get an idea for what each builder and designer does. You will quickly figure out what their style is and if it matches up with yours.

6. Understand your schedule and timelines.

We know you want your home finished as soon as possible, but reality is, typical homes can take anywhere from 5-8 months from dig date to completion. With that in mind, you probably have a general date you want your project finished by, therefore starting conversations as soon as you can is ideal. Don’t expect to kick things off with a builder and designer and start digging the next month. Talk to your builder or designer about their front end process and how much time is needed for plan development, what selections are needed prior to dig and the timeframe for staging bids and pulling permits.

7. Designing your custom home.

This is the really fun part! Instead of having to adapt to an existing home layout, this is your opportunity to design the home of your dreams that actually matches your needs! Say what? Think about the way you and your family live, the flow of how you might want your home, the fun features such as countertops, hardware and light fixtures, these are all up to you! And of course your designer will be there the whole time crafting up ways to make your home come to life just as you have dreamt it.

8. Communicate about everything.

Now that you’ve selected your dream team make sure to communicate with them about everything! Your team is made of experts in their fields and are great listeners. Set and establish communication patterns and what works best for you as a team. Be sure to always ask questions if you are unsure of something in the process. Also, technology is your friend here—many builders have special websites or apps, such a Builder Trend, that outline the plan and keep track of the progress.

There you have it! A simple checklist that helps in the process for building your dream home. There are lots of other little steps in between and we’ll be sharing more and more as we roll out other blog posts, but we’ve found these to be some of the more crucial ones when starting out.

If you have any questions or are ready to start the home building process, we’d love to hear from you!