The most important step is secure a buildable lot, before you buy a lot you will want to meet with your local building department to make sure there are no special attachments to the lot, sometimes your realtor will do this leg work to ensure a smooth transition.
The second step is to look in home design magazines and internet photos to get a feel for what you would like your home to look like.
When you have a basic idea of a floor plan then its time to meet with an architect and go over lot details and build designs.
If you talk a builder a lot of times they will be able to point you in the right direction to secure an architect.
If you have already purchased land to build on, than your next step would be to interview designers or architects. Not all jurisdictions require you use a licensed architect this allows you the opportunity to use the services of a home designer.
What to look for in a design professional? Not only do designers have the job of turning your dreams into a functional, structurally sound and beautiful home… but they need to know all the “ins and outs” of the building industry. We, as custom home designers, literally build your home on paper before your plans are submitted for the proper permits. This means we need to know everything from what will pass through the building and planning departments to what will pass inspection to what kind of building materials are best for your project. All these factors will affect your time, money and pleasure involved in your building process.
There are several questions you should ask before hiring any design professional. Such as:
How will the designer approach your project and what steps are involved in the design process?
What does the designer see as important issues, challenges, and/or considerations in your project design, and how will they deal with them?
What documents will you need to provide to the designer?
What additional services, if any, does the designer provide or offer to you (3D exterior/interior)?
What are the designers qualifications?
(here is another good question) Whom will you be dealing with directly?
Does the designer have a list of happy clients you can contact.
Do you have a contractor in mind? If not can the designer make any referrals?
Beware of referrals? You might wonder why we say that. We have found that in this industry that some referrals don’t come without cost. Example. Some designers will refer a builder or builders and if you hire one of their recommended builders they receive a kickback for the recommendation (this also can happen in reverse if the contractor refers the design professional). The same can happen with referrals by real estate and other professionals as well. We personally have decided not to work this way. So when we make a referral to our clients for a contractor, other professional or for that matter even recommend a product, it is based on our experience and trust in that professional, product, etc.
