1) Know what you are getting into: There are a lot of things you need to consider before you take on building a house. The first one being the massive time commitment building is. You’ll want to spend a lot of time at the house making sure things are getting done correctly so factor that into your decision.

Building is hard on a marriage. Money flies when you are building so there is financial stress. If you are like most people that’ve worked incredibly hard and saved money for years to be able to build a home

Stressing about finances always causes strain on a marriage and costs always end up being higher than you think they will be when you build. It can also be stressful when you don’t agree on design decisions.


I just think knowing what you are getting into and possibly talking to your significant other about how you will deal with these issues when they come up is a good thing!

2) Hire the right people. I really can’t stress this enough. Especially if you have no previous experience building. This is the single most important decision you will make because you will be working so closely with your builder/architect throughout the process and your overall building experience is largely determined by your relationship with them. Do your homework before you make your decision. Interview and meet with lots of builders and ask for referrals. It’s also smart to ask for names and numbers of the last three people they worked for to get an accurate view of how people felt about their building experience with that builder. Look for clues that tell you what they will be like to work with.

3) Plan, plan and plan some more. I can’t stress to you enough how much easier things will go if you have a good idea of what you want in your home before you start building. Once things start moving it is a whirlwind of decisions being thrown at you daily. Time is money when you are building a house and it is extremely stressful to have to slow things down because you just can’t decide what tile you want in the kids’ bathroom. Pick out as much as you can before you start!

4) Think about cabinet and furniture placement early on in the design phase. Whether you buy existing plans or create your own, it’s important to think about how the furniture layout will work. Where will your couch and chairs go? Beds? Is there really enough room to fit the furniture you want?

5.) Communicate everything and don’t assume anything. While there is no way to avoid mistakes, you can minimize them by being specific and making it very clear what your expectations are. SO many mistakes happen simply because of miscommunication.

Good communication is key when building or remodeling!

6) Be kind to everyone involved in your building process. Framers, cement crew, drywall installers, electricians, painters, carpenters, etc. –


You will work with these people closely and the better your relationship with them is, the smoother everything will go


Like I’ve said before, building can be stressful and it’s important to keep your cool and remember that the people working on your house are doing their best too. Show them the kindness and appreciation they deserve.

7) Listen to professionals but know when to trust your gut. There will be so many things during your building process that you don’t know and understand and that’s when it’s time to listen to the people you trust. Your architect, contractor and (if you’ve hired one) your designer. That being said, I think it is SO important to know when to trust your gut. That little voice inside of you who knows what you really want but might be afraid to say it because you’re intimidated, unsure or so overwhelmed with everything going on around you.

While there will be mistakes made and stressful days, there will also be days of complete joy and excitement while you are building your house. It is an amazing thing to see your vision come to life right in front of your eyes. Remember how fortunate you are to have the opportunity to create this future home for you and your family and enjoy the little things during the process that make you happy.