custom home build mistakes

Common custom home build mistakes to be avoided on a custom home build:

1. Not hiring an architect first.

One of the first custom home build mistakes is not initially engaging an architect.  Licensed architects bring a great deal of experience and expertise to avoid custom home build mistakes.  Interestingly, clients are happy to pay a real estate agent 6% but believe engaging an architect is an unwarranted cost.  Ironically, architect’s can create many budget savings in the building project should clients adhere to their professional advice.

Often clients get enticed into thin, lightweight and loosely worded building contracts.  Ambiguous and poorly drafted contracts always favor the builder’s commercial interest and profits.  The builder’s cost base and profit margins compete with the client’s interest of fair, cost-effective and quality house design.  Some clients are induced into cost plus contracts and believe the Architect has superfluous skills and an unwarranted cost.  Signing a builder’s contract prior to the custom house design is putting the ‘cart before the horse’.  When clients acquiesce their advantage and agree to a builder’s  profit margins its“…like a fox guarding the hen house…”.

2. Purchasing the incorrect site lot.

Selecting the wrong lot can be listed in custom home build mistakes and fatal flaw for a building budget.  Many clients do not hold a contingency sum for unforeseen budget increases.  Often it is the site gradient/slope that clever considered architectural design cannot mitigate budget blowouts.  The essential considerations when purchasing a lot are: site gradient, services, zoning, building code, building footprint and neighborhood context.  Working with architects can help lot selection and plan the residence is critical to avoid custom home build mistakes.

3. Setting an unrealistic budget.

It’s important to set a budget early to avoid one of the most common custom home build mistakes.  Many clients have a general idea of the area requirements of their architectural brief.  However, clients are often surprised how many square feet/meters is actually required to accommodate service, walls and circulation space.  Early in the architectural design process; building budgets are typically calculated multiplying the gross area by the current market rate.  Clients who do not set realistic building budget is at the top of the list for custom home build mistakes.

4. Rushing the architectural design.

Rushing architectural design can lead to problems during construction; resulting in contract variations and budget challenges.  Taking time during the sketch design and design development phases can ensure a smooth construction phase.  Architects superintend the building contract with the builder so ensuring competent and complete working drawings is best practice.  Thorough working drawings prevent rampant contract paperwork with; architects instructions, contract variations, contract sum adjustments and extensions of time.

5. Future-proofing.

It’s important to consider your current and future lifestyle when planning the spatial layout during the architectural design phase.  Future proofing the architectural layout can avoid further custom home build mistakes.  The only constant in life is change and a competent architectural design embraces that issue and plans for it.  Astute architects maximize your building asset investment by ensuring the residence has room for growth.  An architectural design that is cognizant of the future facilitates increased value for purchasers should you decide to sell.  Ask the architect to design with flexibility in mind and provide him detail on your lifestyle. The architectural brief can also include lifestyle changes in 10 or 20 years.

6. Wrong builder selection.

Clients can research builders by talking to other homeowners, reading reviews, and checking references.  How does one assess a builder’s labor costs, material costs, profit margins, workmanship and ultimately value for money?  Wrong builder selection is one of the most costly custom home build mistakes.  I’ve met individuals after the fact, who rue and regret their choices in the procurement of their biggest investment.  The saying, “…hindsight is a beautiful thing…” is especially true in construction.

Clients are better served by engaging an architect who is governed by the State’s Architects Act and Regulations.  Architects generate cost effective competitive market results through a bid/tender process followed by superintendence during project construction. 

Clients obtain value when incorporating a robust, equitable and fair contract that provides for a third party superintend role. Under the contract, Architects assess any monetary variations of the builder with a pre-agreed rate for builder’s profit margin. Builders don’t have the same strict legislative controls as an Architect with oversight from a governing Architects Board.