Let’s explore how to identify your custom home design priorities and what you really want.
If you’ve been thinking about designing and building a new home for any amount of time, chances are your ideas have changed somewhat as you’ve talked to different people and looked at different inspiration photos. This is completely normal!
What you DON’T want to do, however, is continue changing your mind based on what OTHER people think. Read on to find out what advice I give my clients as we work through their custom home design and how it carries through the construction phase of new home-building as well.
IDENTIFYING AND RANKING YOUR HOME DESIGN PRIORITIES
First off, what is your big reason for wanting a new home? And what makes you interested in designing a custom home? Answering these two questions will get you started on the path to identifying what your design priorities are.
Once you know what they are, then you can start to RANK them according to the highest want/need down to the lowest.
Other important questions that can help with this process include:
- Who will be making the monthly payments?
- Who will be living in the home?
- What stage of life are you in (read here for more tips on designing for different stages of life)
- How long do you plan to stay in this particular home?
- What are the external factors that may impact the home design decisions (neighborhood covenants, building restrictions, climate considerations, nearby or on-site groundwater issues, proximity to schools, banks, & shopping, etc)?
TRUSTING YOURSELF
It can be so easy to be swayed by the opinion of our mothers, sisters, friends, co-workers, and HGTV (gotta love a good Fixer Upper episode!). If you only remember one thing from this post, remember this: TRUST YOURSELF FIRST!
No matter how convincing your mother-in-law’s story is about how she needed a large kitchen to feed her seven children, it won’t be applicable to you if you don’t have seven children and if you don’t like to cook.
I see it often with my clients – their first, gut decision is the one they almost always come back to in the end.
So, talk to other people who have different life experiences or who have lived longer than you. Get their perspectives. Listen to their stories. And then, take ONLY what is applicable to you.
TOP HOME DESIGN PRIORITIES TO CONSIDER
The top 12 priorities I ask my clients to rank, from high to low, are:
- Budget (typically at the top of the list)
- Aesthetics (curb appeal)
- Size (total square footage AND be aware of the individual room sizing inside, too)
- Features (like fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, decks, etc)
- Functionality (how well does the home support the way you live in it?)
- Accessibility (do you need to consider future aging issues or possible injuries, illnesses, or aging parents living with you?)
- Property Location
- Views, if any
- Lifestyle (do you prefer rural or city living, hosting family and friends or keeping to yourself?)
- Hobbies (what kinds of activities and interests do you want to develop or maintain?)
- Outdoor living (what kind of connection to the outdoors should the home have?)
- Life Stages (what is your current stage of life and will you live there through others also?)
CLOSING
Remember, your home is an extension of YOU! It is where all of your best ideas come to life and where your greatest dreams can be realized. Your home is the setting for your life story. Design your new home with purpose and with care for what the future may hold for you.
Still need someone to talk through your home goals and needs? Drop a comment below with your burning questions or feel free to follow us on your favorite social media channel (we’re on IG, FB, and LinkedIn) @domanihomedesign.
Interested in designing dream homes for dream clients? Learn more at www.squarefootsuperhero.com or @squarefootsuperhero on IG, FB, Pinterest, and YouTube.