If you have an eye for detail and are looking for a home that is custom tailored to your personality and the way you live, hiring a designer is one of the best decisions that you will make. You can hire a builder that has a designer on staff but then you are limited to that designer. Their design skills might be set to a style that isn’t what you want and they might not be able to really deliver the feeling and finish that you are looking for. The designer is the person who has total control of your outcome and unless you are completely happy with their understanding of what you’re looking for, their capacity to deliver, and their communication with you I would look for a different alternative.

Getting Your Designer and Builder Lined Up

Finding a designer you love and hiring a separate builder to do the work can have its challenges. One of the most important questions is when to involve the builder. If you involve the builder too soon then they will be spending time and money organizing design details that aren’t yet finalized by the designer or that might change. If you involve the builder too late the designers might have spent time and money designing something that is out of your price range or the builder might not be able to accommodate it in the schedule that you had planned for. The builder will also have a keener eye for structural requirements and other construction elements that might require changing the design. Especially if you are renovating in a condominium.

getting designers and builders in line

Efficiently Building Your Dream Custom Home

So what’s the best way to get your dream home built with efficiency and an ability to enjoy to process? It starts with the designer. Find a designer that really understands your dream, but who also brings new ideas to the table opening up a whole new level of possibilities and excitement. Have the designer prepare your preliminary plans and intended finishes. Next get a free quote from a builder and confirm if they feel the timelines are reasonable and if they have the availability to do the project. Also be sure to have them consult on any issues you may have with city permits and get them to check for structural and construction concerns. With your preliminary design and rough estimate from the builder in hand, have the designers do their final adjustments to the plans and complete their final material selections. Once they are done it can get passed to the builder who will go out and get all of the items quoted and present you with an accurate budget.

When you follow this process and have a team around you that really cares not only about the final outcome, but also about your experience through the entire process, then you are well on your way to a dream build.