A fancy bathtub, kitchen tiles sourced from Italy, a wraparound porch. As you’re planning your new, custom build, it’s normal to be excited about all the possibilities—the special features and finishes you’ve always wanted in your dream home.
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But often, budgets are limited. Some busy future homeowners also want to help customize and personalize their home by choosing the features and finishes themselves. That takes time, however, and will likely add to the length of the project as the number of features continues to grow and the homeowner struggles to find time.
With custom home builds, it’s okay not to have it all. To make your project less stressful and more pleasant, it helps to decide which features you can’t live without and which you can compromise on. Some homeowners find only after they’ve completed a build that they included items they rarely use. Think about your needs, and current and anticipated future lifestyle, as you plan your project. Setting realistic goals that include possible compromises and cuts also helps to reduce overconsumption and protects the planet.
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Consider these top six types of compromises and cuts that can be made during planning and construction of new home builds:
1. Forgo a tub in the master bath. A big, freestanding bathtub can be a nice focal point in a master bath, but in recent years some homeowners have decided to leave out a tub in the master bath and instead use the space for a shower. Not including a tub can save both money and time spent agonizing over the right tub.
2. Saving items for future installation. Maybe you want a pool or an elevator installed in your custom build, but you just don’t have the funds. The groundwork can be laid for items like pools and elevators during your build, making it less expensive for you to complete the installation down the road.
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3. Think about rooms you can combine. Some homeowners choose to combine rooms they don’t use all the time to cut down on costs. For example, if you don’t frequently have guests who stay with you, you could combine a guest room with an office. Other homeowners have paired their dining room with a library.
4. Ditch the porch. Porches in Houston, where temperatures can top 100 degrees in summer, are more often than not designed for a particular look and are infrequently used, especially on the front of the house. On a tight budget? Consider forgoing a porch.
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5. Reconsider sky-high ceilings. High ceilings look and feel great. They can open up rooms and researchers have found they just make us feel good. But they also cost more to build and they can cause heating and cooling costs to add up.
6. Scale back the size of your kitchen island. Kitchen islands can help your kitchen flow and provide a great space for food prep. The average kitchen island measures at about 3 feet deep by 6 ½ feet long. Some people like to have even bigger islands, but those over 5 feet deep are just too large to efficiently use or clean. Creating a large island for your kitchen also adds a good deal to building costs.
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As you’re planning and executing your custom home build, keep in mind these six compromises and cuts. If you find yourself nearing the end of your budget or you’re too busy to take the time to browse all the features and finishes you might want, consider scaling back, at least for now. It’s okay not to have it all, and you can always add additional features later.
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