At P.L. Lyons, we understand the custom homebuilding process because it’s what we do day in and day out. We know that the brainstorming, planning, time, and money spent on a new home project matters (or at least it should) to both the home builder, the specialists involves, and the homeowners. Today, we want to share our guide to building a new, custom home from local, luxury builders like our team of expert builders, architect, and craftsmen.
Before You Begin
Before you can truly begin the actual home building process, it is important to complete a few tasks to get started. These preliminary tasks will set the right foundation (pun intended) for a successful project and help make the process easier and more efficient.
Make a Budget
Before you get into the nitty gritty financial details of your home build, look at the numbers. A custom, luxury home build could become out of scope without the proper mindset and without doing a little research with the help of builders like us on what decisions should be made and what allowances can be set. Setting a budget before you even break ground on a property is best to stay away from mounds of additional funds for add-ons. A budget keeps both the home builder and the homeowner accountable and in check for expenses.
Set a Time Frame
It is easy to get carried away when you are invested into the project itself. If you set up a timeline at the beginning of the home building process, you are far more likely to stick to it or only sway off course by a small fraction of time. Without a set time frame, projects can tend to stretch for weeks, months, and even years past the original date due to additions, indecisiveness, and unexpected delays.
Do Preliminary Research
Its okay to not know exactly what you want when you begin building your new custom home, but giving us an idea of your preferred styles/examples of houses you like will only increase our ability to make your dream home become a reality. Before you can actually begin the design and building stage of your home build, you should pick a lot(s) that interests you. That said, no worries if you can’t find “the one,” because our team also helps our clients find the perfect lot that fits their wants and needs!
Now that you have these three fundamental aspects of home building in place, you can begin the design phase of your build.
Design Your Dream Home
There are many aspects that make up the design phase of your new custom home build. Ben Robbins and Robbins Architecture serves as our in-house architect who works with clients to design and create custom house plans. If you have existing plans that need to be modified or are working from scratch, our architect can bring your thoughts and ideas to life through his expertise in the industry and years of experience to back it up.
Here are some of the main aspects of the design phase that you need to consider as a homeowner:
- Size of your home
- Rooms (1-20+)
- Amenities (2-3 car garage, etc.)
- Restrictions (handicap accessible, no stairs, etc.)
- Elevation/Stories (1-4)
- Layout: Open concept, simple design, farmhouse, modern, craftsman, etc.
- Style Preferences: Materials used, style of home, colors, themes, textures, patterns, etc.
- Special Features: Pool, wrap-around porch, gardens, archways, etc.
- Green Design: If you are someone who keeps the planet in mind, there are green designs available that produce less waste and are more eco-friendly.
We are not a stock-builder, meaning that each and every home we build is custom to the homeowner. Each project is different and the details matter to us just as they do to you! If you are about to embark on building a new custom home, let P.L. Lyons be your trusted, local builder in Louisville or surrounding counties. Through our 4-phase homebuilding process, we ensure your vision is built into the design and functionality of your home. If you want to visualize what your future custom-built home process could look like, download our Visual Timeline here. It walks you through the process step-by-step!
Contact our team if you would like to discuss beginning the process of building your dream home today or see our previous work here.
