The good, the bad and the ugly
building a custom home
When we decided to build a custom home, I was so excited thinking it was going to be so fun – and while it was, it was also A LOT of work, research and due diligence. We’re hoping this blog will give you all the info – good, bad and ugly so you are prepared to build your own custom home!
The first step to build your own custom home is to find vacant land, if you haven’t already secured land to build on, check out our blog on purchasing vacant land here!
If you already have land – Congratulations! This is a big step towards getting your custom home started!
Building Considerations
When you first decide to build, the biggest thing you think about is picking out all the pretty stuff (at least I did) but there is so so so much more to consider – here is the grocery list of items to research and consider when building (and feel free to contact us if you have any specific questions – we have been where you are!)
Hot tip: keep things that are hard to change more neutral (ex. Tile) and have fun with things that are easy to change!
1. House size, style & Layout– look online to get some inspo before you go to an architect on what it is that you like/dont like – bunglaow or two story, size, # of beds, baths, open concept or not, material on the outside
2.House Location on the property – how much frontage, backyard, driveway space do you want? Do you need room to build a pool or shed later?
3. Builder- Who is going to build your home? I recommend looking for a reputable builder that is local to the area you are building – they will have connections, trades, and relationships locally that could save you $ in the long run. Go and see some of their past projects, ask how they bill you, what is the timeline, do they offer tarion warranty.
4. Permits – what documentation do you need for a permit in your area? Sometimes builders will manage the permits, sometimes you do it yourself. Are there any restrictions to where you can build on your land, what size your property can be, what type of materials are used?
5. Materials- You will need to consider the types of materials you use for everything from exterior cladding to countertops and tiles. Think about these imporant factors:
- Upkeep & maintenence – do you needto repaint or stain wood on the exterior? Are you choosing porus marble countertops that will need to be sealed?
- Amount of traffic – consider how well materials hpld up with foot traffic, use, dirt/salt/snow – consider more durable materials for high traffic areas
- Cost – some materials are more than others – where do you want to splurge and where can you get a good dupe that will save the budget? We chose more expensive kitchen countertops and less expensive ones for areas that aren’t seen like laundry room and pantry.
Costs Associated with Building
Outside of purchasing the land, many people think that you just pay the builder to build the house and thats it but the truth is there are other costs that you need to factor into your custom home project:
- Building permit and development charges- The cost of this varies by area but we paid 25K for permits and development charges – including the building permit, the county and municipality development charges, and charges to register the fire number
- Architectural Drawings/Building Plans- You will need to pay a licensed architect to draw up plans for your home. You will meet with them numerous times to review the layout, style and all the little details before they provide you with stamped drawings that can be used to get your permit. The cost of architects varies by area, how well known they are and their scope. We paid around 7K for our design and building plans.
- Cost to build- Once you are ready to build, you have the cost per square foot to build the home – this includes labour, materials and finishing. This amount varies by the quality and level of finishes you choose. Right now in Ontario this can be anywhere from $350 +/sq. foot. We choose good quality finishes but didn’t have marble everywhere and we ran about $400/sq foot.
- Living expenses– A lot of people need to sell their current home to fund their new build – so where are you going to live in the meantime? We chose to buy and RV to live in during our build but this could also be the cost of a rental or living with relatives.
- Cost to borrow money- Most people have to borrow money to fund their build – a lot of times this means non traditional lending until the build is completed and you can apply for a traditional mortgage -these non traditional products typically come at a higher interest rate or fees to set up.
Building custom is not for the faint of heart – if you aren’t really wealthy and can hire someone to design every inch, research everything, check in on progress and manage the build a lot of this falls on you and let me tell you it is a full time job with a lot of decisions to be made! Be prepared to have decision overload, have to get creative with finances and make sacrifices on materials or items to stay in budget or avoid delays. It is totally worth it when you get the keys to your new home, but get ready to roll up your sleeves along the way!
