Building a home in Houston is a very exciting time for any owner. Being informed of the potential surprises can prepare the owners for possible emotional letdowns.
House building is in fact an emotional journey that anyone should be properly prepared for before they take.
Custom home building is always an elaborate and complex process entailing several challenges along the way.
And if that custom house happens to be built according to your specifications rather than that of the home designers, you can have a ton of surprises on your plate, unless, of course, you have prepared well to meet them in advance.
Building a home in Houston is great as they contain everything that you would desire to be in your personal dwelling rather than having to adjust to something that a custom builder would design for a spec sale.
Custom home building allows you can choose the best features from around your neighborhood or online catalogs and have your house designer incorporate them into your luxury home design.
The architectural design features, chosen according to your preference, can provide function, style, convenience, and comfort to your life and new house.
Although home construction in Houston is exciting and rewarding because you have put your personal stamp on selecting every feature therein. The process can produce unexpected and unwanted surprises for both you and the house builders.
Unless you are careful, sundry pitfalls can derail your construction plans and make you rue the consequences in the long term.
Let us take you through the possible surprises any house building process can offer so that you are not caught off guard when you are confronted with these challenges while building a home.
Additionally, you may read our resource on the process of building a custom home according to your specifications.
Learn and Expect These Surprises When Building a Home in Houston
Building a Home in Houston Surprise List to Expect
Have you zeroed in on one of the Houston home builders to give shape to your dream luxury home design replete with your favorite features and specifications?
Undoubtedly, these would make you feel proud and happy when you see your family feel cocooned in the warmth of your new house.
So, without much ado, let us learn about the surprises that building a home in Houston can offer.
Building a Home in Houston Surprise List
- The schedule may not always go as per the plan
- Design a house with future needs in mind
- Move in after everything is completed
- Plan space for storage
- Know what to expect from your home builder
- Plan a contingency fund
The schedule may not always go as per the plan
So, your custom home builder gave you a schedule of say, 12 months, to complete the construction of your house?
Remember, any construction activity need will not automatically happen but rather requires planning contingencies for consequences you may not have any idea to plan for.
For example, how do you plan for unexpected weather events or subcontractors crew that goes renegade?
The number one issue resulting in schedule delays is adverse weather. Followed by subcontractor crews being poorly scheduled.
Another common more recent cause of delays is material availability delays or backorders.
House building issues may come to light during a compliance inspection, which requires corrections or modifications to existing work.
So, whenever your house builder gives you a construction activity schedule, take it as a general guideline only.
Don’t hinge on your plans of gaining entry into the completed structure based on the schedule alone.
Make allowances for contingencies as mentioned earlier and think that the schedule, in most likelihood, is not going to pan out as per your wish.
This knowledge can save you and your family from getting frustrated when you see the deadline getting extended, again and again.
Design house with future needs in mind
Your custom built house is going to last for many years, even decades. And what may appear to be perfect as per today’s house design, may not always stay the same down the road.
Today, if you build your house for your family comprising 4 – 5 members what happens when they grow up and the space becomes compact for their ever-growing needs?
Why not think about the changes your family may go through in terms of the number of members in the future and direct your custom home designer accordingly?
Envision a plan with a 5 – 10 years perspective and incorporate specifications into your building plans accordingly.
For instance, your kitchen (and dining space) may need additional space a few years down the line when your family grows.
This aspect needs to be taken into account while designing the floor plan with your chosen home designer.
To make a long story short, prepare a building plan for the long term and not what appears to be right and adequate in the short term.
You may read our blog on house builders and the design build approach they may take in completing your custom house.
Move in after everything is completed
The excitement of moving into a new custom built house cannot be defined in words.
In fact, once the contractor starts giving the finishing touches to the major portions of your house, you and your family may just lose patience and want to move in as early as possible.
But this may not always be a good idea to move into a house that still has a need to be completed.
For instance, your garage storage may have remained incomplete, the wood floors may need one final coat of sealer or the final inspection from the inspectors has not been completed.
You may be of the view that these can be addressed once you move into the property. Your decision to move in early could result in further setbacks or longer delays.
However, that may not always be the case, for the construction debris and dust left behind after doing last-minute finishes later can overwhelm the decor of your newly painted house.
Also, once you move in, you may get busy with life and these little unfinished jobs may not always remain at the top of your priority list.
And whenever you think of completing them at a later date, the little jobs may turn out to be pieces of work that you wished had been completed earlier.
So, move into your dream abode only when every aspect of your house is completed to your satisfaction.
Plan space for storage
You must be wondering why storage should be given importance when other aspects such as finishing or adding features should be your prime focus.
It is not usual to get excited about creating storage spaces, for most of the time you would be consumed with giving finishing touches to your master bathroom or bedroom or choosing the best materials for the floors or cabinetry.
But experience suggests that most homeowners would prefer additional storage spaces rather than features like a deeper bathtub.
Such storage spaces can come in handy when your family grows or when there is an event in the home and there are invitees galore.
If you have incorporated additional storage spaces in your design plan, they will serve you well when the invitees look for places to keep their wares.
Know what to expect from your home builder
Arguably the most important criteria to be kept in mind before the construction process gets underway.
While going about building a home in Houston, choose a Houston custom builder with the right experience, reputation, and expertise.
Do thorough research including visiting their finished properties or talking to their clientele. Yes, you should ask for referrals and reviews before choosing a particular professional.
Since the entire construction project will ultimately be helmed by your builder, it makes sense to get the best person that fits your needs.
Don’t invest in a rookie and repent later.
The construction issues with the wrong house builder may leave you with can be a drain on your resources down the years.
And yes, insist on a contract agreement with exit clauses in place before the first shovel is lifted on your premises.
You may view our video to know the kind of questions you should ask before choosing a contractor.
Plan a contingency fund
A construction loan may cover the majority of expenses comprising the budgeted line items.
However, there can be expenses galore, which may come out of the blue and take you by surprise or should we say shock.
The most common unexpected expenses arise when you are selecting finishes for your custom house.
When you are shopping for finished products for your house and you upgrade some items because you want them.
This is common and happens all the time. Think of the many products that you select to go into your custom built house.
If you select 100 items and each item is 20% above your allowance, the amount of expenditure will be surprised at the end of the custom house building experience.
A contingency fund should be set aside before you give the finishing touches to the home design plan of your custom house and save a lot of stress.
Conclusion
Building a home in Houston takes time, money, and lots of effort. But unless you are thorough with your research and plan for the long term, you may be in for a lot of surprises during and after the construction process.
Don’t be caught napping when sudden contingencies crop up or the flaws in the design process reveal themselves. Your custom house is a lifetime investment and not something to be done in overnight.
Prepare well in advance by keeping every aspect of the construction process in mind and getting rewarded in the end. To know more about the things, you should know before building your home, read a blog.
