In a bid to own a home, you have different options. You will have the alternative of designing and building a custom home. Also available is the option of buying a prebuilt home or working with contractors to modify a property.
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The process of owning a custom home differs extensively from other options. Building a custom home is demanding. It may also require enormous capital and careful planning. But when you finally succeed in owning a custom home, the benefits are worth the stress.

​Below are some benefits you can only get from custom homes:

• You can maximize the space and functionality of the property.
• The designs are specific to meet your needs and suit your lifestyle.
• Sometimes, it may be cheaper than a prebuilt home.
• You can build it to satisfy your future needs such that you wouldn’t need any remodelling.
• It allows you to build where you want.

​However, you can also make mistakes while trying to build a custom home. The mistakes you should avoid here include:

• Hiring the wrong builder for your custom home.
• Choosing the wrong location for the property.
• Considering materials only because of their aesthetics.
• Failing to plan for the long term.
• Looking for something else that wasn’t in the plan.
• Adding rooms or features that you don’t need.
• Losing track of how you want to use the space.

​To avoid these mistakes, the following are the things you should consider when building a custom home:

1.     Know the right sequence

​Some people think that the sequence to use when building a custom home is to buy the land, get the plan, and hire a builder. However, that sequence is wrong. If you want to construct a custom home, the perfect progression is to draw the plan, get a builder, look for suitable land.
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If you follow the proper sequence, it will prevent you from imposing your custom home on a lot that will not suit it.
 
2.     Your design

When you are thinking of a custom home, you want to create a distinctive home design. Doing so will make your home unique and will also meet your taste. There are numerous design options that you may want to consider. But before you settle for any design, you should consider the functionality.

Your daily routine will also help you to choose an appropriate design for your custom home. For instance, if you prefer sitting outdoors, then you consider including a patio area.

The options and designs may be overwhelming. But you can pick at least two or three designs that you like, then combine the ideas. It is also preferable to differentiate your needs from your wants.
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When you settle for a design, ensure that your architect and builder work together. Doing this will prevent you from getting a contractor that cannot build the type of custom home of your choice.

3.     Find the right builder

When building a custom home, it is vital to have a strict process to help you choose the right builder. That is because the builder you settle on determines the success of the building process.

It would be best if you choose a builder that has constructed something similar in the past. Also, your builder should have the necessary license, insurance, experience, and competence. You should be able to see their documents during the screening process. If you choose the wrong builder, you may not be able to construct the custom home of your dream.
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4.     Find the right land

After deciding on a design and hiring a builder, it would be best to liaise with the builder to get the right lot for the type of custom home you want. The location you chose can limit the type of home you build.

Different lots have specific factors that influence houses. Ensure that you consider the following:

• Building codes of the area
• Zoning issues
• Soil type, topography, and quality
• Presence of groundwater and underground rocks
• Environmental climates
• Process for linking utilities
• Style of other homes in the vicinity
• The average value of homes in the neighborhood
• Proximity to your place of work or business
• Proximity to amenities such as medical services, schools, recreational centers, fitness centers, clubhouses, etc.

5.     Your budget
Your budget is essential if you choose to build a custom home. In your budget, you should consider the lot, floor plan, and interior design. If the land is rocky, steep, or has several trees, your budget should include; blasting rocks, landscaping, and tree cutting.
 
The floor plan of your choice should be affordable. Avoid adding extra rooms that may increase your budget. Also, your budget should include interior designs such as the type of floors, walls, painting, and cabinets.
 
There may be some unexpected modifications and delays during the construction process. We advise that you make room for them. Despite the stress of building a custom home, your custom home will be beneficial and satisfying.

Choosing to build a custom home - a home that's designed around you and your family's lifestyle - can produce a rewarding home that you'll enjoy for many years. However, it's important to understand the pitfalls, and follow a route that will provide you with the best results and the least stress.

About the Author:
North County Property Group provides San Diego property management, vacation rental services, and real estate sales & leasing in the various communities throughout San Diego County.

If you are building or renovating your home and doing it yourself you are going to need building materials. These materials could range from bricks, to concrete, steel, timber, ceramic tiles, windows, doors, pipes, plumbing fittings and more.

Of course sometimes even when you have engaged a building contractor to do some of the work you may have elected to supply some of the building materials - possibly because you thought you could save money, maybe you could get the material cheaper through contacts or discounts, or in some cases the contractor only supplies labour for the work as they don't have the financial means to purchase the materials.

In our article Purchasing Building Materials For Your Home Building Project we discussed some of the pitfalls to purchasing building materials for your home construction project and how to avoid mistakes.

Then in our article Why are you waiting for materials for your home construction project? we explained that some materials are not immediately available and they may have to be ordered several weeks, even months in advance to allow for them to be manufactures and transported to the project.

​In this article we discuss what you should consider when ordering building materials for your home construction or renovation project.

When ordering materials make sure that:

• The correct product with the correct specification is ordered. There’re pipes and pipes, timber and timber, bricks and bricks and they’re not all exactly the same. They come in different grades and strengths. Some can’t be used outside, some can’t be used in wet areas and some are more hard wearing than others. If in doubt ask experts, or even the supplier what the right product is for where you’ll use it.
• The correct size is ordered. Timber comes in all lengths, thicknesses and widths. Tiles are different sizes. Understand the difference between imperial and metric sizes because frequently pipes and bolts of the one don’t match the other.
• The supplier is aware when the materials are required.
• You order the correct quantities. Having too much is a waste that costs money to buy and then costs more money to get rid of. Running short of material could delay construction and usually incurs additional delivery charges for the shortfall. But worse, some products might not be available anymore so if you’ve almost finished laying floor tiles and you find that you’re short of a few boxes of tiles (even one tile), you may find that the tiles are no longer available and you’ll have to select another floor tile and rip out the first lot and retile the whole floor with the new tiles. When working out the quantities of materials always:
  • Double check the quantities.
  • Allow for cutting and wastage. For instance floor and wall tiles have to be cut around the edges of the room and walls, around pipes and other fittings. Inevitably there’ll be wastage, which could be between 5 and 10% - with smaller areas often having a higher wastage factor.
  • Allow for lapping. Reinforcing steel and mesh, roof sheeting, roof tiles, and waterproofing membrane always should be lapped as per the manufacturer’s or engineer’s detail.
• You order the best lengths and widths which fit where the item is required, generating the least offcuts and waste, but also in sizes which you can easily handle. Larger sizes may be less wasteful but you might not be able to lift the product and install it, or it might be too big to get through door openings.
• You understand if the supplier will deliver the product. Suppliers must have the correct delivery address, times when the delivery can be made (you don’t want deliveries arriving when nobody is around to receive them), and be aware of any special delivery instructions (for instance, if large vehicles can’t access the property they need to be aware that they must use a smaller truck).
• You understand how the material will be offloaded and who will be responsible for it. You don’t want to be offloading a consignment of cement or heavy timbers by hand on your own.
• Orders must be clear, with the size, specification, quantity and rates. Understand exactly what you’re getting and what you’re paying for.
• You have ordered everything that you require to fix the item in place, which could include adhesive, grout, bolts, screws, etc.
• When ordering an item that must fit exactly in a specific location, that you double check your measurements to ensure there’s no mistake. Then understand the supplier’s tolerances. If they manufacture or supply the item a couple of millimetres bigger will it still fit? Know how you will move and fit the item into place. Sometimes when the item is an exact fit it’s near impossible to move into position.

​It should be noted that ordering materials in bulk could be cheaper than ordering materials in small quantities. Small quantities not only incur additional delivery charges, but the supplier may offer discounts for larger quantities. Of course, it may be possible to provide a bulk order, say for all the bricks, sand, or concrete required for your house, but then specify that you want the material delivered as and when you require them. You probably don’t want all the bricks for your new home delivered on day one, filling your whole property, but rather you want them delivered as you require them (of course in batches that suit your supplier’s delivery vehicles).

Not getting your material purchases correct could lead to delays when items arrive late or when insufficient material is ordered. ordering the wrong material also leads to delays as well as additional costs. Installing the wrong building product could compromise the integrity of your house and result in maintenance issues later.

​If you are unsure of what products to order chat to your contractor, or get advice from suppliers.

​This is an extract from the author's book 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses: Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home'.
​© 2021 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.

In our last article Understanding legal rights when building a new home we discussed discussed how important it was to have a good contract with your contractors in place before embarking on building or renovating your home.

In previous articles we also discussed:
Home build and renovation contracts part 1 - what you should know
Home build and renovation contracts part 2 - the rules of the project
Home build and renovation contracts part 3 - What contracts should include
Home build and renovation contracts part 4 - Different types of contract
But when does a contract exist between you and your contractor, and does it have to be in writing?
What could void a contract?
These are important questions.

For a contract to exist there must be a formal offer which must be accepted in an unequivocal way.

For example: If a painter submits a quote to paint a house and you tell the painter you like the price, it doesn’t mean that you’ve accepted the painter’s price and appointed them to do the work. For a contract to exist you would have to say something to the effect that you accept the quote and would like the painter to undertake the work.

The contract can be verbal which can be as legally binding as a written agreement, though a verbal agreement is often problematic since it’s difficult to prove what was said and agreed.

An offer can be withdrawn before it’s accepted providing the withdrawal is explicit and preferably in writing.
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Example: To use the same example above, it won’t be good enough if the painter submits the quotation and in later discussion with you says he’s not sure if their price is correct, rather, the painter needs to formally state they’ve submitted the wrong price and are withdrawing their quotation. 

In certain cases a contract may not exist, for example if:

• The contract is fundamentally flawed.
• One of the parties is a minor, mentally impaired, bankrupt, a prisoner, or under duress or unfair influence.
• The agreement includes false statements.
• One of the parties knowingly causes the other party to commit an illegal act.
• There’s a condition precedent (for example if the contract states that you need to obtain finance for the work and you’re unable to do so).
• An act of God makes it impossible to carry out the terms of the contract (for example a builder is contracted to renovate a house but before they start the house burns down).

Nevertheless, it’s important to be familiar with the laws governing the contract as these differ between countries, impacting on whether the contract is legally binding.

It's important you understand when a contract exists between you and your building contractor. Verbal contracts are difficult to police as it's often your word against the contractor's word.

Get an expert to check that the contract is legally enforceable. Of course ensure that the contract is signed by an authorised representative from the contractor. The contract could be null and void if it's signed by their 10 year old child, or a person who is not even employed by the contractor.

​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.