The Custom Home 1

A builder may pour the foundation and raise the roof, but only you can make your new house a home. A seasoned architect offers tips to help you avoid costly and heartbreaking mistakes.

Your new house is an exciting, and mind-boggling experience for you; it is routine for the builder ("been there- done that"). These attitudes often tend to clash. Building your new house should not (and cannot) be a passive exercise. A myriad of decisions have to be made, by you. Where you are unable, or unwilling to make decisions, you will force the builder to make them. To make sure your new home fulfills your own vision, follow these guidelines:

Understand Your Contract
You will party to a contract involving a massive amount of money when you sign on the dotted line for the construction of your new house. By so doing, you abdicate NONE of your basic legal rights; therefore, know them, and exercise them!

Start by reading the contract and understanding it. You are paying (or will pay over the next 25-30 years) for the knowledge of the builders -- their experience and ability. PLUS you are paying your builders a profit above their expenses. What do you expect in return? How do ensure that you get what you expect?

COMMUNICATE - WRITE IT DOWN - COMMUNICATE- WRITE IT DOWN - COMMUNICATE - WRITE IT DOWN. Anything you add to the house after the contract is signed, the builder will keep track of -- assiduously! Anything you delete or reduce, YOU keep track of -- assiduously!

Source: Jackie Craven, Architecture Guide, about.com