Home Building Research and Pre-construction Information at ImproveNet

Your resource for understanding the custom home building process and finding a screened custom home builder.

As with any major purchase, before you start construction on your custom home, there is a certain amount of research should be done. Coming up with home design ideas can sometimes be hard. Listing out the features you want from your custom home design is the first step. Ask yourself these questions:

• How large of a custom home can I afford?
• Do I want 1 or 2 Stories?
• Where do I want to live? Are there schools in this area?
• What will I be doing in the home?
  • Do I entertain frequently?
  • Do I work at home?

Home building magazines and books should also help with ideas, as well as sitting down with experienced home builders. Also, check through ImproveNet Design & Product Ideas pages for images and ideas surrounding nearly every aspect of building a custom home.

After this step, a home building budget should be set. Take a look at your list again, and see what realistically fits into your budget. Once you have a reasonable home building budget set, you will need to decide what will be the scope of your custom home design.

At this point, it is time to start looking for a home building professional. This is possibly the most important part of the custom home building process, because you need to select someone you trust to deliver a great custom home to you. Researching custom home builders may be difficult, but luckily ImproveNet has already done that work for you, with a nationwide database of certified custom home builders who are ready to meet your home building and design needs. The home builders or architects will be able to give you some new ideas and help you move forward with your pre-construction needs.


After you have met with the home builders or architects, you should have an idea of how much building a house will cost. Financing the construction of your new custom home may be one of your largest obstacles. Certain home builders may be approved by banks, and can work to get lower interest rates. Once you have obtained financing, it is time to sign contracts and create blue prints. Not every set of plans are the same. You have an endless amount of options, however one of the difficulties is that you have the inability to see your finished custom home before you build it. If you decide to purchase from home builders who have a models up for you, you will have the advantage of knowing what your project will look like. Also, many architects are able to produce computer-generated 3D models. With the latest technology, you can even take a virtual tour of your new home - during the concept phases.

During the Pre-construction phase, some of the most critical home building decisions are made, but if you make the right choices, you will be on your way to a beautiful new custom home. Below are a few more things to keep in mind; qualified home builders will be able to help you with these items:

• Engineering and Plotting
• Permits
  • These are critical, as you will not be able to start without the proper permits. Make sure you choose a custom home builder familiar with these regulations.
• Home Building Materials
  • Are you going to be purchasing the home building materials yourself? Will this be the best deal?
  • Budgets will change, as certain types of home building materials (i.e. bricks) can be more expensive.
• Home Building Insurance
  • The Home Builder's policy is usually more cost effective, than if a home owner were trying to obtain it themselves.

Also, depending on where you live, home building may be impossible during certain times of the year. Some custom home builders will not work through the winter, or prices can be different, depending on seasonality. For tips and resources on working with a custom home builder, click here.