Home-building advice from a custom home builder
If you’re considering a house from a custom home builder, consider some tips from a custom home builder that has led the region in quality and design for two decades.
Finding a qualified custom home builder requires the proper research and consultation with others who have built homes in the region. Yet doing the advance preparation to work with a great builder can yield dividends in the form of an outstanding home-building and home-buying experience.
Plan your space
When choosing a layout from a custom home builder, choose a floor plan that suits your lifestyle. For many in Utah, a comfortable and beautiful home means open spaces. But it also means spacious garages because we need our cars. Make sure these are in your floor plan.
Your custom home builder should be able to accommodate your family’s needs with enough bedrooms for the children. Consider whether you need an in-law apartment or separate areas for grandparents.
Do you need a recreation room, a game room or a home gym? These might sound good, but if they don’t actually get used, they can represent a waste of resources and might not easily be converted to other uses.
Be creative with storage space
Utah’s climate demands adequate storage space in our homes to accommodate clothing, recreational gear, tools and accessories for four very different seasons. Make sure your floor plan has adequate closets in each bedroom, plus in the front and back entrances, and in each hallway. Storage doesn’t have to mean a closet. Your custom home builder should be able to provide cubbies and other creative options.
But don’t overdo storage, either. An oversized walk-in closet could take away space that would be better used in the bedroom or ensuite bath.
Placement of bedrooms
Where has your custom home builder placed bedrooms relative to living areas, recreation rooms and the kitchen? It’s usually better to have the master bedroom as far as possible from the main entrance of the house, especially for larger families. Also, the master bedroom should not share a wall with the kitchen or main living area.
Where do you want the laundry room? For some, it’s best close to the bedrooms, which often means on the upper floor. But this doesn’t suit everyone. It’s a question you need to answer for yourself.
Where is the kitchen?
Many home designs place the kitchen at the back of the house. Yet this can mean you have to walk through the whole house to carry in groceries. The kitchen is one of the busiest places in any home, with a lot of traffic in and out. Consider a layout where the kitchen is close to the main entry point, such as the door to the garage. A walk-out or other exit from the kitchen directly to the outdoor deck or patio is almost always a welcome feature.
The garage
An attached garage can be located beside the house, behind it or in front of it. Each placement has its own advantages, but the connection between the garage and the main house should be a mudroom or another secondary entrance close to the kitchen. Allowing people to enter from the garage directly into the front entrance is a feature you will probably regret, as it means all the dirt from muddy shoes and winter slush might end up in the main entrance.
Bright enough
Make sure your builder includes adequate lighting from windows, skylights and fixtures. A dark house can appear dingy and depressing.
Heating and cooling
Utah’s climate also makes some pretty significant demands on your heating and air-conditioning systems. A large house will suffer from an undersized furnace, air-conditioner and ductwork. Consult a professional to make sure your builder has put in adequate heating and cooling capacity.
A house that becomes your home
A custom house should fit your desires and lifestyle perfectly, but that doesn’t mean you need to make all the decisions on your own. Take a look at our custom home layouts and talk to us about our open-door collaboration process to make your dream home a reality. At Rainey Homes, we are proud to be your preferred custom home builder in North Salt Lake Utah.