Weaver Custom Homes knows a thing or two about home building on a budget. Since the 1950s, we’ve been elevating Ohio’s residential scene with quality, craftsmanship and integrity that’s accessible to nearly any income level. Those decades of experience have taught us that the house itself is only one element of the overall custom home budget. Many people are surprised by additional costs, like utility taps and connections, septic or well systems, and even the land you’d like to build on. Then there are elements that help a custom home fit your family’s everyday life, like custom window treatments and landscaping.
Our team excels at collaborating with hopeful homeowners to create budget-friendly house designs that bring your vision of a custom home to life without wrecking your finances.
Read on to gain insight and inspiration from our professional tips for building a home budget that sets you on the path to a luxurious custom house your family can afford to enjoy. You may just be surprised at how far your dollars can go with the right guidance!
Building a Home Budget: Your Blueprint for Savings
The best way to avoid common mistakes of home building on a budget is to build realism into your financial outlook. No amount of breathtaking Pinterest vision boards or hopeful optimism can take the place of thoughtful planning — which is the only realistic way to stretch your custom home dollars!
Use these three tips to outline your blueprint for how to build a custom home on a budget and still get all the unique features your family needs:
Plan the End Before You Begin
It may seem like putting the cart before the horse, but developing a detailed vision of your completed home before groundbreaking will help keep the whole process on track. And we mean detailed — from the floorplan to the insulation materials to the flooring to the fixtures for the kitchen and bathrooms. Decide on all the “little things” ahead of time so that you can take your time and choose wisely. Then commit to your choices because changing anything in the midst of the construction process can quickly rack up additional expenses and bring the timeline to a screeching halt.
Establish Non-Negotiables and Track Spending
As you sketch out your budget-friendly home design, be clear about the custom elements you simply cannot live without and those you’re willing to compromise on. That way, the whole team will know your preferences when issues arise. Understanding the whole process of custom home building helps you make a solid plan and stay on track with spending only what you can afford. For example, high-end kitchen appliances and countertops might be an absolute necessity today, though you could save up for a finished lower-level with wine storage after your move-in.
It’s easy to fall into the romantic image of speedy renos that have been time-lapsed for so-called reality shows — but the real-world undertaking of budget-friendly home design takes time. Embrace this slower pace to choose your non-negotiables carefully and keep tabs on unexpected spending.
Work With a Reputable Builder
Building a luxury home on a budget requires expertise, experience and excellent networking skills. If you choose the right builder, you’ll have a wealth of resources at your fingertips, including access to cheap home building options from vendors they use regularly. Plus, seasoned contractors tend to have a fair amount of leverage when dealing with hiccups like delivery delays, damaged materials and broken appliances without breaking the bank. Make a list of questions to ask custom home builders you’re considering, then choose one who communicates well, has a portfolio of great references and is willing to help maximize your budget with resourcefulness.
How to Build a Custom Home Budget
The team at Weaver Custom Homes has seen all different kinds of cheap home building ideas. But if we’re asked how to save money when building a house, we always have the same answer: Plan ahead — and make sure you include everything in your plan.
Before you start thinking about all the gorgeous options for fixtures and finishes, create a realistic but budget-friendly house plan.
Use this checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the elements that transform a piece of property into a welcoming homestead. Including them in the plan now will help bring building a luxury home on a budget into clearer focus.
Land
Do you already own a piece of land you’d like to build on? Or do you need to find a lot in a community where your family can thrive? If you have yet to find your ideal neighborhood, you’ll need to calculate how much you can spend on land and add that amount into your overall budget. You’ll need to know where your builder can build to make sure it’s right for you. Top-quality builders can also help you determine the best placement of your custom home on your piece of land.
Utilities
How much does the city or township charge to install taps and connections for water, gas, sewer and electricity? Is your plot already connected to the city’s grid, or do you need to make arrangements for that? Does your municipality supply a natural gas hookup at the property line for free, then charge extra to run pipe to your new home’s foundation? Fees for utilities can run from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, so it’s best to plan for them upfront in your custom home budget.
Landscaping
Nothing detracts from the beauty of your meticulously designed dream home than a muddy, grassless yard. Whether your land is part of an established neighborhood, a newly planned community or a rural area, it’ll likely be cleared of most trees and shrubs before construction begins. Have you considered the cost of bringing all that lush greenery back onto your property? Include professional landscaping in your budget from the beginning so that move-in day can be as ideal as you’ve always imagined it.
Custom Window Treatments
One of the fun parts of building a home on a budget is imagining all the details that will make the spaces fit your family’s needs. Custom window treatments ensure maximum comfort in every room while helping manage heating and cooling costs. Building that expense into your home budget now can save you a lot of money later — both on utility bills and on the headache of commissioning custom blinds or drapes down the road.
Custom Home Building on a Budget With Weaver Custom Homes
Feeling better about building a home budget that can make your dream house a reality? Ready to see how Weaver Custom Homes brings quality, craftsmanship and integrity to building a luxury home on a budget? Visit our Design Center in historic downtown Wooster and get started creating your gorgeous, custom, budget-friendly home today!
