What's in the budget?

When building a custom home, there are many items that go into the final purchase price. They include the lot, architectural design, interior design, foundation, framing, air conditioning and heating, electrical, plumbing, pre-wire, cabinetry, brick and stone, insulation, flooring, appliances, paint and wall coverings, and lighting, among others. I have tried to cover all of these items here. Take your time and make as many of these decisions as you can before you sign a contract to build a home.

I recommend leaving 5-10% of the purchase price of the home unbudgeted so that you can afford changes you think of during the building process. For example, if your budget says that you can afford a $240,000 home, make sure that you only sign a contract for a $225,000 home. This will leave $15,000 for all of the things you didn't think of. That might sound like a large amount, but you can blast through that faster than you think


 Almost every new custom home in El Paso has:

    * back yard patio
    * front desert landscape
    * granite countertops
    * wood or tile floors (often hand-scraped)
    * brushed nickel fixtures
    * pre-wire for sound and computer network
    * refrigerated air
    *stainless steel appliances
    *10'- 12' ceiling

Chosing a lot

The Lot

Before you can design your home, you need to know how much space you will have on which to build. You need to choose a lot. There are many things you need to consider

before purchasing a lot. I'll cover as many as I can think of.

Location

If you have lived for some time in the vicinity of where you want to build, you might think that you know all you need to about the location. Let me suggest, however, that you might not. I recommend seeking the wise counsel of an experienced real estate agent. Obviously, if you are new to an area, you will definitely want the help of an agent. A real estate agent can help you find out:

    * The property taxes for the lot
    * The price of the lot if a builder owns it
    * The quality of the schools
    * The average sales price of homes in the neighborhood
    * Homeowners association dues and covenants

Front entry

Front entry advantages:

    * More neighborhood friendly. You see your neighbors more.
    * Safer at night.
    * Can have prettier, but more expensive, garage doors.
    * Larger back yard.
    * No alley to drive down.


Lot Direction

In which direction does your lot face? In El Paso this is an important question because our summers are very hot. The hottest part of the day is the late afternoon while the sun is setting in the west. During the day, the sun does not pass directly overhead while going from the east to the west. It actually passes by in the south part of the sky. For this reason, the sides of your house that get the most sun and heat are the west and south.

If you would like maximize shade in your backyard in the late afternoon and early evening, you will want your back yard to face east and north.

Windows on the west and south sides of your home will need window coverings and as much overhang as possible to minimize heat transfer. Carefully consider shade trees.

If you want certain rooms to have windows with no window coverings, then you need to pick your lot carefully and do a good job with porches and landscaping. Think about where the sun will be in the mornings and evenings. You don't want to be blinded in your family room every morning or evening by the sun. Which direction your home will face will be crucial.

Decisions

As with any decision in the custom home building process, choosing a lot is not very easy. You are picking the location of your home for the next 1-20 years. Whatever you do, don't build your dream home in a location that you are going to hate in two years. You don't want to spend six months to two years building a home and then decide to move because you don't like the location.

On the other hand, don't get analysis paralysis and find yourself unable to make a decision. At some point you will have to pull the trigger if you are ever going to build your home.

Sometime after you move in, the second-guessing will begin because every time you live in a new home, you will think of things that you would change next time. Instead, spend more time enjoying your family and friends, and less time worrying over housing.