When it comes to building a  home, careful planning is crucial in ensuring your new home meets your needs. That means approaching potential designers and/or builders with a wish-list communicating all the features you want in your new space. While dreaming up your perfect breakfast nook or loft bedroom is a fun part of this process, it’s also important to consider the less glamorous aspects of home-building: is your new home environmentally sustainable? Are you planning to stay long-term? Should you compromise on your loft to make room for a mother-in-law suite?

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With all the decisions facing new home buyers, making a wish-list can feel intimidating. Here’s some suggestions on organizing your thoughts in a way that works for you and your designer.

• Write down everything you love about your current home. What works right now? Do you love the open layout and want to recreate something similar? Now make a list of everything you’d like to change. Maybe you need more pantry space in your kitchen, or want electrical outlets hidden in the bathroom. Figuring out what makes your current home “almost perfect” but “not-quite-dream-home” will help your designer create a space customized to you.

• Talk to friends and neighbors who built their home at least one year ago, and ask them what they love about their new space. Was the extra bathroom worth it? What features do they wish they could add now and what “extras” turned out to be unnecessary? From layout to fixtures, it’s great to talk to people currently living in their former “wish-lists.”

• Be realistic about your budget. You don’t have to know the exact price of every feature or exactly how much it will cost to fully finish the attic. But you should develop a general idea for what is reasonable based on your income, down payment, and the value of nearby properties. If you don’t know this information already, do your homework before meeting with a designer and builder. This is a great time to really reflect and prioritize which parts of your home deserve the “wish- list effect.” If you spend all your time in the kitchen, prioritize those wants over an in-home theater or luxury bath.

Once you’ve made your list, finding the right combination of designer and builder will help you feel confident in building a home that functions well and epitomizes the very best of your wish-list. Contact us today for help in starting the design process!