I’ve built three homes from scratch. One was four bedrooms, three baths at around 3000 square feet. Another was five bedrooms, four baths at 3600 square feet. Finally, I bought a lot in the mountains and built a cabin with two bedrooms and two baths. In each case, I chose the lot, exposure, and home. They were builder’s lots and I chose the design from existing models with custom features. The process was both exciting and frustrating.

The exciting aspect is the ability to control your outcome. By picking the lot, exterior, and interior elements, it’s truly a custom experience. We got to work with interior decorators and made all the hard decisions. The inside would include all the wall colors and wallpapers, flooring along with carpet and tile, cabinetry throughout, kitchen design, appliances, window treatment, lighting fixtures, and placements. Also, we chose the countertop materials for the kitchen and bathrooms, surround sound built-ins, and numerous other conveniences. Outside, we installed pools, spas and decking, in the case of the cabin. Rockwork, grass, bushes, trees, and even a putting green were just some of our creations. We got to watch all of it come together over many months of supervision and anticipation. Finally, each one emerged and we got to live in our respective dream homes.

With all that we did, you might be envious of our good fortune that allowed us this amazing opportunity three times over. You would be right, but there were many problems we failed to account for. To start with, we had to choose a lot in subdivisions that weren’t built yet. By choosing a lot, we committed to the location. Unfortunately, without the other home built yet, we were at the mercy of whatever came after us. If the homes around us ended up blocking the view we envisioned, there was nothing we could do about it. If they decided to plant huge trees, erect tall play sets, or other obstructions, that was their choice, but one we had to live with.

This occurred in every case to varying degrees and, had we known, we might have planned differently. For example, we might have picked a lot among homes already built and established. We also had to put up with years of construction noise, debris, and inconvenience dealing with workers and their vehicles. In retrospect, we probably would have done things a lot differently.

You see, we were misled. We thought the only way to customize a home is to buy one from scratch. What we failed to comprehend is that anyone can buy an existing home, gut it if needed, and make whatever changes are required. New flooring, cabinets, wall and window treatment, lighting, and so forth, can be changed for a price. The advantage of this approach is: (a) you still choose your lot, (b) you know everything around you and what to expect, (c) you are spared the aggravation of the construction process, (d) you still can remake the interior or exterior, and (e) you can bargain on the price.

Don’t get me wrong: we loved the three homes we built. But if we had waited, we could have gotten the same homes in the same subdivisions after they were completed, at a later date, and might not have chosen the same locations. So learn from our experience and consider all these options. I know we are, as we decide where our next home will be. I can honestly say, it won’t be built from scratch, but it will still end up being exactly what we want. So, do you need to build a custom home to get one? Myth busted!