Custom home construction involves a number of details and decisions. While it is exciting once you have finally come to the end of the decision making process and your new home builder is ready to actually begin construction, it is important to keep in mind that you will need to double-check a few things in order to ensure that your custom home will truly be everything that you desire.
First, if your custom home is to include porches, it is important to verify the height of those porches. Unfortunately, this is something that many homeowners overlook. The height of a porch can be important not only for aesthetics but also if you plan to install ceiling fans or lights for outdoor living. If the ceiling is too low, you or your guests could find that you are continually hitting your head. Ultimately, this is an issue that is much easier and less expensive to correct prior to the beginning of construction.
Decks are an important feature in many homes near Austin, providing homeowners with the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings. In order to ensure that you are able to maximize your enjoyment of your deck, it is important to verify the materials that will be used. Frequently, a homeowner envisions the way that their deck will look but they may not clearly communicate that vision to their builder. By taking the time to verify the materials that will be used from the outset, you can rest assured that your deck will look exactly as you have imagined.
Keep in mind that if you have a desire to include hardwood floors in your home, you must ensure that the correct subflooring is in place. In many instances, homeowners change their minds later and decide to add hardwood flooring. This can delay the construction process with the need to add the correct subflooring later. Remember that if you make changes to your plans, you need to ensure that you have informed your builder, preferably as early as possible.
Beautiful landscaping can be a wonderful addition to any home. In order to maintain that landscaping, you will need access to water. This means adding water access to the exterior of your home. It might seem like a small thing to overlook, but when you discover later on that you forgot to add access to spigots, you may find yourself dragging a water hose around the yard. Take access to water into consideration from the beginning and confirm all water hose locations with your builder from the beginning.
Another element you need to ensure that you confirm with your builder is the location of your home’s circuit breaker box. In some instances, building codes may dictate the location of the circuit breaker box, but you also have some flexibility. You also need to understand where the circuit breaker box will be located and ensure that it is as convenient as possible. It is an almost certainty that at some point in the future, you will need to access the breaker box.
Along those same lines, you also need to confirm the location of your home’s electrical meter. Many communities have made the transition to remote reading, but there still may be instances in which a utility employee will need to access the meter, which means that the meter should be in a convenient and accessible location.
The location of sidewalks and driveways is also important. Do not simply assume that your builder will place them where you want. If your lot is spacious, you will have more flexibility regarding where the sidewalks and driveways can be placed. In addition, you need to confirm the location of the well and septic tank, if these will apply to the construction of your home.
With the temperatures frequently soaring in Texas throughout much of the year, air-conditioning units are a must-have for any custom home. Even so, it is important to ensure that the units are placed where you need them to be placed. If the units are placed outside a bedroom window, this could make it difficult to sleep when the compressor kicks on during the night.
Finally, make sure you have confirmed with the builder that the lot-draining conditions for your property are correct. The last thing that you want to have happen is for there to be a big pool of water in your hard following a rainstorm. Not only is this unattractive, but it can also present structural problems for your home. By working with an experienced homebuilder, you can be assured that this will not be a problem for your home. Even so, it is important to review the location of the lot-draining conditions as they relate to your planned garden areas.