While building your custom home can be exciting, the many decisions you will have to make can be an overwhelming experience as well. Working with a professional, reputable, and reliable contractor goes a long way, and having a custom home building checklist makes the building process even smoother! At Icon Building Group, our trusted team of design and construction experts help you through every step of the process: from designing your dream home to building it from the ground up.

Part One: Getting Started

When starting your custom home building project, there are three things that you have to determine:

• Location
• Budget
• Timeframe

Location

Everything starts with location. The land’s orientation, natural features, and topography will affect what you can do with your custom home aesthetically and structurally. When looking for a location, consider the:

• Size of the lot
• The slope of the piece of land
• Natural surroundings such as water, fields, or forests
• Surrounding resources

Budget

Knowing your budget helps you determine your home’s size, location, and design features that are affordable for you and your family. When trying to establish your budget, consider factors like the cost of land, engineering and design fees, landscaping costs,  local fees, and taxes.

Timeframe

Most people tend to have a general or specific date they would want their project finished by. However, when determining the timeframe, you should also set aside time for setbacks and delays that may occur along the way. Building your home is the perfect way to design the floor plan that works best for you, but it also comes with unexpected challenges that you should budget time for.

Part Two: Designing Your Home

Though this part will involve input from a professional architect, developing a statement of design goals for your custom home is the best way to get involved in the design process and ensure your home has all the features you want. This is referred to as an architectural program. When making your architectural program:

• Start by dreaming big then scaling back the ideas to align with your budget
• Determine your needs, wants, and “don’t wants”
• Rank your desired features

Think about your home’s size in terms of square footage, height, and the number of rooms. After this, think about your home’s layout, the arrangement of specific rooms, and what design/structural features you want in each room. Don’t forget the necessities, like air conditioning! Here is the best part of designing your custom home: incorporating your lifestyle and needs into your home’s design. Whether you are an artist, musician, author, or anything in between, you can tailor your home’s design to be perfect for you.

Part Three: Put Your Team Together and Monitor Your Build

One of the most crucial things when building a custom home is working with a team you trust. When finding the right team, research their:

• Credentials, licenses, and certifications
• Experience and past work
• Reviews and referrals
• Cost

Take a look at your architectural program and design goals, and make sure the team you work with has the experience and skills to build what you’re looking for. Though hiring a team you trust is essential, don’t forget to monitor the construction progress, staying up to date on any changes, setbacks, and delays.

Home Builders You Can Trust

When looking for a professional and reliable team of home builders in Chicago and Vernon Hills, IL, area, turn to Icon Building Group. Our team is experienced in everything from designing the floor plan of your home to finding perfect light fixtures to add the finishing touch. At Icon Building Group, we always strive for excellence, dedicating our expertise towards building your dream home or remodeling your existing home. We work closely with you to ensure the project runs as efficiently and smoothly as possible. Call us today at (847) 773-1200 to bring your dream home to life!