The Journey of Creating Your Custom Dream Home
I never thought I’d be in a position to build my own custom dream home. Growing up, my family lived in a modest suburban house, nothing too fancy or grandiose. My husband Farmer and I had similar humble beginnings – neither of us have college degrees, and we started our family pretty young. But when we decided to put down roots and build our dream farmhouse in the country, I was determined to make it happen, no matter the challenges.
You see, I firmly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to create the home of their dreams. For some, that might be a cozy cabin in the woods, for others a beachfront mansion. Whatever your vision, I think you should be able to make it a reality. And that’s exactly what Farmer and I set out to do, even though we didn’t have any prior construction experience.
Building our dream home from the ground up ended up being an incredible journey, filled with both challenges and triumphs. Along the way, I discovered strategies to save hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I’m excited to share them with you. Because if a regular gal like me can do it, so can you!
Planning Ahead is Key
One of the biggest secrets to saving money when building your custom home is all about planning ahead. This may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people jump right into the building process without having all the details ironed out.
As I learned, going into a meeting with a general contractor without having made all the little decisions about your home is a recipe for disaster. How can they give you an accurate quote if you haven’t decided on the flooring, fixtures, outlets, and a million other specifics?
Instead, I took the time to plan out every little detail of our farmhouse – from the type of tile in the laundry room to the shower head in the master bath. This allowed me to get precise, tailored quotes from each contractor, rather than having them add in a big buffer to account for the unknowns.
Plus, planning ahead gave me the chance to shop around and find amazing deals. For example, I knew exactly how much tile we needed for the bathroom, so when I stumbled upon a Craigslist ad selling the same tiles brand new for a fraction of the retail price, I pounced. I ended up saving over $600 just on that one item!
The Dream Home Calculator was an incredible resource during this planning phase. It really helped me think through all the different elements that go into building a custom home, from the foundation to the finishes. And the fact that it factors in location-specific costs was a game-changer – no more relying on generic national averages.
So if there’s one piece of advice I can give, it’s this: take the time to meticulously plan out every inch of your dream home before you start building. It may seem tedious in the moment, but I promise, the payoff will be worth it.
The Art of Negotiation
Another secret to building your custom dream home on a budget? Mastering the art of negotiation. And let me tell you, I’ve become a pro at it.
See, I used to be terrified of haggling. The thought of trying to talk someone down on a price just seemed so uncomfortable and confrontational. But once I realized how much money was on the line, I knew I had to get over my discomfort and get scrappy.
As I shared on The Real Farmhouse, I’ve negotiated prices down by hundreds – even thousands – of dollars. It just takes a little finesse and the willingness to walk away if the deal isn’t right.
One of my favorite examples is when I was shopping for tile for our bathroom. I knew exactly how much we needed, so when I spotted the perfect tiles on Craigslist for $200, I jumped on it. The original asking price was $250, but I offered the seller $100 and they accepted! That’s a $150 savings, just from being willing to negotiate.
The key is to approach it tactfully – don’t just blurt out “I’ll give you half that!” Instead, explain why you’re the ideal customer they should work with. Maybe you’re paying in cash, or you can guarantee a quick, hassle-free transaction. Then gently mention your target price and see if they’re willing to meet you there.
It’s also important to do your homework ahead of time so you know what a fair price should be. As I found, sometimes stores have hidden clearance sections or are eager to unload inventory, making them more open to negotiation.
The moral of the story? Don’t be afraid to ask for a deal. The worst they can say is no, and then you’re no worse off than you were before. But the potential savings can be life-changing. Just imagine if you could shave $50,000 off the cost of your dream home – that’s the kind of difference smart negotiation can make.
Assembling Your Dream Team
When you’re serving as your own general contractor, one of the most important things is building a solid team of reliable, honest subcontractors. After all, these are the people who will be bringing your vision to life, so you need to be able to trust them implicitly.
Now, I know what you might be thinking – how can a complete construction novice like myself possibly vet and manage all these different tradespeople? It’s a valid concern, but I’ve developed a system that’s worked wonders.
As I shared on The Real Farmhouse, the key is to educate yourself as much as possible on the various aspects of home construction. That way, when you’re interviewing potential subcontractors, you’ll have the knowledge to ask the right questions and spot any red flags.
I started by reaching out to my personal network to find people I could trust to help me navigate the process. Friends, family members, even random strangers on the internet – I tapped into anyone and everyone who might have insights to share. And let me tell you, the generosity and kindness of people constantly amazes me.
From there, I made a point to over-communicate with each of my subs. I asked detailed questions, I requested samples of their previous work, and I negotiated hard on pricing. And you know what? Most of them were more than happy to work with me, because they could tell I was serious, organized, and committed to the project.
Of course, there were a few duds along the way – people who tried to take advantage or do sloppy work. But having that baseline knowledge helped me spot the red flags early on and cut them loose without hesitation.
At the end of the day, surrounding yourself with the right team is crucial when you’re building your dream home on a budget. It takes time and effort, but I promise, it’s worth it to have people you can trust to bring your vision to life.
The Payoff of Being Your Own General Contractor
Now, I know what you might be thinking – all this planning, negotiating, and managing sounds like a huge headache. Why would anyone want to put themselves through that when they could just hire a general contractor and let them handle it all?
Well, let me tell you, the payoff is more than worth it. In fact, as I shared on The Real Farmhouse, being our own general contractor has allowed us to save hundreds of thousands of dollars on our dream farmhouse.
Think about it this way – if you were to make $100,000 at your day job, you’d only get to keep a fraction of that after taxes. But every dollar you save by being your own GC is 100% yours to keep. That means the $100,000 you save is the equivalent of making an extra $150,000 or more at work.
And the best part is, the more time and effort you put into planning, negotiating, and managing the process, the bigger the payoff. As one Redditor pointed out, many online home cost calculators just don’t take into account the nuances of location, construction quality, and finish level. But by doing your homework and making strategic decisions, you can shave off a huge chunk of the price tag.
Of course, I’m not going to sugarcoat it – being your own general contractor is a ton of work. There were definitely times when I wanted to throw in the towel and just hand the reins over to a professional. But every time I saw the savings add up, it reminded me why I was doing it.
And you know what? It’s not just about the money. Taking on this challenge has been incredibly empowering. I feel a deep sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that I played such a hands-on role in bringing our dream home to life. It’s an experience I’ll cherish forever.
So if you’re considering building your own custom dream home, I urge you – don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. With the right mindset and a bit of elbow grease, the payoff is truly life-changing. And who knows, you might just surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.
Ready to Get Started?
So there you have it – the inside scoop on how Farmer and I managed to build our custom dream farmhouse for a fraction of the typical cost. From meticulous planning to savvy negotiation, we’ve uncovered strategies that allowed us to save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
And now, I’m thrilled to share those insights with you. Because let’s be real – everyone deserves the opportunity to create the home of their dreams, regardless of their background or budget. And if an ordinary gal like me can do it, I know you can, too.
Ready to get started on your own custom home journey? I’d love to help. Head over to iLiving Homes to explore our resources and connect with our team of experts. We’ll walk you through every step of the process, from finding the perfect lot to finalizing the last finishing touch.
The road ahead may have its challenges, but I can assure you, the destination is more than worth it. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start building your custom dream home!
