Can You Design Your Home Before You Find Property?

Once you decide to build a home, it’s hard not to think about it.  There are many design elements to consider.  Some of these you can decide on before you find the perfect piece of property; however, there are some decisions that will be influenced by the characteristics of your land.

Design elements to think about before you find property:

• Specialty rooms for hobbies or activities;
• The number of bedrooms and bathrooms you will need;
• Storage space requirements;
• Design details such as a gas fireplace vs. wood;
• The theme of your interior design (colors, light, textures)

These things should wait until you find your land:

• The home’s size and number of stories:  site or local restrictions may limit the size, height, or even the placement of the home on your property. 
• Type of foundation:  the type of foundation system you choose may be dependent upon local or state codes, the lot size, slope, and soil type.
• Walkout basement:  a sloping lot can allow for a walk-out basement, providing more usable square footage for recreation areas or additional guest bedrooms.

If you’re excited to get started on planning your home design, we suggest you create a binder of clippings and samples you are collecting.  Include design elements and details you do not like: sometimes these are more valuable to your architect than features that you do like.


Reposted from Green Home Design Architect