Building a custom home is an exciting process. After all, you are finally getting the home of your dreams. There are a few things you should keep in mind before you start. Here are 5 of them. Hopefully, you can use them to guide your decision-making process.
Soil tests
Before you can build your dream home, you should get the soil tested. The test will reveal the composition of the soil beneath the home. Healthy soil should contain around 20 percent clay, 40 percent silt, and 40 percent sand. To get a good idea of the composition of your soil, you should dig a straight-sided jar down to the soil’s root level, and use a ruler to measure it.
Soil testing can also help you determine the load-bearing capacity of the land. It will tell you how heavy your soil is and whether it’s stable enough to support the weight of your home. This information will help you decide on the type of footings and foundation.
Permitting
If you’re building a custom home, you’ll need to get the city and HOA approvals. In some neighborhoods, this may not be necessary, but in others, you’ll need to obtain a building permit. There are also rules about what projects can be done without a building permit, but these rules vary from community to community.
When building a custom home, it is important to get all the necessary permits before you begin work on your project. These permits are typically valid for a certain period of time and may need to be changed as the work progresses. In addition, local inspectors may occasionally come to inspect your site. However, they’re not responsible for inspecting the quality of the work. It’s important to get all the necessary permits before construction starts so that you don’t face any unexpected costs.
Besides ensuring that your custom home is legal, you also need to understand how the permit process works. Many parts of a home can be replaced without a permit, but you’ll need to get a permit for major renovations. Even adding a built-in porch may require a permit. You’ll also need to get the necessary permits to build the foundation of your custom home. If you don’t want to deal with the permits yourself, consider hiring a full-service general contractor who will take care of them.
Style guidelines
If you’re planning to build a custom home, you can use style guidelines to narrow down your options. While having complete freedom over the design and layout of your new home is exciting, it can also be a bit overwhelming if you don’t have a general sense of what you want. While there are several general style guidelines for custom homes, it’s important to consider the needs of your family, your budget, and your timeline.
Visiting different homes in your area and exploring their exteriors will help you determine which style will work best for you. You might even consider driving through different neighborhoods in order to see how different architectural styles are interpreted in each neighborhood. Taking photos of these homes can also help you narrow down the styles you’re looking for.
Price
The price of a custom home varies significantly, depending on where you live and the customizations you want. Depending on the type of material you use, the cost of the building permit, and the quality of the materials, you can expect to pay anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million for a 3,500-square-foot house.
The first step in building a custom home is to buy the land on which to build your dream house. Since vacant lots are scarce in most neighborhoods in Los Angeles, land prices can vary significantly. Prices for custom lots in Los Angeles can range from $350,000 to more than $1.5 million.
