Building a house is a thrilling time for any homeowner. When you have the opportunity to get involved with the design and construction of your future home, you are able to customize details and incorporate elements that will make the house work best for you and your family. However, building a house is not all rainbows and sunshine. It’s one thing to go house hunting and choose a house that is move-in ready. As you are a building a house from the ground-up, there are numerous decisions that must be made along the way. It’s a fun process, but it also requires a lot of work and careful planning.

If you are thinking about building a house in the near future, now is the time to go ahead and start thinking about what you want. It’s never too early to identify your priorities and figure out how you need your home to function. To help guide you through the process, following are a few important tips to keep in mind while building a house.

1. Establish a realistic budget.

Both a perk and pitfall of building a house is that you can get pretty much anything you really want. As you are looking at various house plans and all the options of what you can incorporate into the design, it is tempting to add everything you have ever dreamed over. Marble bathrooms, custom cabinetry, high-end appliances, beautiful lighting, and an elaborate outdoor entertaining area. While these features sound great, you also have to remember that you will be paying for all of the bells and whistles that you include. By establishing a realistic budget from the very beginning of this process, you can get a much better understanding of what you are able to build. Plus, it is also important to remember that not all of these features have to be included right away. Once you are settled in the house and have an opportunity to save a little more, you can always make the updates or additions you have been dreaming of.

2. Eliminate any wasted space.

While a big house might seem great initially, you don’t want to end up with a bunch of wasted space. Rooms that are not utilized simply become dumping spots for other things. Additionally, more square footage means more house that you have to clean and maintain. Instead of focusing on the size of your house, it is more important to focus on the efficiency.

3. Check in on the work being completed.

Even if you have an experienced home builder or general contractor who will be overseeing the work, you should still make it a habit to stop by regularly to check on the work being completed at your house. With so many details involved during the construction of the new house, it’s easy for mistakes to be made. What if the electrician forgot to put an outlet in your desk area? What if the tile installers used the wrong material in your master bathroom? What if you don’t like the exterior paint color you selected? By checking in on things, you can ensure that you are pleased with the finished product.