Searching for the right home can seem like a treasure hunt. While one home has the perfect kitchen, it doesn’t have the yard you want for your kids. And while the other home has amazing soaring ceilings, it doesn’t offer the storage you need. The quest for the “perfect home” is one that often ends in a decision to build a new home with custom design.
If you have made the decision to build your new dream home, the sky is the limit. You can imagine the home to be anything you want it to be. Not only can you choose the countertops, and the type of sinks, and the size of the bedrooms – but you can build your own media room, add a wine cellar, or set aside an entire room for fish tanks. But all of this begs a question – can you take custom design too far? It’s your home, after all.
Are You Planning to Sell It?
If you are the type of person who settles in for the long haul, you may know that you are going to live out your life in this home – and then pass it onto the kids and grandkids. If you see building a home as building a homestead, one which will remain in the family for many years – no matter how custom the home, if it is perfect for you – go for it.
However, if there is a chance that you will be selling within your lifetime, you may wish to keep the customizations more on the aesthetic level.
You also have to be realistic about how others may view your custom design. What is a “must have” for you, might be only “nice to have” or even “wish I didn’t have” for someone else. We once knew of a Sarasota home owned by a car enthusiast. The garage had room for 10 cars, and had lift capabilities. When the homeowner tried to sell the home, he listed the home for well over market price, because of the garage. Sadly, he found out that while people thought his garage was cool, most didn’t need it – and they weren’t going to pay more for it.
Can it Be Renovated?
We mentioned keeping custom design to an aesthetic level, but that isn’t entirely true. If your floorplan includes elements which are considered out of the ordinary but they can be retrofitted for another purpose, you should have no problem with resale. For instance, perhaps you built a large sunroom off the back of your home as a yoga studio. The abundant light, high tech stereo system and wide open space can easily be turned into a reading room, or a nursery for orchids. As long as others can envision their passion in your space and it won’t entail too much work on their part, your home should have no problem with resale. However, while you think covering every room in your home in leopard print wallpaper is exotic, others just see a lot of necessary work if they decide to purchase.
Custom design is up to the imagination of the homeowner, and we don’t ever want to discourage your vision for your dream home. But classic elements and design stand the test of time, so incorporating a little timelessness into your vision is a perfect way to have a gorgeous new home everyone is sure to love.
Lindahl Construction builds quality custom homes for every taste and style. If you are looking to build in the Sarasota or Longboat Key community, give us a call today.