We’re going to outline a list of questions, that you should ask an architect, before you commit to working with them. If an architect seems unequipped to answer these questions, then you might want to reconsider working with them. Never be shy, because if you are, you might not end up satisfied with your renovation. Let’s get started.

Ten questions to ask an architect 

1. When you’re designing homes, what are the values and principles that ground your work?
2. During the renovation, in what ways will you gather information about my personal goals, ideas, needs, wants, visions, and more?
3. What steps do you take in your design process, and what will the experience be like for me, as a client?
4. How will I be able to visualize the progress of the project, as we go? Will you show me designs through models, drawings, sketches, or renderings, so that I can better visualize the design and end-goal?
5. What are the important things to consider, when working on my project? What are the possible problems that will arise, because of my project? Are there challenges that will come, with my project?
6. Who is the member of your team that will render the initial concept for the renovation, and after this is rendered, who finalizes their design and plans?
7. Currently, how much work does your firm have? Are you at capacity or close to being at capacity? Considering your workload, will it be feasible for you to finish my project in the timeline that I proposed?
8. How do you charge your clients? What are your fees like—meaning, is it possible to accrue additional fees, that extend beyond the initial rate that we discussed?
9. If unexpected circumstances came into fruition, and I decided to reconfigure the trajectory of my project, how would you charge me? How would you determine any additional fees that would come with the changes in the project?
10. Could you give me a list of references?

After asking these questions, you can figure out how knowledgeable an architect is. You can also determine if the architect is right for you and your project. If an architect aces these questions, then that’s a good sign that they’re ready to work with you.

Plus, if your architect is responsive to these questions and willing to ask you follow up questions, then that’s a good sign. You want to work with someone who has good communication skills, and these questions test an architect’s communication skills.

Marc Julien Homes is committed to fulfilling your vision, so if you’re interested in learning more about our custom services, contact us. We’re ready to answer all of your tough questions.

Design Within Your Budget

When you’ve got your design planned out based on your budget, make sure you lock it in with your builder. You don’t want to make significant changes down the road, as this can greatly impact the overall cost of your custom built home. Evaluate your options, and ensure that you have alternatives for your design in case a specific product isn’t available when it comes time to build.

Working with Marc Julien Homes makes this process significantly easier. We can help you custom design your home, and guide you every step of the way. We will develop a design plan with you, and find ways to fit your preferred home features into your budget.

Don’t Forget Contingencies

When people calculate their mortgage and how much of a loan they need to borrow, they often forget to include contingencies. Many lenders require a 3% to 10% contingency to help you prepare for any unexpected costs.

Marc Julien Homes helps you stay within a certain cost, so as not to have to use any funds from contingencies, but most lenders will still require the contingencies.

Appraisals Affect Loans 

If your appraisal is higher than the total project costs, you may end up with a lower down payment. If the appraisal comes in lower, a larger down payment might be required. Let’s say you put a down payment of 20% down on a $1 million home. The loan would be for $800.000. However, if the appraisal ends up coming in at a value of $900,000, you will have to make up the $100,000 difference.

Remember Hidden Costs

The hidden costs that come with creating and building a house may end up adding more to your initial down payment. For example, in some states, materials AND labor have sales tax added on, which can become very costly. This also goes for decisions that will impact the overall price but not the appraisal. If you were to build your home on the most difficult part of the property, a large cost could be added but not be added to the appraisal, which means it isn’t covered by your loan.

Marc Julien Homes can help you throughout the entire home-building process, from designing to constructing. We work closely with buyers to ensure the most valid, correct information for the bank and the appraiser. We can help you with insight regarding our recently completed homes, and help you see what they were appraising for compared to the cost to build. Let us help you design and build your custom home today, and we can help guide you as necessary!

If your home features bright carpets, eclectic cabinetry colors, dated draperies, or small tiles, your home might seem dated in the future. While these are all trends that are popular in 2022, as history stands to prove, microtrends are not going to last a lifetime. Sure, we might be interested in statement carpets today, but a more timeless option is a neutral carpet. Bright cabinetry is interesting today, but who’s to say that we’ll like that tomorrow. We probably won’t. Therefore, since white and black cabinetry has stood the test of time, in ways that bright green and orange have not, you might want to opt for cabinetry that is not flashy and bright. Because once you’ve made substantial decisions like this, you’re stuck with it for the duration.

In terms of the floorplan of your home, there are crucial things to avoid in order to create the most functional home. Many homeowners design their bathrooms, so that they’re small, to enlarge other rooms in their home. Don’t underestimate the amount of space you’ll need in your bathroom. There’s nothing worse than cramped a bathroom that doesn’t give you enough room to house your essentials. You don’t want your morning routine to be worse than it has to be, because of a small, claustrophobia-inducing bathroom. Another room that is often neglected, is the laundry room. Don’t compromise the size of your laundry room, because this space is vital. You’re going to need room for a benchtop and sink, plus space for the ironing board and the appliances themselves.

To recap, how do you keep your home timeless? Well, you’ve got to keep things simple. For example, it is important to use vertical joints and shaker doors and cabinetry. These trends have proven to be timeless. You want to aspire towards a classic look, because then you can impermanently adapt your home depending on the times. Instead of making structural decisions that are specific to the present generation, opt for something that can isn’t specific to the trends of the era.

Above all, a home belongs to you. That means that, the fool proof thing to do when designing your home, is to trust your own stylistic sensibilities. Regardless of the forecasted trends, make design decisions based on your own tastes. That’s where Marc Julien Homes comes in. We know that you have specific needs and wants, and we want to help you make those a reality. We build custom homes for people like you. So, collaborate with us, and we’ll build you a home that’s waiting for you to design its interior to your liking. We want to get to know you, so that you can build the home of your family’s dreams.

To make this process go as smoothly as possible, take care to choose a custom home builder that is right for you. The best place to start is to make a list of potential custom home builders in your area. You can then begin narrowing down your list. Here are some considerations in choosing your custom home builder.

Don’t start with the price

Building a custom home gives you the freedom to design the home you want down to the last detail. This means that, while the price is certainly a big factor in your decision, not even a custom home builder can honestly give you an upfront price on an introductory call. Instead, look for a custom home builder that will keep you informed about how your needs and wants affect your budget and will help you navigate various options to stay within your comfort zone while still getting the home you want.

What are your expectations?

How involved do you want to be in the building of your custom home? Do you want your builder to handle all aspects from your first meeting to the day they hand you the keys? Or do you want to make decisions on every detail along the way? Choose a custom home builder that will give you the flexibility to work with you according to your desires and comfort level.

Floor plans shouldn’t limit you

It’s common for spec homebuyers to agonize over floor plans. They try to envision how they will use and live within every square foot of the floorplan presented to them. But a custom home’s floor plan can be crafted around your lifestyle. Choose a custom home builder that will partner with you to understand your needs and wants and tailor your floorplan to work best for you.

Style is your decision

Homebuyers tend to judge a custom home builder on the style of the homes they build. While this may give a homebuyer some idea of what the custom builder can do for them, the reality is that a custom home allows you and the builder to develop the style of your home literally from the ground up. Find a custom home builder that communicates well, has built high-quality homes, and follows through on its commitments.

Ask a lot of good questions

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential custom builders, it’s time to start asking lots of good questions from both your narrowed-down list of potential builders and also the owners of the past homes they’ve built. Ask your potential builders to put you in touch with some of these homeowners.

Ask the owners questions like, Are you happy with your home? If you had any problems, were they fixed promptly and properly? Would you buy another home from this builder? People will often tell you if they are pleased with their homes. And if they are not, they’ll probably want to tell you why. This is all valuable information to help you in choosing your custom home builder.

Designing and building your own custom home can bring forth a variety of emotions. It is exciting, stressful, wonderful, and scary, all rolled into one. There are, however, ways to make this process enjoyable, so that you don’t experience builder’s remorse, once the project is underway.

Stick To A Budget By Working Closely With Your Builder

Financial stress is one of the major factors that cause builder’s remorse. This can happen when unexpected costs drive you right over your budget. This can lead to unwanted and unnecessary aggravation.

The best way to deal with this is by working closely with your builder to better understand the costs of the project. It is also recommended that you stay under budget, in case of surprise costs.

Determine Your Wants And Needs

Another issue to avoid is to begin building your home before you understand your wants and needs. Spending more time in the design phase will allow you to better understand what exactly you’re looking for in your new home.

If you just decide to go with what’s trendy, without a proper assessment, you could find yourself disliking the flow of your new home.

Location Is Crucial

The location you choose for your dream home is just as important as the home itself. You need to spend time researching the area in which you want to live. You should also understand the regulations concerning the building of properties in that area as well.

A dream home isn’t going to feel like a dream, if you build it in an area that you’re not happy in.

Don’t Rush The Process

It’s no secret that you need to think about every detail of your house building project. This is why you need to begin the planning process well in advance. Give yourself the appropriate amount of time to understand every aspect of what you’re hoping to accomplish.

We understand that projects of this scale and excitement make it hard to go slow, but in the end it is the right decision. You don’t want to realize that you missed something important when it’s too late. For this reason, you need to spend a lot of time in the planning process in order to ensure that everything is just the way you want it to be.

It’s important to remember that builder’s remorse often comes from a lack of planning. Make sure you’re giving yourself the necessary time, in order to properly plan. Do not go into a project like this, thinking that it’s going to be finished in a day. Understand that it takes time and patience to fully visualize what it means to build your dream home.

There’s no definite right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding. There are several factors that are ultimately going to help you figure out which option best suits your needs.

Let’s look at a few things to consider before making this big decision.

Pros Of Building A Home

It’s no surprise that the market for buying a home is high right now. This can be great for selling, but maybe not so much for purchasing. Whether you’re buying new, or looking at a pre-existing spot to move, the prices are still going to be high.

A surprising fact is that you can save a shocking amount of money if you decide to build. So let’s go through a few reasons why this might be the option for you.

1. Decide Your Style From The Start

When building your own home, you can decide from the get-go exactly how you want to design it. You won’t need to go through the hassle of buying a home, remodelling, and suffering many of the hidden fees that come along with it.

2. Enjoy A Better Insulated Home

Many new homes are better insulated, and equipped with new HVAC equipment. This can lead to breathing healthier air, and enjoying lower energy consumption.

3. Install Everything Brand New

Many homeowners enjoy the simple fact of everything being new. You don’t need to worry about any potential leaks, or damages from previous owners. The house won’t need a new paint job, or shingles as soon as you move in. You can just breathe a sigh of relief knowing that everything is brand new.

Pros Of Buying A Home

Now that you have a better understanding of why building can be beneficial, let’s go through some of the reasons why buying is right for some people.

1. You Can Buy And Move In No Time

You can’t deny the convenience that comes with buying. You can find a house, do a tour, and if you like it, put in an offer. The process can often be smooth. If there’s no issues with the home, or problems with your credit, you can move in quite fast.

2. Pick Exactly Where You Want To Live

When you purchase a house, you can decide which neighborhood you want to be in. Maybe you want a home close to a nice school, or close to your work. When buying it can be much easier to find a desired location.

Which Choice Is Better?

The choice depends entirely on what it is you’re looking for, your budget, and the location. You need to do an analysis of everything that’s important, and through that you’ll decide which option is best for you.

With an experienced custom builder hired, the pre-construction phase is a busy one with progress made everyday. It’s up to homeowners how much they will be involved in during this phase. Many homeowners take a keen eye over every facet of pre-construction; whereas others are very hands off and trust the builder. It’s up to you!

Whichever route you take, it’s paramount to know what SHOULD be happening before construction begins.

There’s a long list of tasks your builder needs to cover. There are HOA approvals and permits to obtain, utility orders to make, construction issues to resolve, options and guidance to outline to the owners, insurance quotes to take, a project schedule to shape, a budget to stick to and subcontractor contracts to finalize. And many more!

But here’s three crucial matters your custom builder should be doing during this phase.

Provide you with a pre-construction timeline.

A builder will provide you with a timeline prior to beginning construction. Your custom builder will too. It’s important to know that a timeline is not set in stone and a number of factors can derail an intended completion date. Weather, budget and the size of the home being built are all potential factors that derail timelines. But, more accomplished and experienced builders will provide you with a more accurate timeline and have strategies in place to stick more closely to completion dates.

Have selections in place.

Before breaking ground a custom builder should already have a comprehensive list of selections that a homeowner wants. When this is outlined early on, not only will the construction go smoother, but also your interior designer will face a much less daunting task later. All this leads to quicker completion!

It also cuts down on the ‘back ‘n’ forth’ between you and the builder during the construction. If a homeowner is unclear in what they want during pre-construction, then the builder will need to constantly communicate with them and seek clarification. The builder wants to be diligent and the best are perfectionists themselves, so be prepared to deal with lots of communication if your selections are minimal or unclear. Some common selections homeowners should consider outlining during pre-construction include:

• Windows and exterior doors
• Exterior materials/colors/details
• Roofing
• Exterior power plug locations
• Plumbing fixtures
• Interior beams
• Fireplaces
• Interior and exterior flooring types
• Interior power plug locations
• Mechanised outdoor shade locations

These can all impact the foundations, plumbing and electrical layout of a home, so having them in place before construction is vital.

Set construction phase dates and a final completion date.

Finally, the homeowner and builder then need to agree on a customized construction schedule before breaking ground. It provides both the construction team and their subcontractors a map to follow. Ideally it will also hold everyone accountable too.

With a defined schedule for all construction phases, material orders will happen ahead of time. Materials not being delivered on time are a notorious culprit for home construction delays.

So there you have it! Your custom builder, during the pre-construction phase, should:

1. Provide you with a pre-construction timeline,
2. Homeowners should have their selections in place and,
3. Final dates are mutually agreed upon.

r3 Renovations: Luxurious home renovations to transform houses into spectacular homes

Interior Elementz: Gorgeous yet functional cabinetry for kitchens and bathrooms

Exterior Elementz: Restorative, beautiful outdoor spaces, including open-air summer kitchens

Garage Living: Garage transformations and premium vehicle storage

Every project carries our signature blend of passion, craftsmanship, and commitment to our clients’ ideals. And the holidays are a time to affirm our values and share our gratitude for what we enjoy. With that said, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all our clients — as well as everyone who has supported our endeavors!

It was definitely a busy year, though, and we’re eager to take some downtime to spend time with family. Then, we’ll pick up on some exciting projects for 2022:

Completing 6 new exquisite homes on Pineapple Road, a brand-new tropical living destination in Delray Beach. We’re thrilled to showcase our skills in these transformative homes, which are designed to facilitate dreamy lifestyles that encompass both Florida’s natural beauty and the pinnacle of modern comfort.

Finishing 1801 Spanish River Road, a groundbreaking home designed by Alejandro Borrero and Michael Gray. This will be the ultimate destination for waterfront living, featuring generous indoor and outdoor space with illuminating glass-paneled walls for a seamless connection between nature and lifestyle.

Most of all, we’re looking forward to taking on new projects with our esteemed clients. We can’t wait to share your vision and discover how we can bring it to life!

We wish you a very merry Christmas, New Year, and all the holidays you celebrate. It’s been a wild couple of years, so we hope you find some time to rest and renew — and come into 2022 ready to reach new heights in your endeavors! Whatever you need for custom home building, we’ll be here for you.

 Moving or building a new home is a wonderful new chapter in anyone’s life. When the holidays come around, it’s important to embrace not only the unique opportunities your new home provides, but also establish some new holiday traditions in it. There will be some timeless ones your family might already have, but there are potentially hundreds of new traditions to start bring in. Let’s think about what you could create in your new home for the upcoming Holiday Season.

Ornament Making

The beauty of ornament making is that it does not necessarily have to be kid centric. Adults love to create ornaments, especially if they have a keen eye for arts and crafts. If your new home has a large open area for guests or kids to spread out and create ornaments, then why not use it? Your new home will inspire guests and annually remind them of their time crafting away in your new home.

Photo Shoot

 The Christmas Family Photo Shoot is a traditional way of capturing everyone at the happiest time of the year. It also happens to be the perfect way to display your new home to family and friends. The photo shoot will not only act as a snapshot frozen in time of your family, but your home too. Reflecting back on this time in years to come will be delightful.

Hosting A Party

 Hosting a party in your new home can be a fun way of introducing it to family and friends and a perfect way to establish a new tradition of hosting. Sure hosting a party can be a lot of work, but it’s also quite a selfless act. And what time of the year is better than the Holidays to be selfless! Guests will love the tradition you create by hosting in your home and each year you can tweak the theme, activities, food and drink… whatever you feel like.

Decorating Your Home

There’s no country in the world that decorates for Christmas like here. Our homes can be decorated for the Holidays in so many ways. Outdoor displays in the yard or light displays on a roof are fun ideas for neighbors and passersby. When it comes to inside, new homeowners don’t have to stop at the tree. Fill your new home with garlands, ornaments, light features and mistletoe to really give it that Holiday feel. For those that may not necessarily have the eye for holiday design, the good news is that there are a number of companies out there who will come to your new home and do it for you!

Baking

 Chances are your new home has a great kitchen in it. Why not put it to use in the Holiday season by baking up a storm in it! Cookies, Gingerbread Houses, Pies and Cakes why not try it all in your new home’s kitchen. Kids will love the experience and everyone will love the end product!