Designing and building a custom home is an involved process that will take a lot of planning and time, but in the end, you’ll get a beautiful home that’s unique to you and your family. If you’re considering building your dream home with Steiner Homes, you may be wondering what design decisions happen during a custom build. From choosing a lot to the final cosmetic touches, we’ll be there to help you throughout the process.

Choose Your Floor Plan

steiner homes floor plans

When building your custom home with Steiner Homes, you first choose which floor plan you prefer. One popular option for those building a home is a ranch floor plan. These single-story homes are great for entertaining and for those with toddlers or elderly family members for whom stairs might be a challenge. Characteristics of ranch houses include:

  • An attached garage.
  • Either a rectangular, “L,” or “U” shaped layout.
  • An open concept floor plan.
  • Large picture windows.
  • A low-pitched roofline with wide eaves.
  • A dedicated deck space or patio.

Another option is our series of master on the main floor plans, offering a main floor master bedroom suite for easy accessibility and privacy from the rest of the family. This is a popular choice for families, with demand increasing in recent years. You can use the main floor master bedroom as your actual master suite, a guest suite, or even a home office.

Steiner Homes also has a series of two-story home options for you to choose from for your custom build. These expansive homes offer enhanced privacy from the rest of the house, more efficient use of space if building on a lot, and great affordability. Remember, it costs less to build up into a two-story house than it does to expand a one-story home on the ground floor.

Designing Your Custom Home

Building a custom home requires you as the homebuyer to take a few more steps than you would when purchasing a home that is already planned out. You’ll have to make a note of elements and ideas you have that would create your perfect home, as you’ll have the opportunity to incorporate these elements into the design. 

Take photos of what you want and even talk with an interior designer to choose those key cosmetic touches. You can then work with the team at Steiner Homes to select your floor plan and exterior finishes. Finding a location and purchasing the land for your home must also be done prior to beginning construction.

The time it takes to design your custom home depends on you. Extensive conversations may need to take place to ensure you’re getting everything you want in your home and will be happy with the finished product, which is our primary goal. Your design choices will impact the overall outcome of your home and how long the actual building process takes.

Design Decisions 

One of the most exciting parts of a custom build is the design decisions you have control over. These decisions fall into two major categories: exterior finishes and interior features.

Exterior finishes include whether you want brick, siding, wood, or stone outside your home. You’ll choose colors for these as well as for roofing finishes and colors, types of exterior doors and windows, and products that can boost your home’s weather-proofing, efficiency, and indoor air quality.

Interior features include things like flooring, trim, appliances, your laundry room location and layout, fireplaces, and master suite layout. You may want carpet in certain rooms, tile, or wood flooring throughout the home. These are all personal preferences, and you can choose what you want and where. For example, when designing your laundry room, you’ll want to select a location that works best for you, such as near the bathroom or kitchen, so you have easy access.

Before construction begins, cabinetry, lighting, and other finishing touches must also be chosen. You get to decide what light fixtures you want and where they will go; what type and color of countertops will look best, such as marble or granite; and what kinds of cabinet pulls or handles you prefer. These items may seem small now, but they’re going to be the factors that truly make your custom-built house your home.

Building Your Custom Home

Custom-built homes are completed in phases. The first phase is where you let the builder know what you’re hoping to accomplish. You’ll compile a list of wishes, wants, and needs and provide visual references. Using this information, the builder may be able to walk you through similar homes they’ve completed already so you can finalize your ideas. During this time, you’ll also be finding the lot to build on and obtaining your loan approvals if you haven’t done so already. We’ll be with you throughout the process to help guide you in the right direction.

The designing and budgeting of your dream home will ensure that your home will be built on time and within your budget. Several critical decisions must be made at this time so builders know precisely how much money to allocate to each phase of the project.

Once you’ve made all of your decisions about finishes and other aspects of your home, it’s time for construction to begin. This phase is the easiest one if you’ve provided the builders with everything they need, including your wishlist. The time it takes to complete construction will vary, but it typically takes between six and 18 months. Some changes may need to be made during the process, but it should be pretty quick once you approve everything.

If you’re considering a custom build and want to discover more about what designing your dream home entails, reach out to Steiner Homes today. Our friendly, knowledgeable team will help answer any questions you may have and even get you started on building a home for you and your family to enjoy for years to come. You can reach out to us by phone or use our convenient online contact form. You can also view our plans by collection on our website to get you started with ideas.