fbpx

 

What Do Furnishings Cost?

When Do I need to Plan For Them?

 

Congratulations! The final details are being put on your new custom home, and it’s beautiful! The architecture is exactly what you hoped for, the quality is impeccable, and the home is healthy and energy-saving. It’s everything you wanted it to be!

furnishings costs

Now, What Next?

 

Now, what do you do about furnishing this new dream home? The temptation is to use this as an opportunity to save money and use items you already own (but don’t love) or purchase new items based on price instead of substance. Of course, in most homes there are family heirlooms and special furnishings that are must-haves; as for the remaining furnishings, it’s important to take a holistic approach.

 

Highlighting Architectural Beauty

 

First, the gorgeous architecture of your new home deserves to be highlighted! Your architect and interior designer developed the lines and details of your home to reflect you and your aesthetic, so let your designer help you find furniture, artwork, window treatments, and accessories that will play up the architectural style instead of distracting from it.

 

Quality Matters

 

Your builder has also taken great pains to make sure that the quality of your home is excellent. When you walk through your home, you can feel that craftsmanship. Continue that feeling of quality in the furnishings you add. If your home is meant to be a legacy for your family, to be passed down, you want furniture that will age as gracefully as your home. If your goal is re-sale one day, homes sell much quicker when furnished thoughtfully.

Be aware that ready-made plans are copyrighted. Your builder can purchase the rights for the plan, but be sure this step is not overlooked. You can get in real trouble down the road if you shortcut this step.

 

Prioritizing Health and Sustainability

 

Last, and most importantly, your home has been designed to be both energy-saving and non-toxic. Your custom home is now sealed like an envelope, and that makes it even more important than ever to make sure you are filling your home with products that won’t harm you. Window treatments cut down on UV rays and protect your floors, walls, and furniture. Low VOC products that don’t off-gas will help maintain the indoor air quality your home was built for. Taking the time to make smart decisions on what you put in your house will help you maximize the investment of resources that went into designing, and building, your healthy home.

 

Smart Budgeting with Your Design Team

 

Your design team is a great resource for knowing what budget is realistic for you. Creating an inventory of items that are making the move with you (pictures and dimensions) is a great start so that your designer can help you decide an appropriate budget and help design a home that is carefully curated to meet your needs. If you aren’t bringing much with you, 15% (of the construction price) is a good place to start for the custom home market. However, there are many factors that affect that number as well as varied timelines for receiving the furniture. Thinking through these details even before your home-building process begins will help you plan accordingly.

 

I strongly recommend making your selections before construction begins on your new custom home—color, cabinets, plumbing, hardware, paint, and more (this also helps the budgets stay more aligned throughout construction). Yes—all selections! Before I learned how important this was, I noticed that homeowners often seemed unable to make selection decisions in a timely manner. Indecision messes up the deadlines, stalls the project, and can greatly frustrate both builder and homeowner.

 

If your builder does not have an in-house design team to help you in your selection process, then at least retain a competent interior designer who complements your style and, as difficult as it may be to make your selections before you begin your home, do it—for your benefit, your spouse’s benefit, your family’s benefit, and for the benefit of the builder’s and your relationship. If you do this before the construction begins, the only thing you’ll need to select after that is your toothbrush. You’ll be able to enjoy the building process, and your builder can build your new home more effectively.

 

Conclusion

 

Utilize a professional to properly space plan, schedule and select the furnishings to fully complete the new home(both for comfort and style) and to maximize your investment.

-Sean Sullivan

 

 

Building A Quality Custom Home

Want to know more? This book by Sean Sullivan is full of helpful information in easy-to-read chapters like this blog post.

It is a step-by-step guide to the “must-know” issues of building your dream home. Discover the custom-home construction secrets that could save you headaches, heartaches, and thousands (if not tens of thousands) of dollars.

Building A Custom Home