Designing and building a house from the ground-up can be an exciting experience for any homeowner, but a challenging one without the right guidance. AJD Construction Group has been in the home building and design business for over 40 years and takes pride in turning a client’s dream home into a reality. We spoke with Albert Donadio, President of AJD, about what you need to know when planning your future home design.
Design depends on lifestyle
Before you begin the process of designing your new home, you must first evaluate what your needs are, says Donadio. A good starting point is to determine how many people you anticipate will live in the house, which will help you decide how many bathrooms and bedrooms you’ll need. “Some people would like each bedroom to have its own ensuite bathroom, or children could share a bathroom, which is known as a Jack and Jill bathroom.” From a design perspective, homeowners should also consider the kinds of spaces they require, like an open concept kitchen for entertaining. If you need a work space, you could work a home study into your house plans.
Cost depends on your home’s finishes
When you’re building a new home, everything is customized to you, says Donadio. The price of a custom home varies depending on what is involved in the actual project, and the client is also paying for the quality of workmanship. “A custom house generally requires more care and more project management because it’s a one-of-a-kind home,” he says. The starting price for a custom home project starts at $200 per square foot and higher depending on the quality of finishes chosen by the homeowner, says Donadio, but that includes everything that’s involved in the building process, such as plumbing, heating and electrical work.
Proper planning is essential to the final outcome of your home and schedule for completion
The more planning you do upfront prior to construction, the faster and easier the project will evolve. Planning for landscaping or a finished basement at the beginning of a home building project will ensure the project finishes on time. The amount of time it takes to build a custom home depends on the size of the home and what kind of finishes the home requires. “Normally, a custom home that’s 3,500 square feet, takes about a year, from the time you start excavation to the time you give the homeowners the key,” says Donadio.
Thinking about designing your own home? Visit AJD Construction Group for more articles, or scroll through the picture gallery and dream up a plan for your future home.
