if i was to build a custom house...

You definitely need Vince to put in a wine cave!!!!!!!

 

And I'll provide the first bottle!
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Pete,

YOU ROCK!!!!!

 

Peter, there's custom and then there's custom - I'm assuming you mean truly custom, where the builder gives you a clean piece of paper, folds his arms and waits for him to tell you what to build.

Here's ideally how I'd build my next custom house, having done it once:

I'd find an architect experienced in the type of design of interest to me, and with whom I have an excellent rapport. I'd hire him not only to do all the work up to the permit plans, but I'd think about having him also look in on construction. Yes, you should give him your sketches and ideas, the more you give him the more efficient he can be. I believe many residential architects now use software permitting a 3D tour of a design, though ours did not. Our architect was an arrogant jerk, but he made up for it by being expensive.

You have a builder, so I'll skip that part, except to say that the subs are the key.

I might consider bringing in an interior designer and landscape architect from the beginning, as well. Some architects do interior elevations, which can be extremely useful. If you don't think about landscaping and interior look at an early stage, you may move into a house full of featureless rectangular rooms, surrounded by a sea of mud.

So much of the look and feel comes from materials and detail, both for the exterior and interior. A builder does not necessarily have any feel at all for materials choice.

I would not hire a builder or architect who are working in a certain style for the first time. For example, if you want a Georgian house and the architect has never designed a Georgian, or the builder has never built a Georgian, find someone else.

Do NOT expect all these wonderful, experienced and talented people to notice the obvious. In our first week of construction, for example, the main sewer line from the house was placed right under the future location of the pool - which was clearly marked on all the site plans. You need to check the site often IMO, not less than every weekend, if that's all you can spare.

Just some initial thoughts for now.

 

If I ever had the chance to have a house built for me these guys would be the architects of my choosing: www.builtinc.com

 

these guys are good here in Dallas and so some pretty cool stuff. www.rc3d.com THey do 3D rendering too, but it is about $800 per view I think. Ask Roberto and he'll give you the scoop.

 

Why does everyone these days want these double and tripple height ceiling pieces of crap with columns and all the rest? death to mcmansions
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oh, and two of the worst - double staircases in the entryway, and like three different facades ouside (barf)

 

What about getting your architect to recommend a reputable system integration consultant as well if you're building a reasonable sized home?

Get the house wired for structured cabling to future-proof your property and help increase it's usability and resale value in years to come. Make sure all the cabling is in place and star-wired to a central place for:

broadband
computer network to share printers
potential phone system and/or PABX
alarm
electronic gate control
intercoms
CCTV cameras etc.
You can never have enough power, phone and data jacks either.

What about multi-room audio and video control via volume controls, touchscreens or infra-red remotes? You can even have in-wall and in-ceiling speakers in other rooms, even the sauna.

A home automation touchscreen based system can control all of this and more, plus lighting, irrigation, climate control. You can even walk around the house with a universal remote and change settings in your house. With some systems you can control them by PDA, computer and even your cell-phone.
e.g. the Vantage system at http://www.vantagecontrols.com/

By the way, I do the above work in my business. However, I only work in New Zealand at present.

 

Don't take this the wrong way.....but if you have to ask the question, you probably shouldn't be building a custom home.

unless you're breaking 5,000 sq/ft....you should be able to find a home already designed that will meet your needs. Doing truly custom stuff will cost a premium in terms of additional designing & getting permitted, etc, etc.

You have 2 choices...you can take my advice or you can learn the hard way. Either way, you can hit that bottle of wine!

 

Cute.

 

Why should he? You did not take...

1. mine
2. my wife's
3. Darth's
4. Darth's wife

advice on NOT driving the 355 to the magic castle ticket boy.

 

Secret door ways and hall passages...! You'll thank me...!

 

I built a totally one-off house 4 years ago. My conclusion was that there were 3 ways to go:

1) Hire an Architect - Most expensive by far, but more certain results.
2) Pick a stock plan from a book, collection or internet.
3) Go in between and take your ideas to a drafting service. They will message your ideas and create a full set of drawings. This is the way I went and it was BY FAR the most cost effective solution.

After you've got the house designed by them, take the drawings to an interior designer. The money you pay them (by the hour) will be the best money you ever spend. Involve them till the end.

Best!
Wes

 

Fixed it.

 

LMAO...!!!

 

Do we have any res. architects on the board?

 

architecture student,sorry

 

Don't build the McMansion! Hire an architect that designs, not mimics the McMansions across town.

Not in any particular order:

http://www.salaarc.com/
http://www.agaarchitects.com/
http://www.hickmandesigns.com/
http://www.tarantinostudio.com/

Oh yeah, you might need 2,000 square feet of living space, but everyone needs a 10,000 square foot garage...

 

Amen!

I only want 4 bedrooms, but 12-car garage.

 

Yep.

Art Vandalay

 

i built a booby trap once...

 

Did she get away?