Few decisions are as exciting as choosing to build a new home. But it’s also a big move that can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin when you’re starting from the ground up?
Crescent Homes Maui, one of the island’s leading builders of custom luxury homes, has helpful information to get the process started and keep you on track.
Home Builders Digest, a national online magazine dedicated to the residential housing industry, advises that your first step should be to make a wish list of all the important features you want in your new home — even if you suspect that they might be out of reach financially.
Decide On Your Priorities
You’ll want to then prioritize these items, from must-haves on down to things you can happily live without. If you know that your home will require a pool, make sure it’s high on your list. If your favorite hobby is cooking and entertaining, you may want to insist on a kitchen with a large island where your guests can sit and watch the action.
Decide how many rooms you want, and if you need a laundry room, a large garage or a media room apart from the living room. Since the covid pandemic has changed the way many of us live and work, you may want to include a private office, or space to pursue hobbies, such as a music room or workout room.
Create a Floor Plan
Next you’ll want to create a general floor plan for all the rooms you’ve envisioned. Be sure to consider if you want to live all on one level or multiple levels. Think about how you live now, and how to want to live in your new home.
Consider the Costs
After you’ve drawn up priorities for your dream home, it’s time to talk dollars — and more dollars. Home Builders Digest recommends that you factor in the following items when you draw up your budget:
- The cost of the land
- Local fees and taxes
- Design and engineering fees
- Home construction
- Landscaping costs
- Interior decorating and furnishing
Regarding construction costs, be aware that a new luxury home can run $200.00 per square foot or even higher. That said, it won’t make financial sense to build a $2 million home in a neighborhood where the houses are much more modest. Also know that construction is more expensive in Hawaii because of the higher cost of the higher cost of living.
Find the Building Site
Once you have a good idea of what you want to spend when building a custom home, it’s time to find the right piece of land to build on. Home Builders Digest stresses that it’s critical to do your homework before you buy your land. Be sure to consider how close your new home will be to the neighbors. Does a prospective lot have a steep slope or a view? If good schools are important, ask neighbors (or a knowledgeable real estate agent) for their opinion of the local options.
Connecting with an architect and a general contractor before you buy land can be a good idea, because they can advise you on whether the land you’re considering will work with the home you want to build. A few tips on finding the right architect are to:
- Look at online portfolios to find work that fits with your taste.
- Ask friends and neighbors for referrals.
- Make sure the architect you choose “gets” your ideas and is someone you would enjoy working with.
- Ask a potential architect how much they charge and if they can provide you with 3-D renderings, which can really help you envision your new home.
Find Your Contractor
Hiring the right general contractor is just as important as finding the right architect. As with architects, you’ll want to ask for referrals and research a firm’s experience and portfolios of homes it has built. You should get bids from at least three. And be sure to talk to some of their previous clients and see how their experience was.
On this Project Post, you’ll see photos of a new custom home designed by Maui Architectural Group and currently under construction by Crescent Homes in the Lanikeha neighborhood of Ka’anapali.
Crescent Homes Maui
With three decades of experience in residential construction, Crescent Homes Maui should be at the top of your list. We are a vertically integrated firm that has designers, engineers and most of the trades on staff, so our projects aren’t complicated or delayed by lining up subcontractors. We offer turn-key service that includes handling important items such as insurance and general liability, all required permits, and scheduling inspections.
Crescent Homes is customer focused, so you get to enjoy the thrill of watching your new home take shape, instead of dealing with countless tasks and headaches. Call owner/manager Calvin Baty today at 808-250-6563 and tell us about your dream home on Maui.