The Ultimate Guide for Working with a Custom Home Builder and Designer in El Paso

August 13, 2021

Your dream of a move-in ready home with your fantasized walk-in closet, luxury bathroom, spacious kitchen with granite countertops, spa, or cobblestone patio is just around the corner. Now that you’ve decided to work with a custom home builder for your new home, you are ready to embark on the custom design journey. This adventure is not for the faint of heart, it demands imagination, commitment, and inspiration. Lucky for you, you have all those things, as you have been envisioning your perfect home for a long time. And yet, the journey can be overwhelming—there is a myriad of choices, from floorplans to layouts, materials, colors, features, etc. How do you filter out the noise and get to what you really want? Here are a few tips for working with a custom builder.

Tips for Staying on Track During the Conception and Design Process

Once you’ve embarked on the design journey, it is easy to feel yourself getting pulled in many different directions. You may suddenly start seeing ideas online or getting recommendations from loved ones. The key is to hold steadfastly to the vision and ideas that prompted you to choose a custom home builder in the first place. Keep these two things in mind:

Remember your budget. Keeping your budget in mind helps maintain direction and a limit on what you can consider. For many soon-to-be homeowners, it is a way to keep themselves aligned to only what is feasible and therefore not wasting energy on options that are not within reach.
Every project tells a story or has a narrative. What’s your story? What is the one unifying principle that you seek in your home? Sustainability? Open spaces? Modernity? Luxury? Do you prioritize your home as a place to raise a family? A modern fusion between work and play? Keep your priorities at the forefront.

Additional Tips For Navigating the Custom Design Process and Ensuring Satisfaction with the End Result

So once you have your dollar amount limit and your priorities straight, the rest of the journey is a balance between creativity, trust, and communication with your builder. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for clarification at any point in the process where you might feel unsure about something.

Keep these things in mind:

Review your home builder’s portfolio. Every home builder is different. Browsing past work from a builder will give you an idea of the kind of homes they build. Make sure that you are talking to a fully custom home builder. Some builders advertise as such but mostly work off of a selection of previously conceived layouts to which they make modifications.
Build with a focal point and theme in mind. A Space functions better when it has a focal point, underlying theme, or connection to the rest of the home. Trying to do too many things at once in one single space can deter the design. Trust your architect and designer.
Future-proof your home with energy-efficient features. Energy efficiency is the future. Homeowners today look for ways to ensure their homes are energy-efficient. By installing features early on, you are saving yourself money and upgrades in the near future.
Remember what you don’t like. You’ll see many design ideas and possibilities that might seem appealing. Sometimes options you had never considered suddenly enter the realm of possibility. So how do you keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed? Keep in mind the kind of design you don’t like. This will at least eliminate features or add-ons that may seem appealing at a moment’s notice but are not really what you are looking for.

Consider Nature and the Sun When Building

Residents of El Paso are lucky when it comes to weather. The weather is optimal most of the year and the sun shines almost every day. Winters are short and relatively mild. The city is surrounded by desert landscapes, mountains, and breathtaking views that can enhance any home design. When discussing design with your home builder, consider the orientation of the home, the views visible from your balcony, terrace, or porch. Consider how your property will interact with trees, water, mountains, hills, etc.

How your home implements natural lighting, window size and style, and the direction it faces are major and fundamental choices that highly impact the final result.

Be Confident in Your Vision and in Your Home Builder

For more than three decades, Cullers Homes has built an array of homes. From two-level luxury homes to single-family units. Our building process involves working with clients closely to ensure that their vision comes to light. It’s why we implement 3-D models and technology that allows for visual representations and examples.

Is a new journey calling to you? Embark on the custom home journey with a home builder you trust. Connect with the Cullers Homes design team today and learn more about what we have done and what we do.