Selections are all the different components that make up your custom home. From flooring, to
paint colors and lighting, every detail must be thoughtfully recorded. Going through the process of
making selections can be time-consuming and as mentioned before there must be careful attention to
detail. It is important to know what style best suits your taste before beginning your selections. The next
step in your selections journey would be following an outline or template for your selections. Another
key factor in making your selections is setting deadlines for when you need to make them. The selection
process can tend to prolong the building process if it isn’t approached in the best way. Below are some
tips on the process of making your custom home selections.
Deciding on the Style of your Home
This plays a huge role in your selections process. If you do not have a few ideas narrowed down
of what style you would like, then it can be an overwhelming sea of options when it comes to selecting
anything.
Most homeowners tend to have a general idea of what they want as they begin looking into
building a custom home. But others do not and that’s okay! Everyone must start somewhere. Simply
looking up keywords like traditional, farmhouse, modern, craftsmen followed with house or home will
give you some great visual inspiration. Trending styles for 2023 are listed below:
– Modern Rustic
– Elegant Farmhouse
– Modern Spanish Style
– Bungalow Style
– Cape Cod
– Colonial House Style
– Contemporary
– Industrial
– Mediterranean
– Ranch
Following a Selections Template
To keep up with all the details in an organized manner, following a selections template is a very
important step. A selections template should split each category up, as well as consist of subcategories.
For example, if your new home has a fire place you will want a fireplace category followed with
subcategories such as: Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Fireplace, Mantel, Fireplace Surround. It is important
that there also be nots to detail. For example, with flooring selections you need the size, type, and
location of the flooring selected. Without those details there is only a flooring name and hat doesn’t
quite cover all the bases. At A2E we provide our homeowners with an in-depth selection sheet and
contacts to all our vendors. Our selections sheet will be a guide for both homeowners and the
employees at A2E as well. It lays out everything from start to finish. Beginning with windows and ending
with gutters, we will be there to help you step by step in selecting your dream home.
Setting Deadlines for your Selections
Whether it is you setting a personal deadline or the builder you are working with helping you set
one, having deadlines for your selections can be key. The deadlines provide a good way to keep order
going from one selection to the next. It is good to have deadlines based on how the house will be built.
For example, you should select the siding you would want before you select the shutters. You cannot
have shutters without siding. Some selections are also more important of large and can be more time
consuming such as tile or trim. For these selections you should consider setting a reasonable deadline
for picking these out.
Tips for Making Selections
– Set up appointments… Setting up appointments with vendors is important to getting as
much out of an in person visit to the vendors’ showroom. Often homeowners will reach
out to the vendors themselves (we provide all contacts for vendors we work with to the
homeowner). But the selections manager can also help scheduling appointments as
well. When you schedule an appointment, it gives the vendor the opportunity to
prepare ahead of time and then once you arrive to the showroom, they can really focus
on what you want and help you get that.
– Use the Selections Manager… The selections manager’s purpose is to help you and help
the builder by keeping track of all your selections decisions. Let you selections manager
in on all the details and or who you are working with as far as vendors. If the selections
manager has a name of the vendor you are working with then they will be happy to
reach out and get the details on all selections made.
– Don’t be afraid to ask questions… If you as a homeowner are unsure of something,
always ask questions. This is helpful to both you and the builder. Communication is an
important part to making selections.
Sources
35 Home Design Trends on the Rise in 2023 (houzz.com)
Popular Home Architecture Styles in 2023 (gbdmagazine.com)