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If you're in the process of building a custom home, or thinking about building one, it can be tempting to want to include every high-end feature imaginable. After all, the ability to create a customized, unique home that is suited to your specific wants and needs is one of the primary reasons that consumers believe that building a custom home is the right move for them. However, when it comes to building a custom home—or remodeling an existing home, for that matter—rarely does someone have an unlimited budget. While it's wise to splurge on certain feature or aspects of your build since it is—after all—your dream home, there are some areas worth scrimping on.
1. A formal dining room
Unless you're a traditionalist, it's probably a safe bet to say you will not regularly use a formal dining room, so this is a room that could be left off of your floor plan to save some serious cash in your custom-built home. The latest home trends are eat-in kitchens with large islands or breakfast bars with plenty of seating. Likewise, because of the hectic work, school, and extracurricular activity schedules that most families have these days, sitting down for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a formal dining room is just not feasible. Nixing the formal dining room altogether can not only save you money on your home, but the space can also be substituted for something that your family would use more frequently.
2. Heated floors
Unless you live in a very cold climate, adding a heating system to the flooring in your home, particularly the bathroom, might be a feature that you skip. However, it truly depends on the climate you live in and how important comfort is to you and your family during the cold winter months. In a place like Texas or California, where average winter temperatures stay well above freezing, a heated flooring system likely wouldn't get utilized often; however, if you're living through cold Chicago winters, you could certainly benefit from heated bathroom flooring.
3. A second-floor balcony
While a second-floor balcony is certainly an attractive thing to add curb appeal to a two-story, custom-built home, if the likelihood of you actually using it is slim, it may be a good feature to skip altogether, and transfer that money to something more functional that you would more frequently use.
4. Jetted bathtubs
While you're visualizing your dream home, it can be fun to fantasize about soaking in a jetted bath with candles burning, wine glass in hand at the end of a long week, but in all actuality, how often would you really use a jetted bathtub? The truth is, whirpool tubs are expensive, use a significant amount of water—hiking up your water bill—and you'll inevitably have to replace mechanical parts at some point, most likely after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. Likewise, jetted bathtubs require more cleaning than your traditional tub or they can become ripe with bacteria—yuck! If you're fairly certain you won't use and enjoy a jetted bathtub often, or you know you can live without one in your dream home, leave it off your must-have list and save those extra funds!
As you're working with your builder to plan your dream home, it's critical to keep your budget in mind at all times. Splurging on certain must-have amenities is completely understandable, but also having a list of things you can live without will help you stay within your budget.
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