I would visit some model homes to get ideas and look at some of the magazines with houseplans and interiors in them first. Sometimes if you hire a contractor they may give you a budget and some design options that will match what you allowed him budget wise to build.

Thank you. Looking at model homes is something that I think will really help. we will be the builder and this is supposed to be our dream home so I am very nervous about picking out something that won't look good together. I have been on so many websites and looked at a few magazines so maybe after walking through some model homes it will all start coming together.
Thank you!

check grandhomes.com it has awsome floorplans

My hubby and I just finished building our home this past summer. We were the general contractors. We designed our house ourselves. First we looked through house books for house plans but nothing appealed to me. Next, I borrowed almost every book we could from the library and scanned in everything we liked. It ended up being a mish-mash of ideas. Then I thought about how the house was to function for us. Laundry on the main floor was a big one, so was entering the house through a rear old fashioned screened in room, where we could have easy access to the kitchen. We also designed all the rooms without closets as we have aquired antique wardrobes instead.

I would suggest researching every style far and wide of everything you like and don't like.

Are you hiring a builder? Subcontractors or building it by hand yourself?

For the exterior, drive around neighborhoods you like, and take photos of color combinations that are attractive to you. If in a newer area, you can find out from the builder what materials were used, and where you can find them. Also, wherever you purchase your building materials, may have a designer on staff to assist you in your selections.
For the interior, you may want to consult with an Interior Designer. You can hire someone to just guide you through your basic selections. Most vendors of flooring, cabinetry, tile...are experienced enough to be able to show you the most popular products, and help coordinate it all for you.
If you will be purchasing furniture, many design studios do offer free design services included with a purchase. They will help you select the proper pieces, design floor plans, pick paint colors, and even help with some of the other design basics.
Visiting model homes is also a great way to see new home features, current styles, furniture placement and color schemes, etc...Bring your camera and take pictures. You can mix styles and do not have to stick to just one style, at all. Today, styles are mixed- an eclectic blend.
Magazines are a great guide on how to do it well. Cut out photos you like. Visit design showrooms to see how vignettes are put together. I like Arhaus, Pottery Barn, Ethan Allen, Restoration Hardware.... I don't know what part of the country you live in, but should be able to find some resources near you. Plenty ideas on this site and others on line, as well.

Good luck!

If you are your own contractor, then you'll need to send out bids to local lumber stores to get the best price for all your building materials. This price will be based off your architectural building plans that have already been approved by your local building department for a building permit. Being your own contractor will save you a few thousand dollars with just buying the materials yourself.

However before you even begin you'll need to have priced out a variety of building materials for interior and exterior.

It's a tremendous amount of work ... I know!

For all my clients who wish to build a house I recommend budgeting a few hundred dollars on books. The internets great for spot information but there's nothing like a 200 page book to cover a topic comprehensively. For example if I want to learn about the America Civil War it'd be best to read a 300 page book on the subject and then use the internet to fill in any specific details.

If you want the list, send me an email a dburke20117@yahoo.com. This is not my normal email address but I'll check it now and again for the next few days.

Good luck.

Yes, I agree with architectrunnerguy, I bought several books well before we started, especially books on how to be your own contractor.

@adalessandro,

If you have a moment I would recommend looking at our profile and checking out our albums.

We are very cost efficient when it comes to sticking to a budget and would be more than happy to help you out on your project. Our company does everything; in-house architect, interior designers, & will build your home! We are very reasonable and would be more than happy to start your dream home!

Call (480-650-0223) or email (VinceFrata@gmail.com) to talk about just how affordable we are and how we can help you!

Have a wonderful day,
Vince Fratantoni
480-650-0223

Hiring a designer for a day is money well spent and it isn't that much. Most of us have reasonable hourly rates and you can get a lot of great ideas and guidance in one day.

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions....I will take them all and run with it.

My husband and I will be the general contractor and we just received hopefully final design from the architect? We will break ground in the spring!. Now the fun part is supposed to be picking everything out and pulling everything together but this is a huge job with so many options.

Thank you everyone and I will let you know how it goes.

Some advice, if you live in an area with snow and your building lot is flat and cleared presently - adding a self regulating sump pump in the spring will help de-muck the building surface before the excavator comes, will speed things up.

The planning department will give you a list of criteria such as set backs, building height and building envelope placement. The building department is responsible for all inspections to make sure you are adhering to the local building code and your building permit. If you live in a special subdivision, the developer may have set forth "design guidelines" that all new homes must follow so they are uniform. Such as height, window placement, building materials and color selection.

If I can offer one piece of advice to anyone deciding on becoming their own GC (other than hire a professional), is that you must remain 3 steps ahead of the project. "How will the decision I am about to make effect the rest of this room/space and each item that will follow this decision etc?" is a question you must constantly ask yourself, as the coordination working or not working only becomes evident once its too late. Good Luck

Galle's right. While building a house is not rocket science, it WILL BE a full time job. My wife and I have built three houses for us and each time it was my job for 8 months. And as with anything in building a house, three elements will be involved: time, quality and price. Generally you can only have two out of the three.

Design and finishes are what most owners concern themselves with, and rightfully so. It's good to hear that you are spending time with the architect to ensure that the space will function the way you live. But being your own general contractor is another story!! Not only is there pricing but coordination of trades is HUGE!! Making sure they arrive on schedule, they have sufficient manpower on the job, don't use another contractor's space for their staging and the list goes on and on and on.

I have been an owner's representative for over 20 years and can tell you that the mundane aspects of construction are not what most owners want or are inclined to deal with. If you insist on doing this. Get familiar with a project management program like Microsoft Project and USE IT. Make sure all your subs and vendors know what is expected of them and WHEN!!

Plus, every sub contractor we hired had to have a business license, have 2 million in liability insurance and have workers compensation. Plus, get everything in writing and pay them in bank drafts. I created a payment plan per sub contractor and had them sign the plan each time they were paid and stapled the bank draft copy to it.

Make sure you fully understand what liens are and how this can affect you. As well, research what is required of you as a GC in your area for safety. We had to buy and display a first aid kit, the architectural plans, the building permit and display all emergency numbers within plain site.

Another thing, you can save quite a bit of money by ordering your own sand, gravel and soil as well as calculating a septic bed design, ordering all building materials and running and purchasing your own hydro lines in the trench before hookup.

Finally get a list of all services and utilities youll need. Such as cable, tv, Internet, hydro, water, gas etc. make sure you call them months ahead of time to set up new installation.

I am going to assume that you will get W-9 for all your vendors and contractors. Also, I don't do payments without partial lien releases.

Did you ever consider a Design/Build firm? They are wonderful--they usually have some stock plans to choose from, but also have architects and designers on staff to help you with the fine points of home layout and choosing finishes and other details.

Not sure why you want to be your own GC since you started out by saying you don't know where to start! There are professionals in all walks of life who do these things for a living, why wouldn't you want to hire them? Listen to the advice of all the building professionals who responded to your question and proceed very carefully!

I am an interior designer but also hired an architect during house planning one time.

I think this decision needs professional advice .

I am sure your thread in this discussion will be given feedback from some professionals. And you'll find a good one.

Futhermore, architects there is a good article for you and ability to expand your client base https://weblium.com/blog/10-best-architecture-firm-websites-around-the-world/

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