Make the Most of your Arizona Acreage: Custom-Home Building Advice
Building a custom home can be a daunting task, but it's also an incredibly rewarding experience - especially when you build your home at Sereno Canyon, a premier community offering Arizona acreage in North Scottsdale.
Here, on Scottsdale properties nestled amid grand outcroppings of rugged boulders on the undulating slopes of the McDowell Mountains' North side, you'll experience pristine desert and mountain views at every turn - as well as stunning community amenities designed by renowned Valley architect Craig Wickersham.
To make the most of this stunning Arizona acreage and to maximize your Scottsdale real estate investment, read these tips from Craig Wickersham himself - as the visionary designer behind the community's architecture and design guidelines, he has knowledge to spare on making the custom-home building process run smoothly.
Expert Tips for the Custom-Home Building Process
1. Consult a builder before you buy.
Many buyers wait until after they've selected their Scottsdale properties to consult a builder, but Wickersham warns that this approach can cost you valuable time and money. "You could pick a lot that has a gently sloping surface or a steeply sloping surface," he provides as an example. "If you have the steep lot, building the same home will cost more because the structural issues will be more severe." Checking with a builder before you select a home site will save the headache and extra expense. And if you're in love with that steeply sloping lot, at least you'll know what you're getting into before you buy - and what type of home would work best with your property.
2. Set up a no-strings consultation.
"I highly recommend [buyers] sit down with a design professional for some time and discuss a very initial scope of work," Wickersham says. "They're not committing to a full-service fee - they're just trying to get an idea of what they want." This initial consultation can go a long way to determining your goals and parameters - before you've signed a contract.
3. Invest your time.
Custom-home buyers are usually prepared to invest money in their Arizona acreage and their new estate, but they're often unprepared for the amount of time a custom-home building project can take. "People don't allot enough of their time to work on their investment," Wickersham says. "The first month is very critical. We do so much that lays the foundation for everything that we'll do during the next two years."
If you want a truly custom living space, the home's design needs to be a reflection of you - not your architect. This means you'll need to be involved through every step of the process, even if you live far away. "If you don't do that, what suffers is your pocketbook," Wickersham warns. "You end up making changes on the back end of the project, when they're much more expensive to make."
4. Choose a budget.
"I'd say 9 out of 10 of my clients don't know how much they're willing to spend," Wickersham says - and that's a bad way to start the building process for high-end Scottsdale properties. "People should know approximately how much they want to spend," he says - and then discuss that number with their builder to determine whether the dollar figure matches the house they've envisioned. "You need to have a realistic alignment of your expectations. You start with your fantasies and your dreams, and then you rethink it."
5. Learn the lingo.
"Architecture's a very specific language, and for laymen who've never done this before, they don't speak that language," Wickersham says. "Building a custom home is a process. I try to get everyone on the same language level." While the best builders will help teach you the language, as a buyer, it's your responsibility to learn it. After all, understanding the process will prevent surprises.
6. Show, don't tell.
If you tell your architect things like "Tuscan" or "Old World," don't be surprised if your vision doesn't match his. Instead, try compiling a book of visuals to help guide his designs. From external architecture to interior fixtures and even furniture, images speak louder than words when it comes to detailing your goals, likes and dislikes, Wickersham says - so bring in a binder or folder of magazine clippings, photos of homes you like or other visual elements.
Not only will this help your builder determine what architectural styles best fit your needs, but it will also help him determine how you want to live your life. "My process is, let's get down to what a client really loves," Wickersham says. "What's their lifestyle? How do they want to live?" Help your architect answer these questions, and you're guaranteed to have more than the perfect Arizona acreage. You'll have the perfect home, too.
7. Make it fun.
Sure, the homebuilding process is lengthy and takes work. But it's also incredibly rewarding, Wickersham says. "It's one of the true ways to invest in your future - not just your immediate future, but your children's future. It's also one of the most fun ways to invest in your future. It's part of the American Dream - building and creating." So don't be daunted by all the decisions to be made - embrace them!
For more information on purchasing Arizona acreage or planning your custom home, contact Sereno Canyon today
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Sereno Canyon | Scottsdale, AZ | Ph: 480.348.1118