Jacob Baranski found the experience of planning and building his own customized home to be frustrating, stressful, expensive, and lengthy. And he’d do it all again.

Being able to live in his dream home is even better than he could have imagined, and he recommends it to anyone with the resources and wherewithal to deal with all the complications and confusion that comes from it. But he knows there are some important things to know before going in.

The Weird Realities of the Dream Home Building Process

Oddly enough, if you want to build your dream home, Jacob Baranski recommends giving up on the exact idea of your dream home.

He has come to understand the unavoidable gaps between what may be in the homeowner’s imagination, what’s on an architect’s blueprints, and what contractors can actually make for you.

Anyone who has had to bring a big project into reality, as Jacob Baranski has in his entrepreneurial career, will understand. Without endless resources for every aspect of a project, compromises will need to be made.

Jacob Baranski learned that complications and delays are inevitable, and to properly gird yourself for them.

Foundations get dug out in the wrong place, supplies are out of stock, skilled technicians are busy with other projects. And the pandemic has created supply chain clogs and backlogs. So think of it all as a way to practice your patience.

While it can feel as if the vision of your dream home is being compromised along the way, accept that compromise is necessary for your dream home to become real.

So, as you make the hundreds, if not thousands of decisions along the way, ask yourself some basic questions: How much does a change impact the overall design? Does it interfere with the practical aspects of the house, like utilities and layout? How easy would it be to fix/update later? This is where proper prep work can save you a massive amount of grief later on.