Understanding the Home Building Triangle
What is the home building triangle and why it is one of the most important things you will need to consider before breaking ground.
Money. Features. Space.
Choose Two.
Imagine going to a steakhouse. You have $30 to spend, and not one cent more.
This $30 gives you plenty of options when ordering. You could get a 6-ounce filet mignon for $22, an appetizer for $6, and an iced tea for $2. Though the steak isn’t quite as big as you were hoping, you’d get all of the extras (the drink and the appetizer) you want while remaining within budget.
Another option is to super-size that filet mignon to 12 ounces for $30. You wouldn’t have money for an appetizer or iced tea, but you’d get a bigger steak while still being within budget.
Or… you go all in on the 12-ounce steak, the appetizer, and the iced tea. You’d go over budget (and have to wash dishes to pay for your meal), but you’d get EVERYTHING you wanted.
Building a custom home is a lot like this. Unless you have an unlimited budget, you’ll probably have to make a few trade-offs.
We’ll explain.
Few things produce as big an adrenaline rush as the thought of building your own home.
Picture it: A beautiful house that is EXACTLY what you dreamed of… in a picturesque location… with all of the space and features you crave… created from the ground up… by YOU.
How could you NOT get excited at the thought of that?
Every single person who reaches out to us beams with this enthusiasm. That’s when we tell them about the Home-Building Triangle.
The Home-Building Triangle is a cost/work-projection model that involves three components: money, features, and space. When building a custom home, you have to choose two of the three.
It breaks down like this:
Now, imagine you’re back in that steakhouse with $30 in your pocket.
Remember your options? You could get a smaller steak (space) with an appetizer and iced tea (features). You could get a big steak but skip the appetizer and tea. Or you could get a big steak, appetizer, and tea—but go over budget. It’s all about trade-offs.
That’s the Home-Building Triangle in a nutshell.
Don’t get it wrong: We’re not saying trade-offs are 100% inevitable—here’s an example of a UBuildIt client who got EVERYTHING they wanted. We simply want you to know as much as possible—and be as prepared as possible—before digging into the home-building process. Because when building a home, knowledge isn’t just power… it’s empowering.
We’re not trying to scare you off of building your own home. Building is still by far the best and most rewarding option if you want a new home.
Just consider the alternatives…
A) Buy a used home.
B) Buy a tract home (also known as “cookie-cutter housing”).
C) Buy a spec home (a new home that’s already been built by a custom builder).
In all these instances, you have no say in the design, features, space, property, or anything else. Sure, you can remodel and add on, but you’re still severely limited in what you can do.
Though there are trade-offs in custom-home building, you have MUCH more control and freedom. That means you have a MUCH higher chance of getting that home you’ve always dreamed of. Plus, designing and building your own home gives you a sense of satisfaction the other options simply don’t.
The question then becomes… “Should I hire a builder or general contractor, or should I do it myself?”
We answer this question in another article. Building your home without a builder or general contractor might seem daunting… even impossible. Especially if you have zero construction experience.
That’s where we come in.
Our unique consulting services allow people with no construction experience to build stunning custom homes… while saving them up to 30% when compared to hiring a general contractor or home builder. As a result, you can use those savings to get more of what you want out of your home (upgraded countertops, higher quality cabinets, ultra-efficient windows… whatever you want).
In other words, we prepare you for the Home-Building Triangle… but we also make your dollars stretch further. You might still have to make a few trade-offs; however, we provide the expertise and assistance to help you keep them to a minimum.
For more details about our services, claim your Free Information Kit now. It will tell you everything you need to know about what it’s like to work with us and how we guide you through the entire home-building process.
