Building a custom home is one of the biggest projects you’ll ever take on. Unlike buying an existing property, a high-end custom build is a chance to create a home that reflects your lifestyle, taste, and future plans. But where do you begin? The process can feel overwhelming, especially with so many decisions and moving parts.
To set yourself up for success, here are three key things the team at Nixon recommends knowing before diving in:
Define Your Vision Early
The most successful custom builds begin with clarity. Before you engage an architect or builder, spend time thinking about how you want to live in your home. We love it when clients bring their own inspiration to us, it motivates us to bring that to life!
Lifestyle needs: Do you entertain often? Need a private office? Want seamless indoor-outdoor flow?
Future-proofing: Will your family grow? Do you want aging-in-place features?
Style preferences: Modern minimalism, timeless character, or something in between?
Having a clear sense of your vision ensures your design team can translate ideas into a cohesive plan. Create mood boards, gather inspiration, and be ready to communicate what “high-end” means to you–because it’s different for everyone.
Understand Your Budget and Set Some Priorities
A high-end, custom-built home is a significant financial investment. Establishing a realistic budget early on helps guide design decisions and prevents costly changes later.
High-end builds often involve premium finishes, bespoke features, and architectural detailing, so it’s important to:
Spend some time with your builder to understand what materials and design details cost.. this will help you in making your priorities!
Understand the difference between must-haves and nice-to-haves.
Allow room in the budget for contingencies – unexpected costs are normal in custom projects!
Be transparent with your architect and builder about your budget so they can tailor the design suitably.
Our process includes an initial cost estimate, a take off and price estimate at concept stage, updated detailed pricing before engineering and a final price before contract signing. So, we take our budget seriously and make efforts to adjust design/selections along the way so you don’t get a surprise at the end of design phase.
Think of your budget as a tool: it should drive smarter decisions, not limit your creativity.
Choose the Right Team from the Start
We think choosing the builder first is the most important. We can then find the right architect for the project, we manage the timeline, budget and communication with suppliers and consultants to ensure a smooth process.
The people you surround yourself with will make or break your build experience. Our clients, Genevieve and James, learned this the hard way before finding their place with Nixon, saying, “Our experience with other builders before Nixon made us feel like we never wanted to build again and to run for the hills! I met Mike initially when we were tendering out the build, and he was genuine and restored my trust in the building process. He made it enjoyable!”
A strong team – architect, builder, and consultants – works collaboratively to bring your vision to life while keeping the process as smooth as possible.
When selecting your builder:
Look for proven experience in high-end, architectural homes.
Ask for examples of previous projects and speak to past clients.
Consider their communication style – do they listen, advise, and keep you informed every step of the way?
Engaging your builder early in the design phase often leads to better outcomes, as they can provide practical insights into buildability, materials, and costs before plans are finalised.
