The Before You Build Podcast

In order to have a * chance* of sticking to your home build budget, you’ll most likely need to make some sacrifices and might not be able to get everything you want in your future home. I don’t want this to discourage you though. It’s simply a fact that we all deal with it when building a home. So let’s stay positive and talk about 8 home upgrades that are worth the money when building so that you...

If you’re dreaming about building a custom home in the near(ish) future, you might be curious about what steps you need to take before building in order to make your home-build experience positive and to make your future dream home a reality. I’m not going to sugarcoat it … there is A LOT that goes into making your home build a success and it all starts with following 6 crucial steps BEFORE you br...

Your primary bathroom is one of the most expensive rooms when building (or renovating) your home ... so you kinda wanna make sure you *really* think about what you want BEFORE you design this room. If you’re anything like me, you want to design a functional primary bathroom that works perfectly for the way YOU live! In this episode, I’m sharing 9 tips to help you to design your own functional (and...

This podcast episode is a little bit different than what I normally record. I'm sharing some feedback I recently received from a client that really got me thinking. I had a quick initial thought of 'that sucks' and then I realized there was some truth in what she said ... but there's so much more to it. Tune in to hear what she said and to find out exactly how my 'zone of...

In this episode, I’m sharing 9 tips for designing a functional kitchen. These are all things I LOVE about my own kitchen design. I’m also sharing a couple of things that I wish I had done differently in my kitchen (so you can learn from my ‘mistakes’). --- Get full show notes and more information here: carolineondesign.com/9-tips-for-designing-a-functional-kitchen --- If you’re dreaming of buildin...

If you’ve decided to build a home and you've found the perfect lot, the next step is to choose whether you’re going to build a custom vs stock floor plan.  We’re going to start this episode by talking about the differences between a custom floor plan and a stock floor plan, as well as the pros and cons of each option.  Then I’m going to share five things that I want you to *really* think abou...

It’s important to be realistic about ALL the costs you’ll incur throughout the building ( and moving-in) process. Obviously, you'll have construction costs and architect fees (if applicable) … but there are many other expenses you need to factor in as well. In this episode, we'll cover 7 unexpected expenses when building a house because I want to make sure that you include these ‘ hidden...

I think we can ALL agree that it’s HARD to choose a paint color! It can be (very) confusing and overwhelming because there are literally thousands of choices and the samples are so microscopic. But don’t worry, in today’s episode I’ll walk you through four EASY steps that I use to get a much better idea of what a paint color will look like on a larger scale and this will help you choose the perfec...

Did you know that I can help you bring your dream home to life? You know ... that cozy, beautiful home that you absolutely LOVE, and your friends and family can't wait to visit over the holidays? Yep, I can help. Find out how in this completely raw podcast episode that I recorded on a whim on my iPhone in the Starbucks parking lot. And guess what … it might be my favorite podcast episode to d...

There is a new(ish) product on the market that I am obsessed with … mess-free paint samples. These weren’t around when I built my home back in 2013 but I sure wish they were! In this episode, we’ll cover what peel and stick paint samples are, how accurate the sample colors are (including my ‘color accuracy experiment’ results) , how to use the samples, how long they take to ship, how much they cos...

Creating your floor plan is a HUGE part of building your home. I imagine you want to build a home that flows well and is functional for YOUR family … plus, you want it to fit into your budget. In this episode, I’m sharing 3 tips to design the perfect floor plan for your family so that your home *does* flow well and *is* functional for the way YOUR family lives. Wanna dive deeper into creating the...

Many people jump right into designing a floor plan without taking the time to thoroughly think about the best layout for their family’s home. Please don't do this! The best way to avoid custom floor plan mistakes is to *really* think about how your family lives BEFORE you create your floor plan. I want YOU to get your floor plan right and feel proud of your future home, so I’ve created a list...

Building a home will likely be one of the largest projects you ever take on. It can be emotionally and physically draining, but it can also be really fun. Believe me … I know this from first-hand experience. In this episode, I’m sharing 8 CRUCIAL tips for your first-time home build to help make this process easier for you. Wanna build a house you absolutely LOVE ... without blowing your budget? I&...

Over the years, one of the most common questions readers and students have asked me is what I would change if I built my home again. Honestly, there isn’t much I would change about my house (even after 9+ years of living in it) , but you’re here because you want to learn from others’ regrets after building so that you don’t make the same ‘mistakes’. In this episode, I’m sharing my short list of wh...

Are you planning to build a home in 2023 and you're considering how you want your exterior design to look? Maybe you still love the white exterior look but aren’t sure if it’s still in style. Or maybe you’re just curious about what the next big thing in exterior design is so that you can be ahead of the curve. Either way, I think you’re going to love the home exterior trends in 2023. By the e...

If you’re building a new home or remodeling an existing kitchen, you're in luck because the kitchen trends in 2023 are GORGEOUS! And, even better, many of these trends are rooted in a classic design that will stand the test of time. Whoo hoo! I've scoured design websites to get an idea of the kitchen trends we’ll see in 2023. Most of the trends this year are beautiful design elements tha...

Has anyone ever told you, ‘It’s inevitable you’ll go over budget when building because *everyone* does.’   Yeah, I’ve heard that too, but it’s not true! The #truth is that * most* people DO go significantly over budget when building because they fall into the trap of 3 common (and very costly) mistakes when planning to build a house. In this episode, we'll cover the 3 common mistakes people m...

Are you building your first (or next) home and you have no clue where to start? Are you afraid to make all of the design decisions you know you'll have to make and, even worse … are you afraid of making costly mistakes? Building a home doesn’t have to be scary! You just need to have a plan in place BEFORE building your home. The bottom line is that the key to feeling confident as you make des...

Are you considering building a house because you just can’t find the perfect existing house to buy for your family? If so, are you unsure of pricing and wondering, ‘is it cheaper to buy or build a house?’   If you’re nodding your head ‘yes’, this episode is for YOU! Let’s go ahead and answer the question of what’s cheaper … buying or building? As you can imagine, this is a tricky question to answe...

In this episode, I’m letting you in on a little secret. I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes list of my custom home build regrets 9 years after building my house.  The good news is that I still LOVE my home nine years later, but there are a few things I would do differently if I built this house again and that’s what we’ll talk about today. Possibly one (or more) of these things will resonate with you...

In this episode, we’re talking about whether or not you should hire a designer when building a custom home.  I'll share the pros and cons of adding a designer to your home build team so you feel equipped to make the best decision for YOUR family. EPISODE → carolineondesign.com/hire-a-designer-when-building-a-custom-home Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo...

When you google the phrase, ‘must haves when building a custom home’, you’ll find lists of what *other* people consider to be must haves in their own homes. However, these lists might not include things that are must haves in your own dream home. In this episode, I share a lengthy list of what other people considered to be must haves in their homes. But remember … this list is simply to get the wh...

I’m giving you seven specific steps to help you prepare for a productive first meeting with your builder so that you feel confident and organized when your builder fires questions at you about your design ideas and your budget for your future home. If you follow these 7 steps (in no particular order) , you’re going to go into that first planning meeting feeling confident and super organized becaus...

Selecting a paint color (in general) is overwhelming. Selecting a white paint color can be even more intimidating because there are literally hundreds of options to choose from.  Honestly, white can be one of the hardest ‘colors’ to choose … so I’ve narrowed down the vast amount of choices to 10 white paint colors that designers love and use on repeat (because the colors are THAT good) PAINT SAMPL...

Are you curious about how long it takes to build a house? I'm not going to lie ... this is a tricky one to answer (especially in our current home-build climate). I can tell you that six months is the average for how long it takes to build a house. However, the length of time depends on MANY factors and we’ll cover these in this episode. In this episode, we’ll talk about the many factors that...