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Hello friends!

We recently covered why your home's orientation matters and how it impacts efficiency. This week, I'm sharing a brief conversation I had with a building pro that highlighted the magic of planning and building a custom home.

For Once, You Decide

Greg Ripley was the plumbing and HVAC contractor for our project. He's also a neighbor and a friend. We recently had Greg over to make a couple of changes and provide a systems overview. He arrived with a label maker, which I thought was perfect.

We discussed Build Livable and talked about the potential of helping homeowners navigate the construction process. Greg said something that stuck with me:

So true. How many times have you lived in a home or apartment and thought to yourself:

• Who decided to put the outlet here, of all places?
• Why is the laundry room so far from the bedrooms?
• There is a draft here. I wonder what's insulating this wall?
• Why didn't someone put a window on the south side?

These are all decisions made by someone else who had different needs than you at the time. They may be inconvenient, but we eventually conform to them because we don't often have a choice.

That's the thing about new homes: you finally have a choice. But it's not that easy.

A lifetime of conforming can lead to an expectation that your new home will work out in the end. You can be hands-off because the team will take care of the details and you'll make it work. It's a valid perspective that is sometimes necessary.

However, there is another path that is also valid. This path means being more involved in planning, thinking about your lifestyle, and designing a home that is purpose-built for you. You can place the outlet for the coffee maker exactly where you want it to be. The collection of these small decisions is what makes a home more livable than you ever imagined.

You're likely to have the help of a designer or architect who will guide you through the process. However, their work depends your ability to relate what you want and need. With a bit of knowledge and planning, you can work together to create something specially built for you. That's a choice you can make.

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That's what I have for now. See you next week!

Lee LeFever, Build Livable​

• Build Livable helps homeowners navigate custom home construction. Learn More.
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