If you’ve been considering building a custom home in the Poconos, you probably have a lot of questions—particularly if this is the first time you’ve been through the custom homebuilding process.

We’ve heard a lot of good questions from past clients, and we’re always more than happy to provide clients with answers that enable them to end up with the home that’s just right for them. That’s the reason we offer helpful resources, such as the Free New Home Buyer’s Guide, which answers questions about how to budget for a custom home, how to find the right home site, how to create the ideal floor plan, how to design both indoor and outdoor living spaces and more. Click here to download that guide for free.

There are, however, three questions that we wish every homeowner would ask when we’re working together on a home. These are questions most homeowners don’t automatically think about, so we’re mentioning them here because they can help you enjoy the homebuilding process more and end up with the home you really want.

1. How Would YOU Solve This Problem? 

Making changes to the initial plans is just part of the custom homebuilding process. It’s to be expected. Builders love it when you tell them exactly what your expectations and desires are and then ask the builder how they would solve the problem—instead of telling them how to do it. An experienced builder has seen a lot of different scenarios and probably has some ideas that will deliver the best results and perhaps even save you some money. So focus on clearly communicating what you want, and then ask for suggestions for how to accomplish the goal. It always works best when it’s a win-win situation.

2. Where Should I Spend My Money?

When building a custom home, your builder isn’t simply stamping out the same home as the one next door. You get to determine what areas of your home should get special attention. While you’re still in the planning stages, ask your builder where it makes the most sense to spend a bit extra and where you can try to save. Of course this will depend to a large degree on what’s important to you. But a seasoned builder also knows the kind of things that add long-term value to a home and he can advise you about improvements that will make your home more comfortable for years to come.

3. What’s the Best Way to Resolve Questions and Conflicts?

Even if you choose a great plan and hire a great builder, you can run into small bumps in the road in the homebuilding process. Homebuilding is part art and part science, and unforeseen things can happen. If you want to get the best end result—and experience a lot less stress during the building of your home—it’s important that you and your builder establish some clear guidelines for communication. You’ll want to figure out how often you should meet for updates. You’ll also need to agree on how to handle things when you notice a problem. Every builder and every homeowner is different. But it’s important that you establish a plan to help you clearly communicate your concerns and expectations. It’s helpful to remember that you’re all on the same team and working toward a common goal.

You’ll have plenty of questions if you decide to build a custom home in the Poconos, but if you ask the three questions above, you’ll be well on the road to a successful and less-stressful building experience.