When people start with a designer or architect for their home designs without speaking to a builder first, here's what usually gets burned:
- $5,000 to $30,000+ on plans, drawings, and deposits (yes, even before a single brick is laid).
- Weeks or months of back-and-forth on a design that, in the end, isn't even usable.
- All the excitement of finally seeing your dream home on paper… replaced with the sinking feeling of, "We can't afford this."
And it's not always just a little over.
We're talking families who thought they were building a $750K home only to find out the home design would cost $1.1 million to build. By that point, the design is locked in. And their budget is blown before construction even begins.
So what happens next?
You either:
- Start over (throwing away thousands and months of planning) or
- Start cutting (shrinking rooms, ditching features, making compromise after compromise, trying to "salvage" the plan)
Either way, the result never quite feels the same.
But it's all avoidable when you follow this one golden rule: Talk to a builder before you design.
Not after. Not halfway through. Before.
Because when someone at the table actually knows what things cost — in real-world, today's market numbers — you can make smart choices from the start. You can dream within your budget instead of outside of it. And you don't end up paying twice: once for the plans, and again to undo them.
What Happens When You Bring a Builder in Early
Let's say you've got a rough idea of what you want in a home. Maybe you're picturing a certain size, a layout that works for your family, or some specific features like a big open kitchen or beautiful bathrooms.
Most people take those ideas straight to a designer or architect. But when you bring a builder into the conversation early, the whole process shifts in a better direction.
Here's how it usually works.
1. You talk about budget and ideas at the same time.
Whether you've sold a place, spoken to the bank, or are working with savings, you've got a number in mind. That number becomes part of the conversation right from the start. If you don't have one, that's fine too. A builder can give you a ballpark based on what similar homes cost to build right now.
At the same time, you talk through what you want in the home (the size, the layout, the level of finish) and what matters most to you.
That way, you build something around your priorities, with a clear picture of what's possible.
2. Design and pricing happen together.
You're not being handed a sketch and then finding out what it costs afterward. Every idea is checked against what it actually costs to build, so you know where you stand as the design develops.
If you've got your heart set on a high-end kitchen, you can look at ways to make that work. Maybe that means slightly reducing the size of another space, or finding smarter materials that give you the same feel without the extra spend.
The point is, there's give and take, and you're in control of it the whole time.
3. There are no surprises later on.
Because you've been working with real numbers the whole way through, you're not going to hit a point where someone tells you, "Actually, you'll need another $150,000.00"
There's no sudden panic and no need to start cutting out rooms or scaling everything down at the last minute. You've already made decisions with your eyes open, so by the time you get to the build, you're confident and ready to move forward.
4. You don't have to give up the dream. You just shape it so it works.
Some people worry that involving a builder early means they won't get the home they've imagined. But it's not about settling. It's about making smart choices that bring your ideas to life in a way you can actually afford.
That might mean prioritising what matters now, and saving a few things for later. Or finding clever ways to get the same feel for less.
In the end, it's about designing something you love and making sure you can actually build it.
How You Start is How You will Finish
Designing a home is exciting. It's emotional. And it's easy to get swept up in the vision.
But before you get too deep into what your future home looks like, it's worth asking what it's going to take to actually build it.
Getting a builder involved early can save you from the most common and costly mistakes. It gives you clarity, realistic numbers, and a design that's not just beautiful on paper but actually buildable.
But of course, bringing a builder in early is only one piece of the puzzle.
There's a lot to think about before you start designing. Things most people only learn the hard way. That's why we've put together a free guide to walk you through it all.
7 Things You Must Know Before Designing a New Home
It's quick to read, packed with insights, and could save you tens of thousands of dollars (not to mention a whole lot of stress).
