Every custom build is different, they're like snowflakes, no two are exactly the same. But just as snowflakes have one thing in common, so do all custom home builds. 

Connections.

Building your dream home cannot happen in a vacuum.

Land and civics, building elements and systems, tradesmen and professionals, budgets and timelines... they're all important and they're all intertwined.

Have you ever been grocery shopping, hungry and without a list. It's impossible to think straight, it's frustrating, and stressful. Compared to when you're fed, meals planned, list in hand, knowing where to splurge, and what's on sale... your extra effort makes all the difference for your budget and your well-being.

I often hear:

• Who does that?
• What are the next steps?
• When should that happen?

Connections in a custom build are subtly formulaic, similar to a recipe. Once you're clear on the goal, the rest is like gathering ingredients and following along, step-by-step, until the final product is ready for tasting. You've probably also seen what happens when you skip a step or leave out an important ingredient. It doesn't seem like much at the time, but in some cases, the results are disastrous. Maybe not a big deal when you're baking a cake, but when you're building a house, it means thousands of dollars down the drain or months of progress lost. 

First, you need to answer the 5-Ws...

• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• And most importantly, Why?

Once you are clear on the answers to these questions, the connections between them are what bring your dream home to life. These questions form the foundation for the entire framework of your project. The dream home is your cake, and these questions are your ingredients. Will your cake be light and fluffy, moist and delicious? Or will it be flat and dense, dry and bland? The 'Getting Started' chapter of Your Pocket Architect, allows you to respond to these questions with clarity and simplicity. So you can enjoy the process! In this case, you can have your cake and eat it too!