Building your own home is so much more than adding walls and a roof to a piece of land — it’s a way to give yourself and your family something you’ve always dreamt of, to express your own creativity and to forge a living space where you and your loved ones can relax and live happily. However, employing custom home builders and creating your dream home is a heavy undertaking that needs to be well thought out. If you’re considering building your own home, here are a few key things to keep in mind.

Give Yourself Enough Space

You don’t want to end up with a home that’s too big or not spacious enough for everyone who will be living there, so it’s important to leave yourself and your loved ones with enough space during the planning process. Take into account whether or not your family is likely to grow at any point, how soon someone may leave and what you would do with their vacant living space; also, consider heating, cooling and insulation costs for the total square footage of your new home. The more you plan ahead for amenities, the easier it will be to manage them.

Decide What You Want From Your Yard

Outdoor space and acreage tend to be major selling points for properties, so develop a strong idea of what you would like to get out of yours. If you’re looking to have a pool or other water feature installed, make sure you have enough space in your yard and that any landscaping you have done is up to code. Think about fencing and how much of your property you want fenced in — if you have children or pets that will frequently be outside, for example, you may want to fence in all of your property.

Keep Safety a Major Priority

Your home should be safe and comfortable, so it’s crucial that any structures you build are completely up to building code, stable and well insulated against the seasons. Be mindful of any additional reinforcement you may need for inclement weather, such as earthquakes or flash flooding, and see to it that wiring and plumbing routes are installed safely and correctly. Make sure that doors, windows and other gateway structures are sturdy and lockable, and be aware of any local wildlife that may be living nearby. Above all, it’s important to have your home built on a solid foundation that can easily support the rest of the building as well as the furnishings and people within.

Building your own home takes a lot of planning and work, but with the right mindset, it can be a dream come true. Before you get to work, develop a thorough plan for what you want and make sure that anyone involved in building your home is on the same page. Remember to get any necessary permits before starting this project and be patient during the build — it can be difficult to wait, but the time and effort you put into your home will be well worth it.