Make a list of "Needs" & "Wants": This list should have all the things your home (and you) cannot live without. The 'Wants" list should be all the things you would like included, but are more on the luxury end of the spectrum, rather than essential. Your design professional and contractor will be able to assist you in narrowing these down to fit into your budget and design. Have a Budget: Have in mind what you can spend. This may come from your savings account, a line of credit, or other source. If you have specific materials, or products you wish to include, go and price them, or get bids on them. Please also remember, you will most likely spend from 10% to 20% more than your initial bids; see #7, below.

Hire a Professional: Once you are armed with your 'Needs & Wants' & our Budget, hire an Architect or Architectural Designer. You will need to budget this in as well. Most banks have an allotment built in to a home equity line of credit, or construction loan, for such professional services. These services will range depending upon your needs. Fees for such services can be as little as $500 and as much as 15% of the cost to build the home. However, your money will be well spent. These professionals have the design prowess to assess your 'Needs & Wants', achieve them in a way architecturally pleasing to the eye, and help you stay in budget. If you cannot afford to hire their full services, hire them for a few sketches, or a few hours of consultation throughout the project. You will be pleased with the end result.

Have a 'Plan' in Mind: You most likely have perused many home plan magazines & the internet for house plans; or you may have sketched things out on paper. I have found that bubble diagrams of rooms and room relationships to be the most insightful into how you wish to live in this new house. Clippings of photos from magazines are also extremely helpful. Take all these to your design professional, for Him/Her to assess your needs and design just what you want.

ReSale: Get advice from your design professional, as well as a Real Estate Agent, who knows the market and location in which you are building, as to what you should have in your home that would give you the most 'bang for your buck'. If you are intending to move (and you most likely will), you will want to know what will, a) not overbuild the house for the neighborhood's scale or price range, and b) be the most cost effective return on your investment.  High-Tech Custom Kitchens and Master Bathroom Spas are #1 and #2 on the best return on investment, and high on the list for potential home buyers.

Be willing to Compromise / Pick your Battles: You will have things that arise that will be unexpected and that will cost you more money, that are done incorrectly, that are not on the plans, and that may not be what you, or your hired design professional, had envisioned for the home. This is where you 'Pick your Battles'. Decide, as these situations arise, if it works in the final vision of the home, or just needs redoing because it is done wrong...Stick by your guns. But you also need to compromise. For example, if you can live with the cheaper dishwasher and just get a credit at the end with your contractor, or if you can live with it and upgrade one of your 'wish list' items, do it.

Hiring a General Contractor: Once you have the drawings, you can get bids on your project. You should get bids from at least three (3) reputable general contractors. Ask your friends, neighbors, and colleagues for references for a good contractor. Also, always ask the contractor for references from former projects. Go and see them whenever possible. Seeing good work is always a 'good thing'. Ask the contractor to return the set of drawings to you with your bid. A good rule of thumb is to choose the bid which is about the middle of the road in cost. During your project your Contractor is your hired professional. He/She can be a friend after they have completed the job to your satisfaction.

Hire an Interior Designer or Decorator: You may also want to hire these professionals to assist you with your interiors, depending on your budget. They can assist you with decisions from paint colors, flooring, wall and window treatments, to lighting fixtures, furnishings and landscapes. These services may cost up to as much as your architectural services, but will be a decision which will help to 'finish' the look of your house into a home.

Deadlines: Do's and Don'ts: You should request of your Contractor a 'schedule' of events. This is a timeline of the weeks and months outlined with what will be going on in your project at any given time. You should always plan on adding time for change orders, (because you will always have at least one) and this may not get written on the schedule. Also remember the big ticket timeline items, such as, Plumbing Fixtures & Hardware, Door Hardware, Custom Doors & Cabinetry, most Furnishings, Appliances, most Flooring, and anything you have to special order. If at all possible, avoid the Holidays as the end result of your project. You will most likely be disappointed.

Have Fun: Most of all, enjoy the journey. Taking sketches and magazine clippings of your 'dream house' to your design professional, and watching it be built is something of a wonder. Those six months (or whatever) will go by regardless of your attitude. The things you can change are the things to fret over, otherwise, forget it. Your attitude rubs off on everyone working on your project as well. Take lots of pictures and enjoy your 'trip'!