Building a custom home is exciting, but there are a lot of decisions that happen long before you ever break ground.

If you’re considering building a home in Middle Tennessee, whether that’s around Nashville, Lebanon, Murfreesboro, or one of our surrounding communities, here are seven things I recommend thinking about early.

1. Where You’re Building Matters

One of the first things to understand is that building requirements aren’t identical everywhere in Middle Tennessee.

Your county—and even whether your property falls inside or outside city limits—can affect permitting, zoning, inspections, and other requirements.

This is one reason I recommend choosing an architect and builder who are familiar with the area where you’re building. Having a team that understands the local process can make a big difference.

2. Start Planning Earlier Than You Think

If you just purchased land, you aren’t too early to start working with your designer.

Actually, that’s my favorite time to meet you.

The earlier we begin, the more time we have to establish realistic budgets, work through your design direction, review architectural plans, make selections, and plan around product lead times.

I’d rather have construction waiting to begin because we’re prepared than have construction begin and everyone start waiting on us for answers.

3. Give Your Construction Timeline Some Breathing Room

Almost everyone underestimates how long building a home will take.

There are simply too many moving pieces to expect everything to happen exactly according to the original schedule.

As a general rule for my own planning, I like to mentally add another month or two to the builder’s estimated completion timeline.

If the house finishes earlier? Wonderful.

But I’d much rather have realistic expectations from the beginning than plan your entire life around a perfect construction schedule.

4. Middle Tennessee Weather Can Affect Construction

Weather is another reason construction schedules aren’t exact.

Middle Tennessee receives rain throughout the year, but late fall through spring is historically our wetter period. Site conditions and heavy rain can affect certain stages of construction, particularly early exterior work.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t build during those months. It simply means your timeline needs some flexibility.

5. Cabinetry May Cost More Than You Expect

One area I find homeowners commonly underestimate is cabinetry.

Depending on the size of your home, level of customization, construction, finish, and features, cabinetry can become a significant portion of the interior budget.

This is exactly why I like discussing budgets early. We can decide where you want to invest and where it makes sense to pull back before selections are finalized.

6. The Least Expensive Builder Isn’t Necessarily the Least Expensive Project

When comparing builders, don’t look at the initial number alone.

Understand what’s actually included, the allowances you’re being given, the quality you’re expecting, and how the builder handles changes and problems throughout construction.

A lower upfront number doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll spend less by the time the house is finished.

Sometimes paying for the right team from the beginning saves you from paying for expensive fixes later.

7. Build Your Team Before You Build Your House

If there’s one thing I wish more homeowners knew, it’s this:

You don’t have to figure everything out before assembling your team.

Find the architect you trust. Find your interior designer. Find a builder who understands the type of home you want to create and has experience building in your area.

Then let those professionals help you figure out what comes next.

Building a home has thousands of decisions attached to it. The goal isn’t for you to become an expert in all of them.

The goal is to surround yourself with people who already are.