There isn’t a best time to think of your dream home. However, there is a worst time, that time is typically after buying the land without knowing what you really want, need, or some of the requirements you will have to face. I want to share 3 easy steps to visualize your dream home regardless of if it is remodeling your existing home or building a brand new one. If you like dreaming about the possibilities, you are guaranteed to have fun. Two wonderful benefits will come out of this exercise. First, You will gain a better understanding of what you need against what you want and second, it will cost you nothing other than some time and maybe a notebook to capture it all. Let’s start!

1. Dream

   
   Perhaps one of the easiest things we all know how to do and take for granted. At this step, we need to let our mind wander free of constraints, visualize your dream home and you in it, how it smells, how is lit, the colors, how you move through it, the kind of furniture, etc. Make it what you want, be specific. If you desire, add photos that inspire you use Pinterest, Houzz, Google, Magazines, you can collage these photos into your written description, it’s important to make it into something you can physically see, and touch. This can be an overwhelming activity, so simplify it by going room by room, picture each in great detail, document your vision. Following this activity will help you create the map that will guide you toward clarity.

2. Assess

   
   Now look at what you currently have and just like on the previous exercise, separate each room and think about the reason why it doesn’t work for you and your family, again be specific. This will help you create an assessment of the things that you don’t really like or wish were different here’s an example: My kitchen does not have enough space for both of us to cook and is disconnected from the dining room and living room, it does not allow us to entertain, which is something we enjoy and often do. As you can see, it’s quick and it outlines the issues . Once you go through your entire house discovering things you don’t like, think what would make it better, what is a potential solution.
   
   This part of the exercise is crucial in helping you determine where you really stand between your current situation and what your dream looks like, Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s move on to the next step.
   one of the three categories where you find your situation to be: 1. The layout needs to be adjusted, it will potentially solve most of our dislikes. 2. An addition is necessary, the existing space does not allow our solutions to fit. 3. This house is not going to cut it, we need to build new. You are only committed to yourself here, regardless of your decision at this point, you still have more to discover.

3. Compare

   
   To this point, you have identified the dream, and you have identified the main issues of your existing space. Compare the two and you will see that some items immediately stand out, they showed in the dream and they are a big issue. Looking at what you did in steps 1 and 2 aid you in identifying what you really need against what you want. Grab those items and list them in order of priority, obviously the needs will probably be on top of your list.

Overall, as you complete these steps throughout the entire house, it will clarify your vision and will let you know, at least initially, there are three possible conclusions you can make:

1️⃣ We’re not to far. The Layout needs to be adjusted, it will potentially solve most of our dislikes.
2️⃣ We just don’t have enough space. An addition is necessary, the existing space does not allow our solutions to fit.
3️⃣ This house is not going to cut it, we need to build new. You are only committed to yourself here, regardless of your decision at this point, you still have more to discover.

I hope you found this useful and inspirational, I have met clients that engage with an architect before taking a deep look of their real needs and while that’s fine, that costs money, you can do this part first, then engage an architect. Your decision making ability will be faster as your picture is clear. If you’d like, you can go through this process yourself using the templates I use. download them for free, and you don’t have to subscribe to anything. The process is a big undertaking so take your time, and be kind.

Have fun!

Dream Visualizer Template

Dream Home Visualizer Sample