Sometimes you gotta trust the process and not sweat every single detail before you even break ground.
- Totally agree about not overthinking, but I’ve seen the opposite too—people rush, then regret missing stuff like closet space or outlets.
- For those who’ve hired designers, how did you figure out what was truly “must-have” vs. “nice-to-have”? That seems to make or break the budget.
WHERE DO YOU EVEN START WITH HIRING SOMEONE TO DESIGN YOUR HOUSE?
I totally get this. When we did our build, I had a mile-long “wish list” but the budget reality check hit fast. Our designer had us walk through our day-to-day routines and that honestly helped sort out what was non-negotiable—like a mudroom for all the kids’ stuff. I almost forgot about outlets behind the nightstands, though... it’s weird what slips your mind. You really don’t know what you’ll regret missing until you’re living in it, but I guess you just have to pick your battles and not try to control every detail.
You really don’t know what you’ll regret missing until you’re living in it, but I guess you just have to pick your battles and not try to control every detail.
That line hits home. When I started building, I thought I had every angle covered—spent hours on Pinterest, made spreadsheets, the whole nine yards. But you’re right, there’s always something that slips through the cracks. For me, it was the pantry. I kept obsessing over the kitchen layout, but didn’t realize how much I’d miss having a walk-in pantry until I was trying to cram groceries into cabinets. Now I joke that my “pantry” is just a glorified broom closet.
The day-to-day routine walkthrough you mentioned is spot on, though. I made my family do a “pretend morning” in the empty frame of the house—literally acted out getting ready for school, making coffee, finding shoes, all of that. It felt silly at the time, but we caught a couple things (like where backpacks pile up, or where the dog always wants to sleep) that would’ve never made it onto a wish list.
I will say, sometimes I wonder if it’s even possible to get it all right the first time. There’s always that one thing you wish you’d done differently. But I guess that’s just part of the process? Like, you can plan and plan, but at some point you have to let go a little. Not easy for a control freak like me, but I’m learning.
And outlets—man, don’t get me started. I thought I had enough, but there’s always one more device that needs charging. If I ever do this again, I’m putting an outlet everywhere I can think of. Maybe even in the pantry... if I ever get a real one.
I will say, sometimes I wonder if it’s even possible to get it all right the first time. There’s always that one thing you wish you’d done differently.
Honestly, I don’t think it is possible to nail every detail, especially if you’re watching the budget. I had to let go of a mudroom to keep costs down, and now there’s shoes everywhere. If you’re hiring someone, my advice is be super upfront about your must-haves vs. nice-to-haves. And yeah, outlets—never enough of those. I swear they multiply after move-in...
WHERE DO YOU EVEN START WITH HIRING SOMEONE TO DESIGN YOUR HOUSE?
I get what you’re saying about not getting it all perfect, but I’m not totally convinced it’s always about budget or being upfront with your list. I mean, sure, you can tell a designer “I need a mudroom” or “I want more outlets,” but sometimes even the best-laid plans go sideways once you’re actually living in the space.
When we built our place, I thought I’d planned for everything—seriously, I had spreadsheets and sketches and even taped out rooms on the floor. Still ended up with a weird corner in the kitchen that collects junk mail and dog leashes. Didn’t see that coming. And the outlets thing? I tried to be clever and put them everywhere, but somehow there’s still never one where I need it when I’m vacuuming.
Honestly, I think part of it is just that you don’t know what you’ll really use until you’re in there, living your day-to-day. Designers can help, but they’re not mind readers. Sometimes they’ll push back on your must-haves too—ours tried to talk us out of a pantry because “open shelving is trending.” Glad we ignored that advice.
If anything, I’d say don’t get too hung up on trying to make it perfect from the start. Prioritize what drives you nuts in your current place and focus on fixing those things first. The rest... well, you’ll probably end up with a few regrets no matter what. That’s just how houses go, at least in my experience.
