How to Find The Best Custom Home Design/Build Firm in Atlanta and Cashiers, NC
Before you create the custom luxury home of your dreams, it’s important to do some research on the best design/build firms in Atlanta and Cashiers, NC so you can rest assured you’re working with a leading team will meet your needs.
Choosing a respected, award-winning team can make all the difference between a successful project and a project plagued by delays and cost overruns.
Start by researching the best architects and design/build firms in Atlanta and Cashiers, NC, and crowdsourcing opinions from neighbors and trusted friends.
Talk to the design/build firm’s previous clients and references. Ask what it was like working with them and what they wish they had known before they got started. What would they do differently if they could go back in time? Would they work with that firm again?
Ask to see recent designs they’ve created for other clients. The best residential design/build firm should have a large portfolio with a wide variety of custom luxury home designs, and demonstrated capabilities to design homes in many styles such as Modern Rustic, Contemporary, Modern European, French Country, and Modern Farmhouse.
Here is guide that shows how to choose the best custom home design/build firm in Atlanta or Cashiers, NC and Highlands, NC.
Choosing the Best Design/Build Firm Atlanta and Cashiers, NC
There are many benefits to working with one of the top custom design/build firms near me, such as having in-house expertise every step of the way.
When you engage with a design-build firm, you’re choosing a team that can both design your home and then build that exact design — everyone works for the same company and they are part of the same team. There are fewer opportunities for misunderstanding, miscommunication, misinterpretation of plans, and dropped balls that can happen when designs are handed off from an architectural firm to a builder.
Are they a one-stop shop for design/build services?
A good design-build firm has a team of professional architect designers who collaborate constantly with their counterparts in the construction department, such as the builder and the project managers. All teams are in constant communication throughout your entire project, and they can ask questions back and forth, clarify any questions that come up, and solve any challenges or surprises together as a single team. If part of a room needs to be modified or a new feature is added to the kitchen, the entire design build team will work together to make it happen. This is a more efficient and effective approach, and it can save time and money over the long run because all of the key decision-makers and stakeholders are at the table during every meeting.
When your custom home design is complete, Loudermilk Homes offers complete construction services and a 1-2-10 warranty program to ensure your home is performing as expected.
What is their process?
Loudermilk Homes created a clear and easy-to-follow 9-Step Process to Perfection for designing and building custom luxury homes. We begin with an Inspiration step to Do their reveal your personal design preferences, and inform our architecture and design phases. Our team will create a Mood Board that helps tie your vision together in a cohesive way.
Each step is detailed, and helps create a roadmap for your entire project, with key decision points clearly identified — such as when you need to finalize the placement of HVAC vents and light fixtures while it’s still easy and inexpensive to move them before drywall is installed.
Our rigorous process culminates in a 500-point checklist and final walk-through with your builder to ensure all final punch list items are complete before you move into your dream home.
Are they responsive, and do they give personal attention?
We ask every client numerous questions about their lifestyle — do they have children or pets, do they like to cook, do they have visitors often — so we can understand their needs and help them uncover their personal design preferences. Most importantly, we truly listen to what each client says. We care deeply about your wants and needs, and want to make sure we are creating a home that supports your lifestyle and gives you a sense of well-being and better health.
We offer many sample floor plan designs for inspiration, and we usually start by designing the kitchen, and then working out from there.
Anytime you have questions or want to learn more about a process or how something works, our team at Loudermilk Homes is very responsive and will work to provide the information and details you desire.
How quickly can they make changes?
One of the main benefits of working with the best custom home design-build firm in Atlanta and Cashiers, NC is that we can make changes to architecture plans very quickly. Our team can usually make revisions within a couple days, compared with several weeks for most architecture firms.
Our in-house architectural designers work closely with each client to truly listen to their needs and wants, understand their lifestyle, and help them uncover their unique personal design preferences. We are adept at blending multiple architectural design styles, such as bringing a Modern European aesthetic to a rustic mountain cabin. We also offer sample floor plans that you can review for inspiration.
Do they offer 3D renderings?
Our architects at Loudermilk Homes use leading building information modeling (BIM) programs such as Revit to create realistic, detailed 3D renderings so you can take a virtual walk-through of your home and get a sense of how each space feels as you walk through.
These 3D renderings help our clients made the best decisions about the flow of their home and the proportions of rooms, and sometimes it helps inform the placement of certain features such built-in bunk-beds or reading nooks. As one of the best design build firms for custom homes in Atlanta and Cashiers, NC, Loudermilk Homes will work to make sure your plans fit your family’s lifestyle like a bespoke suit or custom tailored dress.
Do they offer a client portal for complete transparency?
One frustration we often hear from clients is that they feel like they are in the dark on what happens between meetings, the status of their design plans, and how long it’s going to take to see a new draft that captures their requested revisions.
Loudermilk Homes offers each client access to our custom portal called Loudermilk Connect so you can see exactly what’s happening with your project 24/7. The Loudermilk Connect app shows real-time schedule and budget updates, and includes an archive of all major documents such as architectural plans, elevation drawings, renderings, and schematics for things like HVAC and electrical. You can see dates for major deliverables, meetings, and upcoming work. You’ll also see a calendar and budget that we update regularly as your project advances. We believe in giving clients complete transparency every step of the way, to take some of the guesswork out of custom home design and construction.
Do they offer interior design services?
Another service we offer through our sister company Loudermilk Designs is bespoke interior design services. The professionals at Loudermilk Designs work with each of our clients to help them make choices for selections such as cabinets, stain and paint, trim, light fixtures, appliances, and other features that make your custom home truly yours.
We offer sample floor plans for inspiration, and we work with each client to understand their lifestyle and reveal their unique design preferences. We typically start by designing the kitchen, and working outward from there to create the rest of the home.
Have They Won Awards for Best Design?
Loudermilk Homes is honored and humbled to have won numerous awards and accolades over the years, such as OBIE Awards from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and recognition as a finalist for the 2024 Custom Home Builder of the Year Award by the National Association of Home Builders.
Loudermilk Homes is the Best Design/Build Firm in Atlanta and Cashiers, NC
Our team of professional architect designers have created hundreds of custom luxury home designs, and we’ve literally never created the same home twice — every one is unique. We create designs that are timeless for enduring style that will last for generations, with modern influences to create visual interest and appeal. As the leading design/build firm in Atlanta and Cashiers, NC, we look forward to bringing your dream home to life. Let’s get started — call today for a FREE consultation, or take our Design Questionnaire to reveal your unique design preferences.