If you’re thinking about building a home in Wisconsin (or just want a behind-the-scenes look at the entire process) this series is for you!
My husband and I are currently in the process of building our first home in Southeast Wisconsin! We wanted to document our entire home building journey, while also sharing everything we’ve learned along the way.
From finding land and choosing a builder to preparing financially and creating a realistic budget. Making design decisions, unexpected costs, and navigating the building process. I hope this series serves as both inspiration and a helpful resource if you’re considering building a home!
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If you follow me on Instagram or Tik Tok, you’ve probably seen a few of our home build posts. I started sharing a series I like to call the Home Build Diaries. I wasn’t sure if I was going to also bring the series to my blog, BUT there are so many questions and topics I want to expand on (How did you find your lot? How did you know what things cost? Where do you even start?) AND long-term, I think it will be easier to reference these posts later vs. scrolling back through my videos on social media.
Before I started this series, I noticed that so many posts on social media and Tik Tok are all about home inspiration and the design choices, cabinet finishes, floor plan ideas, etc. Which, I love all of that! But, there wasn’t as much content on everything that comes before that. Things like how much money do you actually need, what are the different types of builders, what does a construction loan actually look like, and all the costs nobody tells you about. That’s kind of the gap I want to fill with this series!
Parade of Homes August 2023
If you search anything about the home building process, the most common search results are from actual local home builders. Typically sharing what their process looks like. However, I want to share the home building experience from a consumer standpoint because I think that will be really beneficial!
So, whether you’re just curious about what building a home involves or you’re ready to start the process yourself, I hope this post (and series) is something you can reference often!
Our Story
To give you a little background, my husband and I are both 30 years old, we currently live in an apartment and are in the early stages of building our first home. It has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to build a house. When I was 12 years old, my parents build their current house, and I still remember how exciting it was!
Helping choose the paint colors for my room (I had bright pink and orange), touring model homes, attending builder meetings and watching the house get built from the the ground up.. I loved the whole process and dreamed of building my own home one day!
Of course, it’s a dream that doesn’t happen overnight haha! My husband and I have spent the last several years preparing financially, setting goals and working extremely hard to make this dream a reality.
Finding the Right Lot
One of the biggest challenges was finding the right lot. We spent about two to three years searching and exploring different neighborhoods throughout Southeast Wisconsin. There were a few different subdivisions we were considering. At one point, we actually put a lot on hold in 2023. However, it was taking them a while to get the financing and approvals in order for them to start construction on the subdivision. So, we eventually decided it would be best to look for a different plot of land.
Looking back, it’s so funny how things work out exactly how they’re supposed to. I originally was really sad the other neighborhood didn’t work out, but now I can see exactly why. The lot we own now is EXACTLY what we were looking for and I am so happy it didn’t work out with the previous one.
Closing on our Lot August 2024
So, just a little piece of advice if you’re in the process of finding land or just feeling frustrated with the build process, learn to trust the process and have patience. Don’t rush things things just because you see other people starting their build or just want to be in a house. As cheesy as it is, good things take time. And once you find the land, or you’re in the new house, everything will make sense.
Closing on our Lot & Signing with our Builder
Anyway, we closed on our current lot in 2024 and signed with our builder in April of 2026. We originally were hoping to start building in 2025, but decided to take another year to save and pay off most of our land. And I am beyond happy we did. Another tip – save AS MUCH money as you possibly can. Building is expensive and there are so many unexpected costs that pop up! I’ll have a dedicated post on that later.
Now, we are in the process of finalizing our design choices and signing off on the final change order!
What This Series Will Cover
If you’re considering building a home in Wisconsin, here are some of the topics we’ll talk about throughout this series.
- How to find and purchase a lot – how to search for land, things to consider, and what to check before signing anything
- Preparing financially for a new construction home – how much you should save, when to start saving, different loan types, etc.
- Choosing a builder in Wisconsin – different types of builders, questions to ask, and how we made our final decision
- The real cost of building a home – different costs to consider, hidden expenses you may not know about, and how to stick to your budget
- Home Build Must-Haves list – how we built our wishlist and a framework for building yours
- Step by Step Build Process – timeline updates throughout the build from breaking ground to moving in
There will definitely be more topics we’ll be covering! But, I wanted to give you a little preview of what to expect. If you have specific ideas or questions, let me know!
So, whether you’re just dreaming of building a home, currently in the research and planning phase, or already building, I hope you’ll follow along on our journey! I am so excited to share more!
Next up: How We Found Our Lot in Southeast Wisconsin – And What Took Us Three Years
Other posts you may like:
- How to Create a Luxurious Magazine-Worthy Fluffy Bed
- 30+ Genius Housewarming Gift Ideas for Couples
- How to Create a Modern Cozy Bedroom on a Budget
This post shared more about our dream home journey and building a home in Wisconsin.
