If you own a home that you bought from somebody else – and even if you like it – you've probably looked around your home before and wondered: “What was the builder thinking?”

But not everybody goes that path. Many people pay to have their homes custom-built. That way, the homeowners are the ones pulling the strings and making the tough choices on how little or big their house should be, and what features it should have.

If that's what you're doing, you do not wish to look around your house someday and wonder: "What was I thinking when this was made?"

So it’s best to make sure your custom-built house is exactly what best serves your interest. These 3 tips might help:

1. Know what you want

Have the outlook of the house you want in mind before you begin building. Know how the rooms there will be, what sizes they would have and every other features you want.

Building a house appears easy, but the amount of choices you have to make can be overwhelming for many. What color tile? What size? What pattern? Will it match with the walls? What cabinets will go with this? All these questions could be just for one small restroom.

Simply put, know what you want so you don’t feel bad about what you get later.

2. Do not go too big

Sure, you might have a great deal of things, and you might look longingly at mansions and desire the same thing. But if that's the path you desire to take, think well before you proceed. I’ve seen many home owners say things like, "We developed a 6,000 square-foot home, but now we're downsizing to something smaller.”

From experience, many households don't even require 5,000 square feet, and a house as little as 2,500 or 3,000 square feet won't feel little if it's designed effectively.  Remember that a larger house is more costly and more challenging to maintain.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, a custom house in the United States costs an average of $105 per square foot to develop. That means by removing even 500 square feet in a house, you'll save over $50,000.

3. Keep your mortgage within limit

You can constantly add to your home later, creating the dream home when you can manage it. But for now, go for what’s sensible for your finances.

When I built my house in 2012, I wanted to keep the home loan balance low, so I was mindful not to go crazy. I wanted to have a luxury kitchen area and restrooms, but I opted for more modest designs, reasoning that I could improve it later on.

I likewise didn't get the crown molding and French doors because I knew I could do them myself. And, obviously, my home mortgage remained low.

Conclusion

Do not get sucked into the idea that you must have the best or biggest house in town to be happy. Throughout the building process, see to it that things are matching your expectations and ask questions if they do not. The worst thing is to remain quiet and end up with something that you are unhappy with or have to pay to repair after the reality. In the end, do not let your dream house cloud your reality.