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Custom home building process by LaFollette Custom Homes featuring a custom bathroom

The Custom Home Building Process: Define, Design, Refine, Build 

By Jason LaFollette, CEO, LaFollette Custom Homes  Quick confession: Juan, who records our podcast, told Steve and me we need to smile more. So if we look extra happy in this episode, that’s why. He also says we’re adorable. We’ll take it.  Before we got started, we were talking about one of our jobs last week. At one point there were 65 people working on it at the same time: roofers, HVAC, electrical, plumbing. It looked like a bunch of ants on a giant roof. And nobody was in anybody else’s way.  QUICK NUMBER · FROM THE EPISODE  65 people working on one of our jobs at the same time, on the same day.  Which brings me to today’s topic: the process of building a custom home.  Why the Process Matters  Last episode we talked about choosing the right builder. Just as important is choosing a builder who has an

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October 2, 2026
Custom home builder red flags to consider when choosing a builder for your custom home

Custom Home Builder Red Flags: “Trust Me, You’ll Love It” 

By Jason LaFollette, CEO, LaFollette Custom Homes  Picking your builder is probably the most important decision you’ll make when you build a custom home. With the right one, the process is clear, steady and even fun. It shouldn’t feel like a trip to the dentist.  The hard part is that every builder has a nice website and pretty photos of their best homes. They all say the right things. But not all builders are equal. Here’s what I’d look for.  “Trust Me, You’re Gonna Love It”  A young couple came in to meet with me. After a few meetings, they told me they’d talked to another builder first. He had experience, and a friend had recommended him. But he didn’t have a process. He didn’t even have a house plan. He just told them, “Trust me, you’re gonna love it.”  They left with zero confidence. When they told me, I

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September 25, 2026
Custom home cost per square foot in Bryan-College Station – LaFollette Custom Homes

What Does a Custom Home Cost Per Square Foot in 2026? 

By Jason LaFollette, CEO, LaFollette Custom Homes  “What’s your price per square foot?”  That’s usually the first thing people ask me. It’s a fair question. But most of the time, what they’re really asking is: Is it going to cost what I hope it’s going to cost?  Let’s talk about it. And yes, I’ll give you a number.  First, Life Happens  Before we get to numbers, I want to say something I think matters. Building a home doesn’t happen in a bubble. Life keeps going for our clients, and for our team too.  Sometimes a client goes quiet because they’re dealing with something hard, not because they’ve lost interest. A good builder notices that. Sometimes the right move is to give people some room, or even hit pause. This is probably the biggest financial commitment you’ll ever make, and you should be able to do it with as little stress

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September 18, 2026
Custom home living room with vaulted ceiling, stone fireplace, wood floors, and large sliding glass doors overlooking the landscape.

Is Building a Custom Home Worth It? Start With Your Why 

By Jason LaFollette, CEO, LaFollette Custom Homes  I’ll be honest with you. The first time Steve and I recorded this episode, it was bad.  The next day we were driving about 45 minutes out to look at a lakefront property, and I asked Steve what he thought of it. He didn’t even hesitate: “Well, it sucked.” He was right. We sounded like a couple of robots. So we went back and did it again.  That’s what we want Built By Design to be: real talk about building a custom home, from people who do it every day. This episode takes on a big question. Is building a custom home really worth it?  Why It’s Such a Big Decision  A custom home is one of the biggest financial and emotional investments your family will ever make. You’ll make hundreds, maybe thousands, of decisions. It takes time away from your kids. Some

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September 11, 2026
Confident custom home decisions during construction in a LaFollette primary bathroom

What Makes a Custom Home Comfortable to Live In Every Day? 

A comfortable custom home is designed around the way you live every day. Thoughtful custom home design goes beyond square footage and finishes by considering your floor plan, storage, lighting, privacy, and everyday convenience. When these features work together, your home feels more functional, comfortable, and effortless to live in. Comfort in a home goes beyond finishes and square footage. Here are the features that actually make daily life easier and more enjoyable. Most assume comfort comes from the big things: square footage, high-end finishes, statement features. While these features are nice in a custom home, they aren’t as important as most people assume they will be. In fact, it’s usually the smallest details that make your daily life easier that make the most meaningful difference after enough time passes. At LaFollette Custom Homes, we hear this all the time. The features people appreciate the most aren’t always the ones

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August 29, 2026
Custom home building journey featuring a finished LaFollette kitchen

The Emotional Journey of Building a Custom Home: What to Expect

Building a custom home is exciting, but it also comes with unexpected emotions. Here is what most homeowners experience during the process. The custom home building journey is an exciting opportunity to design and build a home around your lifestyle, needs, and vision. Understanding the custom home building process can help you approach design decisions, construction milestones, and your eventual move-in day with greater confidence. The endless countertop finishes to choose from can feel exciting at first but can quickly become overwhelming. This is normal. Most people expect the custom home building process to feel exciting from start to finish, but in reality, there are also moments when you second-guess decisions, and it feels like it’s taking longer than you expected. And then, just as quickly, it swings back to excitement again. At LaFollette Custom Homes, we’ve walked through this process with a lot of families, and one thing is

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August 21, 2026
Underrated custom home spaces with walk-in pantry storage

Underrated Spaces in a Custom Home You’ll Appreciate Every Day

Some of the best parts of a custom home are the ones you don’t expect. Here are the most underrated spaces homeowners end up loving the most. Thoughtful custom home design goes beyond kitchens and primary suites. Underrated custom home spaces like walk-in pantries, mudrooms, laundry rooms, drop zones, and functional storage can make everyday living more organized, comfortable, and convenient. When you think of your dream custom home, a certain room of the house probably comes to mind. For most people, it’s a spacious kitchen, a luxurious primary suite, or a relaxing living room. While these spaces matter, most homeowners would be surprised by what they care most about after move-in day. At LaFollette Custom Homes, we hear it all the time. “We didn’t think much about this space… and now we use it every single day.” Here are a few of those spaces. The Mudroom That Quietly Keeps

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August 14, 2026
Custom home that feels right by LaFollette Custom Homes

What Makes a Custom Home Feel Like Home Instead of Just Looking Good? 

A beautiful home is one thing. A home that feels right is another. Here is what separates the two and why it matters more than you think. Thoughtful custom home design is about more than creating a beautiful space. A well-designed custom home should feel comfortable, functional, and personalized for everyday living. Working with an experienced custom home builder helps ensure your Texas custom home is designed around the way you actually live. It’s hard to explain until you experience it. You can walk into two homes that look equally beautiful. They have the same level of finish, attention to detail, and overall style. But one of them feels different. You can’t always point to the reason why, but you notice it. Something just feels more natural. At LaFollette Custom Homes, we pay close attention to that difference during our custom home building process. A custom home that looks good

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August 7, 2026

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