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 days you’ll be emotionally spent.
And a lot of those decisions are permanent.
About 25 years ago, Lisa and I went to pick out tile. I thought one of them looked kind of pink. The salesman told me it was just the showroom lighting, and it would look so much better in our house. That’s all I needed to hear.
We got it home. It was pink. Not Pepto-Bismol pink, but pretty pink. A few years later, when we could afford it, we ripped it out.
Take it from me: you want to get these decisions right the first time.
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Steve and I have been best friends for 41 years. I built his house, and we’re still best friends.
Start With Your Why, Not Your What
Most people start on Pinterest or scroll through house plans. Nothing is wrong with that. But it’s not where I’d start.
Your “what” is the fun stuff: brick or stone, modern farmhouse or contemporary, a double island, quartzite countertops. It matters. But your “why” matters more. What problem are you trying to solve?
When my family was young and growing, we needed space. We didn’t know it yet, but we’d end up with four kids. Now we’re empty nesters, and for some people the problem is being tired of taking care of all that space. For others it’s the holidays. You want to host Thanksgiving and Christmas without telling half the family to eat on the porch.
Once you know why, every other decision gets easier. Without it, you can look at fifty thousand house plans until your eyes cross, and you don’t even know what you want anymore.
Sometimes I Tell People Not to Build
Steve says you don’t hear a lot of builders say that. But I have.
A young couple came in a while back. They’d been married a few years, were talking about starting a family, and had been saving money. When I gave them a ballpark number, I could see it hit them wrong. It was going to stretch them.
I told them I didn’t want them to end up house poor, with nothing left over when the car breaks down, the baby comes or they want to take a vacation. I told them to save some more, pay down some debt, and come back in a year or two. I’ll still be here.
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In 2023, 20.3 million U.S. homeowners (nearly 1 in 4) spent more than 30% of their income on housing. (Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies)
There are a few other times I’d say wait:
- There’s a lot of stress in your marriage. Building won’t fix it. It’ll add to it.
- You’re too busy to make decisions right now.
- You hate making decisions. There’s no shame in buying a finished home.
Talk About Your Budget Early
Steve brought this up on the show, and he’s right. A lot of people keep their budget close to the vest. I get it. Everybody’s afraid that if they say they’ve got $800,000, the house will somehow cost $799,999.
But once you trust your builder, tell them your number, and the earlier the better. The worst thing is falling in love with a design and then finding out it’s $100,000 more than you wanted to spend. Your vision and your budget need to line up.
When It Is Time to Build
I think about a young family with six kids living in a place no bigger than 1,000 square feet. They knew it was temporary. They saved, ran a side business, and got their finances in order. When they came to us, it was the right time.
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The median new single-family home in the U.S. was about 2,183 square feet at the end of 2025. That family of eight had less than half that. (NAHB, using Census data)
Building that house was as rewarding for me as it was for them. We still keep in touch, and I think they’re having more kids now that they finally have the room.
So, is it worth it? It is when your vision and your budget line up and you’re ready.
Next episode: the question everybody asks first. How much does it cost?
Watch or listen to Episode 2
Want the whole conversation, plus the part where I ask Steve on camera why he’s so weird? It’s all in the episode.
Thinking about building in the Brazos Valley? I’d love to talk. Reach out to our team or call (979) 589-8343.
Sources
- Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, “The Rising Costs of Homeownership Are Increasing Burdens” (Feb. 24, 2025): https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/rising-costs-homeownership-are-increasing-burdens
- NAHB Eye On Housing, “Small Gains for New Single-Family Home Size” (Census Q4 2025 data): https://eyeonhousing.org/2026/03/small-gains-for-new-single-family-home-size/
