If you’re looking to build a new house in the Chicago area, finding the right neighborhood to call home is the first challenge. A friendly community with strong schools, low crime rates, convenient transportation to the city, and plenty of activities, restaurants, and shops would be the ideal place to live. In a recent article on Chicagomag.com, the magazine defined the best neighborhoods for new home builders in Chicago. Here are two of the best neighbors in the Chicago suburbs that are blessed with all of these advantages without the hustle and bustle of living in downtown Chicago.

Highland Park

Situated in Lake County just 23 miles north of downtown Chicago is the beautiful Highland Park community. Many celebrities have resided and continue to reside in the town, including the infamous Michael Jordan and the Smashing Pumpkins’ former lead vocalist Billy Corgan. Yet, Highland Park has a mix of houses from million-dollar homes to affordable single family homes, making it a great place to build your new home.

Highland Parkers can boost having the best high school in the county (Deerfield) and a low violent crime rate, easy access to Lake Michigan, a vibrant downtown shopping district and many great restaurants. The town is also home to the Ravinia District, a former artists’ colony, which has functioned as a summer home for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the past 77 years. There the Ravinia Festival hosts about 150 music events for all genres from classical music and musical theater to pop and jazz. Having opened in 1904, it’s the oldest outdoor music festival in the country. The town also has four Metra stops connecting you to the city.

Geneva

The town of Geneva is another great location for building your new home. Once a charming river and mill-grain community, Geneva has grown into vibrant place. You can go boating and fishing on the Fox River, watch the Kane County Cougars — a Class A Affiliate of the Chicago Cubs — play baseball, find world-class shopping and restaurants downtown, enjoy the 19^th Century architecture of the historic district, or take an hour ride on the Metra into Chicago. With many trails and bike paths, Geneva hosts the Fox Valley Marathon and many 5K races. If that’s not enough, Geneva has one of the best public school systems in the state. Mill Creek is the strongest grade school in the county, and Geneva Community High School is also the best high school in the county.

So, where will you build your new home?

When it comes to designing or even building your first home, all the details can seem a bit overwhelming. From counter tops and appliances to wall colors and windows, there are a lot of efficiency and style decisions you have to make. Though it may be stressful at times, there is a great appeal to designing or building your own home. You can customize your home to suit your needs and style. But, before you move forward with executing your design project, here some key steps you must take to ensure you don’t make any costly mistakes in creating the home of your dreams.

Set a Budget

The first step to designing your new home is planning a budget. There are so many small details to consider when designing a home and all their costs will add up. Go into the project with a clear number of how much you can afford to spend and how much building and/or designing your new home will cost. And once you set your budget, be sure to adjust your building plans to adhere to that budget. Stick to your budget to avoid costly mistakes during the building and interior design processes. Also, if you need a construction loan and mortgage, you’ll need to find out what size loan you qualify for.

Find a contractor

Many first timers choose to hire a contractor to design and build their house. Be sure to choose an experienced and reputable contractor who will build a great quality home and be available if any issues should arise. Generally the contractor will have a team of surveyors and designers to assist with the project, so choosing the right contractor is of the utmost importance. To ensure you house shows the best quality work, have your home inspected at the different phases of the construction process. Hire a home inspector or outside contractor to check the home when the foundation is poured, once the framing is finished and after the home is completed.

Pay attention to details

Whether you’re building your home yourself or searching for an Illinois custom home builder, be sure to pay attention to details before you build. Choosing the style and design scheme of your new house can be the most exciting part of the process. But, there are also many important decisions to make when it comes to creating a cost efficient house. First, consider the environmental factors of the area in which you live and your property. For instance, Illinois has cold, snowy winters so your home’s design should take the natural flow of air and heat into account. This will affect the placement of specific rooms, windows, and doors, but it will ultimately save you money down the road. Also make sure your HVAC and plumbing systems are properly installed. Other important details to pay attention to are space and storage. Use your house’s space efficiently by including more space in high traffic areas of the home like the kitchen and hallways. Also add plenty of closets and storage space.

Jade Custom Home ensures its clients receive the home of their dreams. Servicing the Chicago area, Custom Home Builder pays attention to detail and provides efficient construction and quality craftsmanship.