The Before You Build Podcast

Most people think planning a home starts with floor plans, Pinterest boards, and picking out beautiful finishes. But what if that's actually the wrong place to start?

The most important decisions happen long before you ever choose a countertop or paint color.

In this episode, I'm sharing the three things I believe everyone should consider before building, renovating, or buying a home ... and why skipping them is the reason so many people end up unhappy with the final result.

If you're in the dreaming or planning stage, this episode will help you shift focus from the house itself and start creating a home that truly supports the life YOU want to live.

EPISODE → carolineondesign.com/what-to-consider-before-building-a-house

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

Most people assume designing a home you love starts with choosing finishes, fixtures, and paint colors ... but after unexpectedly buying an existing house, I realized what actually matters MOST.

(and yes ... considering I've spent years helping people build custom homes, this surprised me too! ) 😉

In this episode, I'm sharing the unexpected journey that led my husband and me to buy an existing home, plus the three foundational pieces you need to get right BEFORE you build, renovate, or buy a home.

Whether you're building from scratch, renovating, or buying an existing home, this episode might completely change the way you think about creating a home you'll love for years to come.

EPISODE → carolineondesign.com/bought-existing-house

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

Knowing what to clarify before building a custom home is one of the MOST important things you can do for your budget ... and yet it's one of the most overlooked parts of the entire process.

In fact, there's a specific layer of clarity that very few people talk about, even though it's one of the biggest reasons custom home projects go over budget.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what it actually means to be "ready" to build, why finish selections impact your budget more than most people realize, and the four finish categories you need to clarify before you ever request a quote from a builder.

SHOW NOTES → carolineondesign.com/what-to-clarify-before-building-a-custom-home

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

If you're trying to nail down the perfect white paint color for your home exterior, this episode is for you. 🙌

I actually created this list for a blog post back in 2020 — and when I went to update it recently, I realized that every single color on that list is still just as popular today as it was six years ago. These aren't trendy whites. They're timeless ones.

I actually have one of these white colors all over my own home interior … doors, trim, cabinets, ceilings, built-ins. I've been in my home almost 13 years, and I still love the color.

In this episode, we'll cover:

• My 6 favorite exterior white paint colors (including a brand-new 2026 addition!)
• Why warm whites are the most versatile choice for almost any home style
• My favorite mess-free way to test colors before you commit

Head to the show notes to see all six whites in action, plus grab links to order peel-and-stick samples so you can see exactly how they look on your home.

SHOW NOTES → carolineondesign.com/best-exterior-white-paint-colors

PAINT SAMPLES → (affiliate link) https://on.ltk.com/+2_jko6X3hyRqvn-8wjjMMg

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

When Joanne decided to tear down her family's lakefront cottage and rebuild on the same lot, she knew building a custom home on a small, waterfront lot was going to be anything but simple. So she joined BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ because she knew there would be a lot to think through before breaking ground.

In this episode she covers:

• Why she chose to tear down instead of renovate
• Permitting and building on a lakefront lot
• Designing vertically on a small footprint while planning for aging in place
• Staying within 5–10% of budget by negotiating and shopping vendors
• Catching a framing error mid-build — and why being on-site matters
• How an email trail saved her when a contractor "forgot" a conversation
• What she wishes she'd done sooner
• The emotional side of seeing finishes for the first time
• How BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ helped her walk in prepared and confident

Joanne's story is proof that the right preparation changes everything.

GET ALL THE BYB DETAILS → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

(and see Joanne's beautiful lake house in the show notes)

SHOW NOTES → carolineondesign.com/building-a-custom-home-on-family-property

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

I built my custom home back in 2013, and I genuinely love it. The layout is cozy, functional, and still works perfectly for my family over 12 years later.

However, there *are* a few things I'd do differently if I built this house again.

In this MVP episode, I'm sharing 5 things I wish I had included in our custom floor plan. Tune in because these are details most people don't think about until after they've moved in, and by then, it's too late.

Note: This episode was originally recorded in 2022, but the content is 100% still relevant — and I've updated the blog post with additional tips and resources.

EPISODE → carolineondesign.com/wish-i-included-in-my-custom-floor-plan

FREE FLOOR PLAN WORKBOOK → carolineondesign.com/fp-free-workbook

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

In this episode, I'm answering a question I got from someone in my free on-demand class, and honestly, it was SO good I had to share it with everyone.

We're talking about how to create a realistic budget before you ever sit down with a builder — so that when you do get a quote, it actually means something.

I walk you through:

• Why your vision has to come before your numbers (and why skipping this step is so costly)
• How to identify your true financial comfort zone — not just your ceiling
• What most people forget to include in their total build budget
• How to research cost per square foot in your area so you walk in informed
• What a SPLURGE + SAVE PLAN℠ is and how having one changes everything about that first builder conversation

If you're in the planning phase right now, this episode is for you. It's the kind of prep work that makes a builder meeting actually productive — and sets you up to stay on budget from the very start.

SHOW NOTES → carolineondesign.com/custom-home-budget-before-builder-meeting

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

If you're building a home (or planning to build), you're probably worried about the typical things … you know, like staying on budget or making the right design decisions. But guess what?

There are MANY other things you might not even realize you NEED to think about until you are already in the thick of building your home. Don't worry ... I've got you covered with a list of 9 things I wish I had known before building a house.

Note: This episode was recorded in 2022, but the content is still 100% relevant today! I updated the blog post with additional tips and resources in May 2026.

SHOW NOTES → carolineondesign.com/known-before-building

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

Going over budget when building a custom home isn't inevitable. It does happen often, but it is NOT inevitable. One of the biggest causes is not knowing how to prioritize your home build budget.

In this episode, I'm talking about one of the most important things you can do before you break ground … and that is to get crystal clear on YOUR family's priorities so you know exactly where to splurge and save throughout your entire build.

I'm sharing the simple two-part framework I use with my clients, a personal story from my own build that perfectly illustrates why knowing your priorities BEFORE building changes everything, and everything you need to know about my brand new SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ — the tool I honestly believe should be in the hands of EVERY SINGLE PERSON building or renovating a home.

Because here's the truth … you don't need an unlimited budget, you just need to know YOUR priorities. 🙌

SHOW NOTES → carolineondesign.com/how-to-prioritize-your-home-build-budget

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training

Going over budget is one of the biggest fears I hear from people building a custom home. But here's what I want you to know … 

It is possible to build within, or very close to, your budget. It all comes down to knowing where YOU should splurge and where YOU should save when building.

In this episode, I break down my simple two-rule framework for deciding where to splurge and save when building. I also share some of the best areas (in general) to invest and cut back … and why a generic list will only get you so far.

Tune in to learn my simple framework, and to find out exactly how to build your very own personalized SPLURGE + SAVE PLAN around YOUR family's priorities.

SHOW NOTES → carolineondesign.com/where-to-splurge-and-save-when-building

Get the SPLURGE + SAVE PLANNER℠ → carolineondesign.com/splurge-blog-promo

Join BEFORE YOU BUILD℠ → carolineondesign.com/before-you-build

Download FREE HOME BUILD GUIDE → carolineondesign.com/home-build-guide

My FREE CLASS → Build Within Budget and Without Regrets! Grab your seat at carolineondesign.com/free-training