Avoid These Common Home-Building Mistakes

A while back, I was flipping through the channels and came across a Cary Grant marathon just as Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House started. [Something you may not know about me–I love Cary Grant and Arsenic and Old Lace is one of my all-time favorite movies.]

If you haven’t seen it, here’s the gist—Mr. and Mrs. Blandings escape their cramped city apartment for the dream of a country home. They decide to buy a fixer-upper in the country. When the fixer-upper can’t be fixed, they decide to tear it down and start fresh. But instead of smooth sailing, they end up in a never-ending cycle of missteps, miscalculations, and skyrocketing costs. Sound familiar?

The wild part? The movie came out over 70 years ago, and people still make the same home-building mistakes. Let’s break down a few of the biggest ones—so you don’t have to learn them the hard way.

Mistake #1: Over-Designing

Mr. and Mrs. Blandings start their project with a reasonable budget… until the “must-haves” start piling up. A game room for him, a flower-cutting room for her, enough closet space to make a Kardashian jealous. By the time they’re done, their dream home costs twice what they originally planned. Ouch.

Lesson: Prioritize what truly matters. A well-planned home isn’t about cramming in every wishlist item—it’s about designing a space that works for your lifestyle and your budget. A good designer (or someone like me!) can help you balance both.

Mistake #2: Answering Questions They Don’t Understand

One of the best scenes in the movie? A subcontractor asks Mr. Blandings if he wants the lintels between the lally columns rabbeted. (Yes, that’s real construction terminology.) Not wanting to look clueless, Mr. Blandings says no—only to realize later that it was a very expensive mistake.

Carpenter: The second-floor lintels between the lally columns, should we rabbet them?

Mr. Blandings: The second-floor lallies?

Carpenter: Second-floor lintels between the lallies.

Mr. Blandings: Oh, the lintels between the lallies.

Carpenter: Yeah, from the blueprints you can’t tell. You want they should be rabbeted?

Mr. Blandings: No, no, I guess not.

Carpenter: Okay, you’re the doctor. Hey, fellas! If you got any of them rabbeted lintels set, rip them up!

[Loud crashing and ripping sounds…]

Mr. Blandings: It sounded less expensive to say no…

Lesson: Never agree to something you don’t fully understand. There’s no shame in asking your builder, designer, or project facilitator to break things down for you. (And if your team can’t explain things clearly? That’s a red flag.)

Mistake # 3: Making Changes During Construction That Seem Small

Mrs. Blandings notices some extra flagstone on-site and decides it would look beautiful in her flower room. It shouldn’t be a big deal since they’ve already paid for the flagstone, right? Wrong. That one “little” change means ripping up the existing floor, adjusting the joists, adding more structural support, re-routing plumbing, and patching up walls—all adding up to nearly 10% of their entire budget. Whoops.

Lesson: Once construction has started, every change is going to add time and cost (even if they don’t get quite as complicated as that flower room floor). If your team is good, you’ll be able to figure out most of the changes you’d like to make before you break ground. They’ll also be able to talk you down from making unnecessary changes during construction.

[The Blandings family made plenty of other mistakes, too. Enough that the movie should be required watching for anyone wanting to renovate or build!]

The good news is that you don’t have to repeat history. With the right guidance, clear communication, and strategic planning, your dream home can come together smoothly.

If you want a pro on your side to keep your project running seamlessly, let’s chat. I’ll help you avoid common pitfalls, translate “build-speak” into plain English, and ensure your project is planned right from the start.