Having a brand-new, custom home built is a dream for many Americans. Knowing that your home will be set up in the exact way that you’ve been dreaming about allows you to feel as though you’ve truly made it in life. That being said, knowing that you’re taking full advantage of the many features you can include in a new home before it’s built, is critical if you want the most bang for your buck. To assist you, here are six must-have features when building a brand-new home:

1. Huge, Energy-Efficient Windows

Living in a dark, dimly lit space can cause you to feel depressed and will make you feel as though you’re living in a dungeon. By adding huge, spacious, energy-efficient windows, you can light up your life, and make your living spaces breathe in a life-affirming fashion. You deserve to feel alive and vibrant in your day-to-day life, after all. Additionally, these windows will allow you to keep lights off during the day, and save you a ton of energy costs every single year. If you want to go through the coming summer without breaking your budget on energy costs, modern windows are an absolute must-have feature for your custom home.

2. Smart Appliances

Getting a basic fridge, washer, or AC set up in this day and age is unacceptable. If you have the budget to hire a custom home builder to craft your dream home, you can likely afford the new, high-tech smart appliances that are revolutionizing the way we live our day-to-day lives. Smart fridges can help you diet, give you more access to how your fridge is laid out, and can even tell you what’s in your fridge without needing to actually open the fridge. Every smart appliance has its own benefits, so take a look! You’ll be blown away by all the neat features you’ll learn about.

3. A Comfortable Deck or Patio

When building a custom home, you have to think about the outside of your home just as much as the interior. Having a living space on the exterior of your home will allow you to enjoy your living space to the fullest. Decks and patios can be built alongside the structure of a home, allowing you to avoid the costly and inconvenient experience of having a deck built out of your home while you’re actually living in it. You can even add exciting, unique flair, like pavilions and pools, to your deck or patio to make your home truly high-class.

4. An Insulated Roof

The roof is one of the most important aspects of your custom home, and it can make or break your home’s ability to be both energy-efficient, and comfortable. A poorly built or insulated roof will allow cold air to blow into your home during the winter months, and create a humid atmosphere in your home during the summer months. Thankfully, custom home builders understand how to use modern, high-quality insulation in a way that will keep your home’s climate control applications working efficiently. There are tons of different roof types to consider, so you will also have the pleasure of making your roof fit your personal style.

5. Open Floor Plans

Cramped rooms and living spaces can make you feel trapped in your own home. Especially when you have dim lighting, cramped spaces can make you feel as though you’re living in a hobbit hole (and not a fun, quirky one). Open floor plans offer you the ability to breathe and feel as though you’re living in a space meant for human life. Open floor plans also allow you to decorate your interior in more ambitious, creative ways. For those who want their custom home to scream class, having an open floor plan is non-negotiable.

6. Solar Panel Setup

Energy costs have been exploding alongside another inflation-related cost of living increases. To make yourself less dependent on often-wobbly local energy plants, and save a huge amount on energy costs every year, you can invest in solar panels to attach to your home (or somewhere close to your home). Many states are even paying for people to install them, as a green initiative. Once your custom home is built, you can look into your local government support programs, and see if your home qualifies.

Perfect Your Dream Home

With these features, you can make your brand-new custom home something truly worthy of the money you’re investing. Living in a dream home is hard to describe, but it’s a feeling that nearly everyone with ambition strives for.