Excellence or Perfection?
A prospective homeowner once asked me, “Will my new home be
perfect?” I told him there are two kinds of perfectionists: one who asks
for perfection, but realizes life is not perfect and is very pleased with 95
to 98 percent. The other type expects perfection and is never happy, no
matter how well a job is done.
If you are the latter, please don’t build a custom home. Life is too short
and too wonderful to take two years—or more—out of your life only to
be disappointed in people and processes that are not perfect.
People build custom homes. People are not perfect.
It doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t expect excellence. Here are a
few ways that excellence differs from perfection:
- Excellence is taking people and materials that are imperfect, and
executing a process to its very highest level. - Excellence is a home that’s done on time.
- Excellence is what happens when something goes wrong and it’s
quickly recognized and corrected. (Trust me, when you build a
custom home, things will go wrong.) - Excellence is when your builder acknowledges his mistake and
promptly corrects it without pointing fingers. - Excellence is clear communication.
- Excellence is a quality home built with straight walls, functioning
doors, and overall good quality. - Excellence is moving into your home and having your dishwasher,
garbage disposal, and gas grill all operational on move-in day.Excellence is a phone call from your builder if something unexpected
comes up and the schedule needs to be modified. - Excellence is having a homeowner so pleased that when the topic
of homebuilding comes up he says, “Let me tell you about my
builder.”
Planning, designing, and building a new custom home for you and your
family can be an exciting, rewarding experience if you select a competent
builder who is committed to excellence and you have a clear understanding
of each other’s expectations. Homebuilding can be a miserable experience
if you are a perfectionist who is unhappy even if your builder builds to
excellent standards.
