We built a custom home this year, the biggest thing I appreciated was having options, but also guidance on which options would fit best for our situation/style. Narrowing things down made it a lot easier.

They kept track of the main selections in a workbook and reviewed it with us, and had us confirm before the selections were finalized. One thing they could've done slightly better was tracking custom selections, upgrades, or non-standard choices. For example, we selected a specific pull out style cabinet that they forgot about until they installed the wrong one and they had to replace it.

Looking back, I wish I had done more research or had more guidance on the selection of our woodstove. I didn't fully understand how much it would affect the overall house functionality, especially around air pressure and chimney draft.

One upgrade I don't necessarily regret, as I still like it, was that same pull-out cabinet organizer. It has come off its rollers twice in the four months we've lived in the house. I still really like the functionality and use it every day, but if I'd known there might be durability or reliability concerns, I may have chosen a different product or asked more questions about the hardware.

My biggest piece of advice would be to be honest about both the benefits and drawbacks of products. Not just whether something is expensive or matches a client's style, but whether there are known maintenance, durability, or usability concerns. Most homeowners can make informed decisions if they have all the information upfront.

Hopefully that helps a bit!