We polled a few trusted pros about the avoidable mistakes that knock schedules off track, cause budgets to overrun, and lead to other less-than-ideal results. Learn from these mistakes, and you’ll have a better chance of getting the home of your dreams (without extra heartburn).

If you want to know the secret to avoiding all these mistakes, you don’t even have to read the rest of the article; we’ll tell you right now: Trust the people you’ve hired. We know it’s easy to say but harder to practice, but every pro we spoke with shared the same underlying message: We want to use our skills and experience to make our clients happy.

“How much does it cost for a bag of groceries? It depends on what you have in the bag,” said Heather Tankersley, Co-Owner and Vice President of Operations at Sacramento, California-based Tankersley Construction. The price per square foot is similar. It can be a useful ballpark early in the process when you’re trying to understand if it’s in your budget to build. As your design unfolds, however, the cost will shift to reflect what it’ll actually take to construct your home’s custom design.

“A lot of people come to us with plans already drawn, and they had no parameters for what they wanted to spend,” Tankersley said. “They’ve spent all this money on an architect, and they’ve designed a home that’s now going to cost three times what they thought it would cost.”

Both architects and builders tell us successful projects are built around a team including the homeowner, architect, and builder. One thing you might not realize if you haven’t been through a custom home-building project or major remodel is the earlier you involve the builder the better. This is because the builder, as the pro in charge of labor and purchasing materials, is the expert on cost.

TAKEAWAY: Build a good team by hiring the best architect and hiring the best builder for you. Then bring them together around the same table.