Tips for Building a New Home
Building a new home from scratch can be an exciting and equally overwhelming experience. Whether you intend to buy existing house plans or create your own, building your house brings forth satisfaction that may not be felt by purchasing a home. Besides satisfaction, you can customize and tailor your home to suit your present and future needs and taste. Residential construction is not a walk in the park – it can be truly stressful and time-consuming. However, this process doesn’t have to be daunting. Going into it with the right plan and with your eyes open will save you the hassle.
If you are ready to build your new home, here are things you should know before beginning.
The Importance of House Plans
Having a plan for your construction is the key to a stress-free process. Whether you intend to execute a pre-existing new house plan or come up with your own, ensure that all the details are in place and that nothing is left to chance. What layout and flow do you want for your rooms? What sort of lighting do you want? How many power points do you wish to install, and where? A good rule of thumb is to estimate upwards when it comes to the number of items in your house building plan.
Besides hiring a professional residential construction planner, you can use helpful online planning tools to develop the design for your home. Most will allow individuals to create mock floorplans. If you are looking for inspiration and ideas, Pinterest could be a great resource. Starting a Pinterest board also helps you save your favorite designs. Doing this helps you plan better while making sure you have materials for reference before the construction commences.
Be Clear With Your Numbers
Residential construction can get expensive, and it is essential that you run some numbers to find out whether you can afford to build your desired home. It’s great to involve the construction experts you are working with for some financial tips. For accurate construction cost estimates, using the relevant online tools should be on the cards. Based on where you’re living, you should get an estimate of the construction costs, tax benefits, and other related costs.
Once you’ve established the cost of construction for your home, go ahead and purchase a plan (if you wish to buy rather than come up with your own) and make arrangements for financing. Residential construction lending differs from regular mortgage financing, and you will, therefore, need a home construction line of credit for paying subcontractors and suppliers. Once your home is ready, securing a residential mortgage ensures that you pay off the construction line.
Hire a Reputable Builder
It goes without saying – every aspiring homeowner wants to work with a highly reputable builder. You can get recommendations for some good residential construction contractors near you from family and friends. You can also look up some recognized contractors online, but be sure to meet them an find out whether they check in all the boxes of your preferred contractor, including past work, personality, style, and price.
Think Green
The world of residential construction is moving towards green homes. As such, find ways the best ways of maximizing the energy-efficiency of your home, right from its design. Your designer should help ensure that most windows are in the sun’s direction for maximum heating of your home. Baths, garages, and laundries should also be designed to have small windows for minimal heat loss. What’s more, choose the best insulation and HVAC systems and install energy-efficient appliances, faucets, and light bulbs.
Consider Furniture and Fitting Early Enough
While this often comes last for most homeowners, the truth is that it could cause upsets and should be considered as early as the design phase. This ensures there is ample space for every furniture, fitting, and even appliances. Thinks of the couches you want for your living room, cabinets for the kitchens, and storage spaces in other rooms of your home. Besides having the perfect layout for your home, it helps avoid last-minute adjustments and modifications that could ruin your design.
Design and Build With Resale in Mind
This may not apply to all homeowners, but there is always a possibility that you won’t live in that house forever. As such, you should strive for a new home design and style that will uphold the home’s potential resale value. Ensure that it is not too ordinary and that it is not beyond the price range of homes in your neighborhood.
Have a Residential Construction Punch List
The last phase of a residential construction project is going through your punch list. It shows you what needs to be retouched before you can pay off your contractor.
Residential construction projects are often hectic, but having the most important things in mind helps make the process worthwhile and hassle-free. Having a plan in place, hiring a reputable builder, securing financing, and preparing a punch list are things aspiring homeowners should prioritize for their residential construction projects.
