The clock will start ticking once you break the ground for the construction of your new home. You will then be under pressure to make a decision fast to stay on track of the construction schedule. This is when you will inevitably compromise what you want to make your contractor happy.
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That should not be the case. You should line up all your decisions and selections in advance to ensure that everything you want for your dream home gets followed.
The following expert tips from a custom home designer will help you make that happen:
Have a vision:
Picture yourself and your family living in and moving through every section of your dream house. How do you spend your time? Once you get a glimpse of how you want your new home to feel, that’s the time you should start gathering images for inspiration.
Do a gut check against each image and ask yourself if it feels right. From those images, you should establish a clear vision of how you want your house to look. Or else, your builder and designer will end up playing detective to figure out exactly what you really want.
Take as much time as you want
Do not rush the process of how you want your dream house to look so that you won’t have regrets in the end. There are tons of decisions involved in building a new home, and you need enough time to mull them over.
You wouldn’t want to get stuck in the middle of the project debating over the placement of doors and windows. Take as much time as you want now before breaking ground to avoid indecision midway construction that can waste a lot of your time and money.
Hire a designer:
A designer can help you refine your vision for your dream home. He is your advocate who will approach the project with your goals in mind. He can also help you establish a realistic budget and meet with potential builders and pick which one is the best fit for your project.
Select the right builder:
Keep in mind that whoever the builder you choose, you’ll be working with them for many months. It’s vital that you make the right choice at the beginning to avoid problems down the road. Here are the factors to consider when selecting a builder:
Credentials: adequately licensed and insured
Personality: communicates well and is quite comfortable to work with
Portfolio: the level of quality of the houses built are high
Price: rates are within your budget
References: has enough experience with many customers satisfied with their work
Style: past work suits the design you want for your own home
Understand the fine print :
Carefully go over the contract with your designer and builder to make sure that you understand all of its contents. By doing so, you can avoid being taken by surprise of what the construction costs cover. Make sure the contract includes:
Cooling off period
Detailed plans
Warranty and insurance information
Payment schedule
Specific timeframe for construction
If you know a lawyer, it’s wise to have him look over the contract before putting in your signature. Cross out blank spaces and ensure that any variations to the contract are all mutually agreed upon and well-documented.
Be honest with your contractor:
Image Source: Google ImageWhat you’re building is your dream house. Even if your designer proposes many ideas to you, but if you don’t like them, you shouldn’t hesitate to tell him. It’s your opinion that matters.
Speak up right away if you find anything you don’t like in the project so that they can immediately find a solution for it. Giving in just because you don’t want to hurt your contractor’s feelings will only hinder you from getting the house you want. Putting up a fight for details that are significant to you will be worth it.
Communicate often:
Throughout the construction of your home, get regular updates from your contractor and check in yourself. It’s also a good idea to take some photos of the progress regularly so that you can document any issues. With excellent communication, you can ensure that the construction of your house goes the way you want it.
When you’ve clearly laid out what you want and other necessary details, the construction process will run much more smoothly.
Don’t make decisions based on resale plans:
Image Source: Google ImageIf you’re indeed building your dream home, then stop thinking about resale unless you’ll be doing something crazy that will undervalue your house and make it unsaleable in the future. Allow yourself the opportunity to build a house without worrying about the opinion of some hypothetical future owner.
Making your decisions based on resale is the easiest way for you to end up with a dull home that you don’t like. After all, the goal of resale is to let go of the property fast.
Budget more than what you expect:
Image Source: Google ImageNo matter how much you try to control the project, it will still tend to cost more. For instance, there may be several items not included by the estimate given by your builders such as internet and cable hookups, property plumbing, and electrical meters.
Failure to integrate things like fences and gates, landscaping, and outdoor concrete in the estimate may also happen. These are finishing costs that can take up about 15 to 25 percent of your budget. It’s essential to budget for unforeseen circumstances should anything happen that doesn’t match your expectations.
Use this example below to work out a rough budget:
- Construction cost
- Finishing cost
- Land price
- Loan settlement
- Planning fees
- Site cost
- Taxes
You simply need to write the rough estimate across each item and then add up the amounts to arrive at an overall rough estimate.
After getting the total of your rough budget, add a bit of amount to cover emergency or unexpected but necessary expenses.
Build your dream home with ease:
Image Source: Google Image
Constructing a house from the ground up is quite a rewarding experience. It allows you to customize your home to suit your personal style and needs. However, without the proper preparation, your construction project can also be a stressful and time-consuming experience.
Getting into the project with eyes wide open and a solid plan can save you from headaches along the way. Bear in mind the five tips above so that you can enjoy a stress-free and successful construction process.
