Everyone dreams of building their dream house. It has become the collective goal of many to buy their own land and build their dream house. However, actually building your own home isn’t as sweet or fantasy-like as it sounds. There’s a lot of things you need to remember. Many factors are involved, and much work to be done to get a house constructed. Even if you’re not the one physically building the home, you still need to deal with all the work of finding a contractor. If you go the DIY route, you have to deal with everything from materials, labor, and even cost.
But all these obstacles can be overcome with some wise thinking and resourcefulness. After all, the challenges of building your home are worth the effort once you finally have a place to call your own. Yes, there are many factors and variables to keep in mind, but it’s not impossible to prepare for them. Here a few tips to help you out.
Don’t Skimp Out on Construction Costs
It’s easy to fall into the trap of going cheap as well- especially in economic times like this. Tempting as it may seem, the adage of “you get what you pay for” is very true in terms of construction. Skimping on construction costs entails quite a laundry list of problems that you want to avoid.
One of the worst things you can ever do is to cheap out on building materials. Remember that you are building a house that you and your family will live in- it’s never wise to cheap on such an important part. Even if you build a structure that’s up to code, the quality of material you will use is still significant. Cheap materials will result in dangers and risks that could have been prevented. You don’t want to use band-aid solutions after construction as well, as they will not only still be dangerous but potentially expensive. Don’t skimp on labour costs as well, as you want to hire qualified workers to build for you- and they normally don’t come cheap.
Overambitious Designs Can Give You Headaches
Given that you finally have the opportunity to build your own home, you might feel overambitious and ask for a house that’s way too much for you currently. Especially with the ever-growing popularity of interior design, it’s easy to feel envious of elegantly designed minimalist houses or feel like you want to have an adventurous boho design.
However, what’s best is to stay realistic and only choose what you think will work for you. Put your grand and crazy schemes in the nearest recycling bin, and contact a professional instead. It’s best to have a professional interpret your wants than you attempting to do it yourself. Designing might sound like a simple thing to do for laypeople, but it requires knowledge and resources. There are legal aspects when it comes to designing a house as well. That’s why it’s best to leave it to professionals.
Don’t Be Spontaneous
While spontaneity is a good thing in other aspects of life, it’s not when building a house. Your spontaneity as a home builder can spell trouble for your contractor. It’s best to settle with an idea as spontaneous inspiration will make the current construction process more difficult.
However, if you haven’t settled on an idea just yet, it’s best to leave blanks for your contractor or designer to fill. When you come across an inspiration during the building period, check with your designer to see if it can fit. If it does, you got your idea. If not, take it as it is. After all, pushing for a difficult change might jeopardise the result of your house.
Always Allow for Unexpected Expenses
Building a house is expensive, with all the thousands of dollars worth of construction materials, labor costs, real estate fees, and much more. However expensive it may get, it’s still important to leave a buffer for unexpected expenses. This will allow you to anticipate any emergencies and not get caught off-guard when they do come.
10% of your projected building cost is a good ‘buffer fund’ used during emergencies. Suppose you can afford more, perfect. Even if an opportunity to use it doesn’t come, you’ll still have money left that can be used in interior design, new furniture, or even for throwing a housewarming party. Leaving an extra budget for emergencies is something that you will definitely not regret- you’ll be thankful when you need to use it, and you’ll still be thankful if you don’t need to use it.
