Some of us have very specific and unique ideas of what constitutes a dream home. When you start looking at the housing market, nothing comes up which gives you that sense of inspiration. What happened then? Do you have to make do with something? Luckily you do have options. You can extend a home or transform the interior, or you can build your own. When you build your own home, you want the architect to turn your dream into a practical reality. You will get all the features you desire with the right-sized rooms and aesthetics. There is a lot to be said for building your own. However, this is an avenue that needs a lot of consideration, time, and effort. So, let’s take a look at a few things you must investigate before you build your own home:
The Land
Clearly, you will have to build your new home somewhere, so you need to buy a plot of land. This is something you need to give a lot of thought to. You can’t just pick the cheapest bit of land and hope for the best. You have to investigate locations. Think about things such as the potential for flooding and what construction work, etc., is expected in the area in the near future. If you think you are getting an idyllic rural sport and in five years it’s going to be a buzzing metropolis, you will be very upset. You also need to consider things such as the transport links, how far it is to commute to work, and what about shopping centers, schools, and leisure facilities, how far are these. Location is one of hte most important factors to think about. You need to get this right for a dream home.
The Plan
Yes, you are going to need a great plan. This will be a house with all the features a home has to have, complete with running water, electricity, gas, etc. The better you plan, the easier the project will be to create. A good plan will save you time and money. There will be fewer mistakes and a lot less heartache. You a better off coming to terms with a compromise before you start and have to compromise later on in a less-than-ideal way. So, be warned. Before you start contacting your builders, you need to have some sort of quasi-plan. To do this, you should conduct a lot of research. Maybe you should speak to people who have already been through this process and find out what their pitfalls were. Maybe get busy designing the building and possibly ask an architect to have some plans drawn up for you. Planning is a key component of building a house.
Get Creative
The reason you want to build your own home is that the housing stock does not inspire you. So, get creative with your design. Make a list of all your wants and needs and find the best way to implement them all. Ensure that you have everything you want listed and then prioritize them, as there will have to be some sort of compromise down the line. Get a designer and tell them exactly what you want. Do not take a backseat and allow others to dictate it. If you want something, you have to go for it.
The Builder
Unless you have your own building construction firm, you are going to need the help of a builder. This is whether you intend to run the project yourself or not. So, you need someone that you can work with, for starters, and someone who is sympathetic to your wants and desires. You must do your research when it comes to the right firm. A platform such as ArchiPro could be incredibly useful. You can search for the right contractors for your project with relative ease there. You will be able to take a look at current projects and previous projects and see which builder suits your requirement. You may even develop a better idea of what exactly you want in the real world. It is always in your best interest to contact as many builders as possible and get a feel for how you would work with them, and get quotes for hte work. The more quotes, the better. You can use them to negotiate. In some cases, you may feel it is wise to get in touch with the building inspector and find out who they recommend for the type of building you intend to build. What you need above everything else is a reputable builder who works with honesty and integrity. Someone you can trust to run everything by you. A few personal recommendations may be the thing, but most businesses will have a range of testimonials you can take a look at.
A Supervisor
If you intend to build the property yourself, you are still going to need a little help. You are going to need to services of a supervisor. It is the job of the supervisor to sort out all the subcontracting for you. Find a supervisor that you trust and let them deal with all this for you. Not only will this be easier, but it will work out a lot cheaper in the long run too. A supervisor will have all the contacts required to make your self-build a success.
Be Forearmed
You will have heard the expression knowledge is power, and nothing could be truer. The more you know, the better armed you are to build a success story. It is a good idea to start learning everything you can about building your own home. As soon as you get the idea, start then. Read books, magazines, blogs, watch videos and tutorials, and start going to DIY classes. There is such a wide range of ways you can build up your individual knowledge base. This will come in so useful when you are discussing anything of importance with your builder. The more empowered you are, the better equipped you are to make the right decisions.
