Building your own home is a dream for many people across the country. It’s the unique opportunity to customize your space from the very beginning. From the floor plan to the wall colors, you get to have a say in how your home looks.
While this may sound perfect for your family, there are a lot of things that you need to consider when you build your own home. Let’s take a look at some of the most important considerations so that the construction process goes as smoothly for you as possible.
Design for Your Future
When many people start the design process for their custom home, they’re thinking about what they most want and need at that point in their lives. However, you’re likely going to want to stay in your new home for many years — perhaps even many decades — to come. This makes it essential that you design your new home for your future family.
If you plan on having children with your partner in the next couple of years, it would be a good idea to design for that plan. That could mean adding more bedrooms or including a large playroom in your blueprint. About 31% of people building a custom home want a home that’s significantly larger than their current residence, so don’t be afraid to go big with your design. If you think that you may want to start a business from home, make sure that you have adequate office space and consider including an exterior door in its design so that you can have clients come directly into your office. Whatever your dreams are, make sure that your home’s design is conducive to them.
Plan for Storage
It’s easy to get caught up in designing the more exciting elements of your home, like your master bedroom or the kitchen, and forget about the more practical elements. Storage spaces may be on the boring side, but they are key in making your home functional and organized. As you design your home, keep storage space at the front of your mind. Make sure that you have enough closets, that the locations of your storage spaces make sense, and that these spaces won’t be at risk of being ruined by water damage or pests.
Spend Time Researching Contractors
Whether you’re hiring a general contractor to oversee the whole project or you’re just bringing in contractors for things like the roof and plumbing, it’s important that you do your due diligence. These professionals will be critical in building your house and making it into your dream home. You’re also going to be making major financial transactions with them, so they need to be someone you can trust to do a good job for the amount you’re paying them.
Before signing on the dotted line with a contractor, do your research. Get a good idea of the contractor’s experience, previous work, and reputation. For instance, seeing that a general contractor has experience in townhome construction could be a good sign. New townhome construction has increased by 20% in the last year alone. If the contractor has been a part of this boom, it means that they are in a successful part of the industry and could potentially do well with your project. Be sure to always check a contractor’s reviews online as these will be the most telling when it comes to what it’s like to work with them and the quality of their work.
Put in Work When You Can
A great part of building your own home is that you have the opportunity to put some sweat into the project and feel like you had a hand in its construction. Not only can this create a sense of accomplishment, but it can also save you some money and time. You won’t have to pay a contractor for their labor and you won’t have to wait for them to fit you into their schedule.
However, it’s important to know your limits and communicate with your contractors. You should still leave certain things to the professionals, such as the plumbing, electrical, and heating systems. Natural gas is the second-most heavily consumed energy source in the country and you’ll need an expert to get this form of energy into your home. Some contractors may also prefer that you don’t do any work for safety or monetary reasons. If you’d like to have a hand in painting walls or grouting tiles, be sure to discuss this with your contractor before you hire them so there are no issues when it comes time to do the work.
Building your home comes with many joys, but many pitfalls as well. By taking these factors into consideration beforehand, you can more successfully avoid the pitfalls and only encounter the joys.