Building your first home is one of the best milestones to achieve in life. For a normal person, it can be a long-term dream to accomplish after years of hard work and saving. Building a house is not cheap. And so, when you find yourself finally in the situation of building your first home from scratch, the goal is to make it as perfect as it can be.
From picking a good location to choosing the best construction materials, you have to consider the ones that would best suit your needs and preferences. After all, your house should feel and look like it’s yours- not your engineer’s, your architect’s, or your designer’s.
Building a home that you can be fully satisfied with needs proper planning. Although getting help from experts and professionals is warranted, you also need to involve yourself in the process. In doing so, you can regularly ask yourself questions like: Do I want this? Is this in my budget? Does this match my lifestyle? Will my family and I enjoy this in the future? Is this a sustainable choice for me?
At the end of the day, making the best and most effective decisions is important when it comes to big projects such as building a house. You don’t want to suffer from the implications of a miscommunication issue for years or even the rest of your life.
So, if you’re in the process of (or planning) building your first home, here are some of the things to keep in mind for a successful construction:
Determine a Feasible Time Frame
Any type of planning always involves consideration for time as this will help when and how each process should be made so the whole project will be finished on time. This will also give you an idea on how long each process takes to finish and can be modified based on other factors affecting everyone’s work (i.e. location, cost, manpower, other issues).
In determining a time frame, you have to make sure that it is possible for everyone working and that they all agreed to it. Everyone wants to finish building right away, but you can’t rush a critical construction if it will compromise overall quality. For some cases, other factors can also play a role- their children’s school, their old place’s lease, or a baby or a marriage on the way.
Set Your Budget
Setting your budget is arguably the most important aspect in building a house. After all, construction involves money and your ability to budget yours wisely will help you save substantially.
Some people are willing to shell out huge sums of money into making their dream house come to life, but for a typical middle-class family, it might be a different story. Being financially responsible towards important situations should also be practiced at all times as you will always reap rewards from saving in the long run.
To make construction budget-friendly, you have to identify what you need and stick to it. Thinking of extras should come after. You always have to find materials where you will get the most value. For example, spending more on high-quality roofing will prevent leaks and immediate damages, so it will still save you money in the long term.
Create a Wishlist For Features You Want
Ask yourself and your family: How many rooms and bathrooms do we want? Do we want a pool? Do we want a garden? A balcony? A home office? An entertainment room?
The majority of the things you want to be in your home might not necessarily be essential but they can help make your family live happier and more comfortably. However, you also need to realize that if you are working with limited space or moving to a specific type of community, your options can be limited.
Only choose the ones that are in your budget, match your lifestyle, and will be used by everyone. It is your house, to begin with, so you have to make choices that are best for you. Unnecessary costs might just give you temporary comfort until you realize you have no use for them in the future.
Plan Which Projects You Need Help
Getting contractors to help you build your house is a go-to for everyone. These experts know what they’re doing and can help you achieve just about everything you need to make your house a livable space.
However, if you’re tight on budget and would prefer a more budget-friendly construction for your house. You have to know which projects you’re needing your contractor’s help with and clearly state them in your contract. The things that they will work on would dictate how much you have to pay for.
If you consider yourself or your partner a handyman, you can take smaller projects into your own hands. You can install your own shelving units and cabinets, paint your own bedrooms, build your own furniture, and more.
Prepare The Site
If you’re starting from a blank slate, more work should be done in order to prepare a lot for construction. Construction is a busy and hectic job and you have to make sure that the space is prepared for people to work on once the building process starts.
Start planning out things waste management and where other materials should be placed. You can also hire an electrician to prepare temporary electric panels the builders can use. As constructions take time and builders will be working for long periods of time, you can also set up designated areas for different needs.
Preparing the site for construction will help a smoother and faster flow of work and can boost productivity for on-site workers.
Key Takeaway
Being able to build your own house is a milestone and something everyone should be proud of. But no matter how exciting it seems, construction is not an easy process. It takes time, money, and a lot of effort to pull off.
Before you can call as space ‘home’, there is countless work that needs to be done and while the majority of the legwork is not necessarily expected from you, your involvement in the process is the most important. Designing a home that is based on your needs, lifestyle, and goals is what makes it yours.
Preparing to build your first home can be as simple as determining a timeline, setting a budget, making a wish list, choosing the right construction materials, planning projects, and preparing the home site. These things don’t take too much physical effort but mindful and responsible choices that will help you live in a home you can be proud of.
