Building a dream home from scratch is a unique and exciting experience. However, a home construction project is usually very demanding and draining as it’s not only expensive but also time-consuming. In addition, you’ll be continually expected to make numerous decisions on various aspects that do arise when building your home. Therefore, you should always be available to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible from start to finish.
But before starting the home construction project, there are a couple of things that you must examine to ensure your goals are realized. If you’re confused about where to start, worry not, as this guide is an overview of the crucial things to know about before you start building your home.
1. Understand The Zoning Laws
Before you start your home construction project, make sure to familiarize yourself with your local zoning laws first. Understanding these laws is essential since even as a landowner, you still are expected to follow guidelines on how to use your land and what kinds of buildings are permitted to be constructed on the piece of land.
Fortunately, accessing the zoning information isn’t hard as it’s readily available to the public. Therefore, make sure to consult the local planning board, a zoning officer, or visit your city hall to get every useful detail. This way, you can rest assured that there aren’t zoning regulations or restrictions preventing you from building or constructing your home.
2. Know The Building Plan And Secure Necessary Permits
When building a home, it’s also essential to get the necessary building permits from the local planning office. This is one thing that every builder or owner should do before starting the construction project. To get the building permits, you’re expected to present the following:
- The floor plans
- The structure drawings
- The elevation survey
- The desired safety standards
- The material to be used in your home’s exterior
- Paint color to use
Learning these building regulations is vital to avoid paying any penalties, as this will only further strain your budget. Therefore, make sure you first get permission from your local authority before proceeding with the construction of your home. You should also involve your architect or contractor, and follow them on when and how to obtain the necessary permits.
3. Choose The Right Builder
Although it’s easy to find a home builder, such as Jabconst.com, getting one that promises to deliver quality work takes time. The choice of builder to go with will be one of the most crucial decisions you’ll make. After all, you’ll work with this team for several months to complete the construction of your home. Therefore, you want a builder that doesn’t constantly cause issues that can hamper the pace of the construction project.
To gauge a home builder’s dependability, do exhaustive research on different factors to identify whether they’re the right pick. The things or factors you need to examine include:
- Work Or Industry Experience: To know this, get the names of at least three previous clients of the builder. Speaking to these clients will help you know more about the builder’s professionalism, reliability, and possible downsides. You might also want to check when the construction company was organized, so you can determine if they have been in the industry for some time.
- Education And Credentials: This is essential as you want to work with a construction company that employs workers who are fully licensed and insured.
- Personality: Don’t forget to assess the builder’s personality as you want one who is easy to work with. You can check out their website and social media pages to see if any of their previous clients have something to say about their attitude and professionalism on the job.
- Turnaround Time: This refers to how quickly the home builder can complete the construction project. Also, don’t take their word for it. Many builders will try to guarantee you fast turnaround times, but that may not entirely be true. Ask around and see if the construction company is indeed true to their word.
- Aesthetics Or Style: Know your builder’s building style! To get an idea of this, go over their previous designs and projects. Once you do this, it’ll be easier to gauge whether the builder will be able to meet your specific needs and preferences.
You shouldn’t feel bad or hesitate to ask your builder such details even though this might sound like an interview. If you don’t, there’s the risk of choosing the wrong contractor, leading to a waste of money and time.
4. Consider The Location
The construction of your dream home will be done on a piece of land. Therefore, you need to buy land that’s an ideal location for you. You need to examine several things to determine an area’s suitability. This includes access to necessary amenities such as hospitals, schools, markets, and churches.
Also, make sure to examine the kind of soil in the area you’re planning to build your home. This will help you determine what kind of plants would be best grown in your yard. By doing this, you avoid issues such as dam breaks, floods, or foundational cracks at a later date.
Another thing to consider before commencing to build your home is the region’s climate. Knowing this will help you know which are the best materials to use when undertaking the construction project. For instance, when building a home in a cold area, you’ll need to install insulated windows as this helps cut down the heating cost. In addition, you can opt to get wooden floorboards as they’re warmer, unlike tiles which are better suited in warmer climates.
5. Set A Budget
You need to have a realistic budget that will serve as a guide for your construction project. Too many prospective homeowners often make this mistake—starting their construction project without getting actual estimates of the material and labor costs.
You shouldn’t make a similar mistake. You need to have a clear and upfront budget to avoid unforeseen surprises. To get an accurate estimate of the construction cost, consult a skilled quantity surveyor. This ensures there’s no drastic variation in how much you’ll spend building your home.
It’s best you do extensive research to determine the material costs, down payments to be made, and property taxes to be paid. Some of the costs you need to consider include:
- Furnishing
- County or municipal fees
- Construction
- Moving
- Fencing
- Landscaping
- Decking
If you’re working with a limited budget, consider requesting a lending institution for a mortgage or get a construction loan. But make sure to go over the loan terms first, as some banks offer a better deal than other lenders.
Aside from the construction of your dream home, fixtures and appliances must be taken into account as well. This means you have to allot a separate budget just for the items and appliances that you need to buy or decorate your new home with.
6. Know Your Unique Needs
When building a home, you want it to meet your unique needs. This means you must have a clear idea of every item, feature, and design you wish to add to your home. The best way to achieve this is by working with an architect.
Thanks to their skills and expertise, architects help you prevent expensive mistakes. And if you want things to be easier, you can look up for inspirations online and save pictures so you can show them to your architect and incorporate the design in your house plan.
With a proper plan, you’ll get to save money and time. And when creating a plan, here are the most crucial features you must consider;
- The size of your home should depend on your budget, the size of your family, and how much space meets your needs.
- Examine your lifestyle to know the important aspects you must include when building your home. For example, if you love hosting guests, the house needs adequate space to accommodate them. You should let your architect know about your unique needs, and this will help them build a house that suits your lifestyle perfectly.
- Consider your home’s exterior space as this can help boost the value of your home immensely. To improve your home’s aesthetic appeal, you can plant flowers or shrubs. You can also boost the aesthetic appearance of your home’s exterior by using outdoor lighting, decks, furniture, irrigation system, and patios. You may also need a landscaping artist that can help with the outdoor design.
- If you want to bring in more natural light to your home, make sure to position your home at an angle where it gets adequate sunlight across different seasons. This means your main rooms should be facing west to get enough sunlight in the afternoon.
Takeaway
As a potential homeowner, you need to be involved in the construction of your dream home at every stage to ensure all aspects are done as expected. But because you’ll often be involved in a lot of decision-making during this project, it’s easy to get lost and confused about what needs to be prioritized. This article has taken you through a detailed guide on the essential things you need to consider before building your dream home to avoid such scenarios.