Everyone dreams of building a home that reflects their tastes. However, it is a time-consuming and challenging task. There are many factors to consider, and if you’re not well prepared. From your budget to your location, here are some essential factors you should not overlook:
1. Budget
Planning a comprehensive and flexible budget for building, furnishing, and finishing your home is essential. Your expenses will include your mortgage, land, construction, material, and downpayment. You might already have furniture and lights, but you can need more, so make sure to keep your budget flexible.
You should leave room for unpredictable additional costs, like material price hikes, unforeseen design modifications, and improper estimates, to ensure that you do not have to arrange for funding or delay your project midway.
2. Factors to Consider Before Buying the Lot
The land you build your house on can affect its longevity, convenience, and functionality. Check with the US Geological Survey and look at the area’s water tables to avoid running into the water while digging to build the house.
It’s also essential to research the history of the area you are planning to build on, as it could be a former landfill and might contain hazardous materials like PCBs.
If you plan to have a basement in your home, you should avoid locations with high flood risk, heavy precipitation, and poorly draining soils.
These can cause excess groundwater accumulation and cause water damage to the home’s foundation. You may have to install a sump pump in your basement when building a house in areas like these.
3. Hiring the Right People
Hiring the right people is crucial in the house-building process. Contractors will bring labor, engineers, and interior designers and will also hire subcontractors needed for other vital services like testing the soil, removing trees or stumps, removing waste, and landscaping. They will also make sure that all mechanical and building permits are secured.
Consider hiring an MBE/DBE contractor for permits, excavation, and assessment needs. Make sure to consider your preferred company’s credentials, past work, online reviews, reputation, and credibility in the industry.
You must visit the site frequently when work is underway. This will prevent any mistakes from happening, which might cost you expensive renovations down the line.
4. Functionality
Building your house from scratch gives you the precious opportunity of customizing your home according to your needs.
However, people often overlook minor details that cause them persistent problems later. For instance, not planning for storage space, or not choosing suitable materials
Consider all the items you have and where you would like to put them, and plan for storage space accordingly. Plan with your building team to strategically place your windows in a way to get the most natural light.
Ensure the non-toxicity of the materials you use. For instance, pipes and paints contain lead, which can damage the nervous system. Older insulation materials contain asbestos, exposure to which can cause lung, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer.
Maximize the use of long-lasting, non-toxic materials like bamboo, wool insulation, and concrete. Use sustainable flooring like carpets or hardwood tiles. When selecting paint, look for low VOC options or consider wallpapers for your walls.
Endnote
Building a house is a challenging, time-consuming, and tiresome task. But you mustn’t let unexpected problems shake your resolve.
Keep the factors we discussed above in mind to minimize any problems you may face. Stick to your plans till the end because the results are worth the time and money spent.