Building a new home from scratch is an exciting experience. It’s like the ultimate project. You can spend weeks designing your ultimate pad – a haven built just for you.
But it’s not something you should dive into blind. Building a new home requires careful planning and information gathering. You need to know as much as possible before you get started.
That’s where this post helps. We run through everything you need to know about planning carefully, choosing wisely, and budgeting realistically before you break ground.
Find A Good Plot Of Land
The first step is to find a good plot of land. You’ll want to consider:-
Orientation
Shape
Location
Proximity to utilities
Drainage
Soil quality
Hazards and toxins
If you’re interested in a piece of land, get a land survey. These investigations will throw up any issues with the land (such as being used as a trash dump or dumping ground for dangerous waste materials).
Choose A Floor Plan
The next step is to consider a floor plan. This is the blueprint of your home that shows the layout of rooms, windows, doors, and other features.
Some homeowners choose a template floor plan since these generally work well for most individuals and families. However, you can work with a contractor to design a bespoke plan to fit your lifestyle or aesthetic preferences.
You’ll want to consider things like:-
The amount of natural light your rooms will receive
How much storage you’ll require
Whether you’ll need to walk through multiple rooms to get to where you want to go
Hire A Reputable Builder
The builder will oversee the construction of your home and coordinate with subcontractors, suppliers, inspectors, and other parties involved. You want someone with expertise in this area as they will understand how to bring all the elements together.
You can sometimes also hire a real estate agent. They occasionally have experience negotiating with builders and handling the financial and legal aspects of the project.
Work Out The Price Per Square Foot
Another important thing you need to do before you start building your new home is to work out the cost per square foot. This figure provides you with a rough estimate of how much it will cost to build your home based on its size and quality. Ideally, you don’t want to spend more than the existing homes in the area. If you do, you would wind up running into negative equity, even if you finish your home impeccably.
You’ll also want to budget for additional expenses that are not included in the cost per square foot, such as land purchase, site preparation, permits, utility connections, and landscaping. All these elements require careful financial preparation as they may not relate directly to quotes builders provide.
*contributed post*
