Are you looking to build your new dream home?
Building your own home can be a rewarding experience, and the chance to get the home you’ve always dreamt of. But it can also be a stressful, daunting experience. If you’ve never done it before, you might not know where to start. Or how to put together an effective construction plan.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Read on for these seven steps on creating an effective home construction plan.
1. Think Ahead Into the Future
It’s important when planning your home, you consider any future commitments. Especially if this will be your long-term dream home. So consider situations like having:
- enough bedrooms for the new family you want to start
- enough bedrooms for the children you currently have
- accommodation for children returning from college or a gap year
- an annex or accommodation for aging parents to move into
- enough space for guests who come to visit
- space for the grandchildren
- space for your office or business needs if you work from home
You want to think about all the needs you will have for this house. What space do you need? What functions does it need to carry out? For your home to work in the long run, you need to include features and spaces your future self will find useful.
2. Pick and Work With a Design Pro
To get an efficient home construction plan, hire an architect or interior designer. Or both. But remember, each company will do things in a different way, and licenses vary from state to state.
A lot of designers work with projects that don’t involve a lot of big construction works. They might still help with material and color choices though.
Architects may work on a wide range of projects, or only do permits and floor plans. They might leave the electrical and plumbing plans to another designer you need to hire.
You should select a design team that will cover all elements of your construction plan. It’s best to shop around and speak with a few different companies, even if that does take weeks.
You should understand what services they offer and what they bring to the table. You want to pick a design company that meets your expectations and requirements. But most of all, go with someone who makes you feel confident and comfortable.
3. Set Your Budget
You’ll already know what you can borrow or spend by this point. But you want to make sure that what you want to build is within this budget.
When you and your designers have made the plan, you need to hand it over to your builder. They will separate it into construction elements and phases. Then, they’ll get in the estimates from the contractors who will do the work and source the materials.
You’ll get a good idea at this point on how much the entire build will cost you. When putting your budget together, you want to factor in every element. This includes things like:
- construction materials
- labor costs
- utility charges
- permits and inspection costs
- designers’ fees
- landscaping
- other professionals’ fees
On top of that, it’s advised you leave yourself a contingency of at least 10% of your budget. This is to cover unexpected costs or disasters that happen during the build.
If you don’t use it, that’s great, you’ll be in a better position. But the last thing you want to do is get into a position where you can’t afford to finish your home. So set it aside and only use it in an emergency.
4. Make the Most of the Lot
A lot of the time, if you’re in the market for a construction plan you already own the land it’ll go on. If you already know where your home is going to sit, then make the most of it. Take into consideration the topography, slope, size, and any natural features it has.
For example, if you have a beautiful view of the sea or another natural area, make it a focal point. Situate your living room, master bedroom, a guest room, and your backyard to take in the view.
Or you might have a stream/watercourse running through the property. Work this into your landscaping to show it off. You can place the master bedroom and a guest room near the stream too. This way you and guests can enjoy the calm, soothing sound of running water.
5. Give Features Priority Order
As you refine the plan, start to give the features of your design more priority. If you let your desires run wild, you’ll soon see costs spiral and your budget go out the window.
And with so many luxury features out there to choose from, the temptation is even higher. It’s important you rein yourself in, and give your features a priority order.
If you’ve always wanted a home with exposed beams, you might pick that over a state of the art kitchen island. Or if you want top-of-the-range security, then put this at the top of your list. Look into companies like Mobilevideoguard.com to meet this need.
Think about the things you want in your home, and list them in priority order. If you can’t afford some things, start taking them off the list from the bottom up.
6. Consider How the Home Will Flow & Function
Give consideration to where each room will be. You want to design with a flow in mind, and how you want your home to function. Think about how you and your family will use the space, does the plan work for that usage?
For example, it’s a good idea to keep bedrooms away from your most communal areas of the home. This will help reduce noise levels when sleeping.
Or, if the kitchen the hub of your home, what about an open-plan living room, dining space, and kitchen? This will allow for free flow from each room and a more comfortable living space.
Think about how you live in your current home, what works, and what doesn’t. What do you want to change about your current home? What features work for you and you’d like to incorporate? It’s important you design a home that will work for your needs.
7. Don’t Forget Permits!
Depending on the size and scale of your home, the location, and the complexity of the design, it’ll take time to build. Anything from weeks, to months to even years.
It’s important you get an idea from your builder of a rough timescale before you file for your permits. You should definitely have a start date by this point as well.
Permits can cost from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands. It will depend on your location, your state, and how big the project is. But make sure your permits are all in hand before you start.
Don’t forget them! Otherwise, you might face watching your beautiful, well-planned home turn to dust. And your money along with it.
Creating an Effective Home Construction Plan Made Easy
So, there you have it! Now you know these seven steps, you’re on your way to creating an effective home construction plan.
Work out what you want, and hire architects and designers who share your vision, and who you can work well with. Make sure you know your budget and stick to it. And allow a contingency for emergencies.
Work with the land you have, and make the most of it. Let your home blend in and flow with its surroundings. Most of all, make sure it flows and works for your needs (now and in the future).
If you found this article helpful, check out our other blog posts today!
