Are you embarking on a new adventure of building your own home? You must consider many things if this is your first time building a house.
You do not want to make costly mistakes or face potential problems. You also want your new house to suit your family’s needs and make you feel like “you.”
Tips for Your First Home Build
When embarking on your custom build, you want to consider many different things, like your budget, the materials you want to incorporate, and fixtures that you may not realize significantly impact the style of your new home. A solid plan on how much money you intend to spend can help you get your dream home for a price you can afford.
The following are five essential tips for your first custom build.
1. Keep Your Budget (Slightly) Flexible
The first thing that you will want to do when beginning a brand new home build is some of the best advice we can give when it comes to a new construction house build is to keep your budget flexible. When you find the right builder, they can help you create a budget for your new home. They can help you calculate material and labor costs, and you can also work with the builder’s preferred lender.
But even when you come up with a budget, there will most likely be some added cost. That is because unforeseen issues may pop up, like a back order on the flooring you were hoping to install. When you look for replacements, you might end up finding something that is a little more pricey.
The good news is that if you go in expecting that there may be some slight adjustments made to your budget, you can prepare for it.
2. Prioritize Your Wants
The best option to avoid cost overruns is to prioritize what you want. Is there anything going into the new home that you cannot live without?
Maybe you want tumbled Travertine throughout the house. Or, perhaps you have eyed Venetian blinds or a breathtaking chandelier for your entryway.
To avoid overspending, prioritize what you want. Purchase those few costly items before making other purchases to know how much is left in your budget.
3. Pick Out The Materials You Want Before Breaking Ground
When you are building your dream custom home, you want to be able to decide on the finishes and materials to be used in the new build. While there are thousands of customization options you can choose from, you likely already know which ones speak to you on a personal level.
When you look into different materials that can be used for your flooring, tiling, countertops, and paint color, you might find that some materials are unavailable. Maybe your top flooring pick is on back order or will take a long time to ship. Or perhaps something you have chosen has been discontinued by the manufacturer.
The sooner you know which materials you can get your hands on and which you cannot, the more efficient the construction process will be. If you pick out the products you like before the building process has begun, it will be a much smoother process in the long run. And it will get you into your brand-new home that much quicker!
4. Be On-Site During Important Installations
When building your dream home, you have a particular vision of what it should look and feel like. A great way to ensure that your general contractor has the same idea is to be at the construction site during essential installations. It can reduce the possibility of having significant problems that will cost you time and money.
For example, do you want a special chandelier to help pull together your entryway? If so, you want to ensure that it gets installed where it is supposed to the first time. Otherwise, your contractor may move it, but it can leave damage even if they fix it.
Or maybe you want the lighting fixture to be a certain height above your bathroom mirror. Or you want to ensure that the kitchen island is in the spot you envision.
Of course, you do not have to be on-site for the entire process. But you might want to be mindful of when the most important things to you are happening.
5. Do Not Forget to Budget for Window Coverings & Light Fixtures
Many people remember to include energy-efficient windows in their new home construction budget. What they often forget about is having a budget for window treatments.
You probably already have window coverings of some sort in your current home. If they came with the house, you might not realize how expensive they can be when buying them brand new.
Window treatments can be very expensive. It is an excellent idea to meet with a window covering company to find our options. You might want to go with faux wood vertical blinds. Or maybe you want to upgrade to room darkening fabric shades. Or perhaps when budgeting, you would purchase rods and hang curtains yourself.
There is no right choice regarding how you cover your windows. You want to ensure that you can have privacy as soon as you move into your new home.
You will also want to be mindful of your new home’s lighting. Lighting fixtures can be pretty costly, depending on what you want to install. There are different styles at every budget level, but keep in mind that lighting will be part of your home’s decor. Certain lights can help set the mood of the house and can complement the other design choices you make.
Are You Looking for an Expert Home Builder?
Are you looking for an expert to build your custom dream home? At Tropic Coast Homes, we can help you make the home you have always wanted! We help southwest Florida homeowners buy, sell and create beautiful homes. Contact Us to learn how we can help you.