You’ve purchased your new piece of land and decided on where to build your new home. Now you’ll need to set your budget and choose from a range of different designs, materials, and specifications, depending on your preferences. If you’re quite unsure how to go about this whole process, here’s a simple guide to help you plan and build your new home.
Get To Know The Area And Zoning Regulations
One of the first things you need to learn before building a new home is knowing if there’s enough space for it in your chosen location. Also, make sure your desired place complies with all local zoning regulations. You can speak to neighbors about any hidden obstacles or noise restrictions near the property, as well as what type of constructions (e.g., garages) are allowed by law. You should also find out if there are any plans for building infrastructures nearby that might affect transport, such as an airport runway extension or a new motorway.
Hire A Building Inspector
Before you dig any foundations, hire a building inspector to examine the area to ensure there are no underground services. These persons have all the necessary equipment to conduct inspections. One such tool is rods, which they push into the ground. If these hit something hard like concrete, metal, or plastic, this means there’s likely an invisible pipe in the ground. It’s best practice to avoid these areas when digging foundation holes so you don’t run into any difficulties down the track, such as pipes causing damage underfoot.
Hiring a new home building inspector also ensures there are no other problems with your land, such as drainage issues, which could cause water damage to your foundation or build. When hiring a building inspector, it’s best to get somebody who has experience in your type of property. For example, if you’re building on sand dunes, somebody with experience in building in this sort of area would be recommended.
Decide On The Floor Plan
People normally decide to find a floor plan they like and then look for a house with that design, but this may be less than ideal as you might not get the best fit for your house. It’s better to start with a list of your desired rooms and work from there and then mark them on paper.
Once you’ve decided on these key points, try to imagine where doors and windows would be most suitable. You should probably include them only if their absence would impact the usability of a part of your home. For example, your kitchen—does it need a window for natural light? Or should it have an interior opening instead of a door into the garden or street outside?
Make Sure You Trust The Designer
Trust is an integral part of every business relationship, so ask yourself if you feel comfortable dealing with the candidate designer. What services do they offer, and are their prices reasonable? Will they stick to your schedule or keep changing plans whenever something better comes along?
These are essential questions to answer before signing any contract as the designer will be the one creating blueprints based on your wishes. Also, make sure their qualifications are up to date. There’s nothing worse than learning your building process can’t be completed because of the lack of any additional permit.
Draw Up A Budget And Ensure You Have Enough Funds To Complete Construction
Designers can show you what different rooms might look like before construction begins. But remember, no fee is required until their plans are completed and all parties agree to move forward with them. Start by setting aside 30% of the final cost as an advance payment. Even if it takes months to find a designer who meets your criteria, you should know what you’re getting for this money. If the design isn’t satisfactory after all, at least you wouldn’t have lost your money entirely.
Also, never sign a contract without being confident there’s enough money available to cover all the costs. If you think this might be an issue, discuss it with your designer or architect before signing anything. They may have ideas that can save you time and money without sacrificing the quality of their work, so don’t feel shy about asking for their advice. Besides, it’s better to know about potential problems in advance than be surprised later on after you’ve already invested a lot of money in the project.
Take Care Of Legal Matters
Once your chosen designer has submitted their plan and it has been approved by competent authorities (usually with a few minor modifications), you’d need to apply for a building permit. This is where you pay for all of the expenses involved in shaping the house, so ready your personal identification as well as that of any business partner who’d be on the title deed later. If you’re hiring an architect, they should be able to assist with this process. But if not, you can ask around if you can find someone willing to handle such matters.
Conclusion
By following these simple steps, it should be possible for you to build your own dream home as long as you work with the right people. A good architect and surveyor would help you avoid expensive mistakes, which could result in losing money on the project.
If this process isn’t something you’re interested in doing yourself, there are companies dedicated to providing services at affordable prices. They can also offer legal and financial support throughout the entire process of designing and building your home. They can even provide funds until your new home is completed and ready for use.
