Plan For Building A Home
Building a home for your family or yourself is a huge step. It is as many say "a giant leap" and can be quit long and exhausting process, for your nerves and for your wallet as well, if you don't plan everything properly. Period which will pass between the planning process and the actual building procedure can be quite long, and during that time you will have a lot of things to buy, plan and finish; so that you can start building without hurry or unexpected situations. Like in any other job, you will need to be a decision maker, and in a position to manage the work of several other individuals, supervising every part of the process, along the way.A custom home for an average family, can be quite a task. You will have to make several decisions, like to approve the blueprints, choose all the materials, approve floor plans etc. and this kind of planning and organizing may last for few months. How long a house planning and building process lasts, depends on various conditions and factors: house size for instance, weather conditions (temperatures, is it raining often...), competence of the person in charge of construction, availability of materials and helping workers etc. All these factors can prevent you from being able to calculate the complete cost estimate, before you start the whole building process.
The major thing you will have to plan, once you decide to work on a new house, is a detailed budget. In this document, you should calculate all things needed, with potential discounts you can count on. Home supplies can be found much cheaper, if you ask in advance and the dealer helps you get them on a lower price level. In this calculation, you need to include all major costs, everything you have planned, and also some unexpected costs which, unfortunately, always occur. We suggest you make a table in an excel sheet, and keep track of all costs and payments easily by using that simple document.
Home Building Budget
Since we have mentioned the budget, as an important part of good planning, let's see how much it can cost, to plan, design and eventually build your own home. Here are the factors you must include into your cost estimate: size, shape, labour, materials, preparation of construction site, cost overruns, market conditions and cost of permits and legal procedures.
The size of the home you are planning to build needs to be rounded either up or down in approximate increments of 2 feet. Another thing you need to plan - is your house going to be round or with many corners (that actually dictates the number of people and the level of hard labour they will need to deliver). This issue, the shape, also dictates the choice of materials. Third thing - construction site; you need to make a plan of the working area and secure space for material, workers, their portable facilities etc. Then again, preparing the area also means clearing it of trees, garbage, large rocks etc. because it needs to be 100% flat and empty, before the building starts. As for the cost overruns, try to keep them below 10%, and pay attention to the situation on the market, because inflation can hurt your plans and wallet.
Another thing you must plan and put on a paper - size of your future home; and the style and the design requirements. How do you plan this? Well, start from the simple question - how my dream home should look like? Or, in a more realistic manner - which kind of home do I need at this point in my life? When put on a paper, this part of the planning process should answer how many rooms you need, how many toilettes, windows etc. The type also dictates costs - are you going for a traditional home, or a modern one with expensive building materials etc. You will also have to decide how many square feet do you need, how big should all rooms and bathrooms be, will the garage be included and how big will the porch be?
There are more things to be considered when making a plan for a house building adventure. You are obligated to think of these few things in advance: how close are the main necessary facilities - stores, schools, parks, your work, etc. Also, you must choose an area for your building venture, without any obstacles for building. Zoning laws, building rules and regulations, drainage etc. - everything must be sorted out and available for negotiating and working on. Before you decide where to build, you must plan how to apply for all needed licences, and one you are sure you will get them, you can start your planning- for real.
Choosing a House Plan
Next step for a planner like you: picking out a house plan. This is where you must hire or at least ask for advice; an architect or an interior designer. They are very helpful when it comes to making specific home plans, and can point out to some good and bad sides of plans you have in mind, and guide you through the process of designing a house. Architects often work closely connected to their constructors and even suppliers, so they can suggest how to save money on materials, how to use best discounts and where to buy materials for building.
Generally speaking, there is no difference between these few bullet points, once you start planning how to build your own house. Each segment is equally important and therefore cannot be skipped or postponed. Every step must be thought trough, and thoroughly prepared in advance. Since home building is a very long and (unfortunately) sometimes complicated process, you need to have a good plan to assure everything flows smoothly. Even then, with an excellent plan, things can take unexpected turns, and then you may even need a Plan B solution.
These are the few rules and bullet points you need to keep in mind when you begin the planning of your home making process. Try to be pragmatic, precise and punctual and the result will be excellent. If you need some help or just an advice, always contact a professional, just to be on the safe side. Good luck