Designing Your Dream Home: Tips for Building a House

Are you looking to build your own house? You may wonder what is involved when it comes to having a home built. Here’s everything you need to know to get you started on your new home.

Get an Idea of What You Want

The first step when having your home built is to determine what you’re looking for. Do some research to get an idea of what type of house you can afford. How small or large do you want your home? Where do you want to build?

There are many ways of building a home. You can work with an architect to design the house just how you like. However, this option can cost you quite a bit. Alternatively, you could save some money and work with a housing developer to choose from a selection of pre-designed floorplans. You will still see some level of customizability as there will often be options for upgrades. For an even more affordable option, you could buy a prefabricated home. With these types of homes, construction time is a lot quicker since the home is manufactured somewhere else before being assembled at your location. All of these options produce beautiful, new homes, so it’s up to you to determine how much customizability you want and what you can afford.

Come Up with a Budget and Look into Financing

Once you’ve determined what you’re looking for, it’s time to create a budget. This will involve research and estimates. Be sure to get into contact with professionals to get estimates on your project and then create a realistic budget that will leave your prepared and ready to go.

With a budget in mind, and it’s time to secure some financing. You will want to look into construction loans if you don’t have the cash for the entire project. There are loan options that include buying the land or just the cost of construction.

Buy the Land

You’re going to need a plot of land to build your house on, so determine where you want to live and purchase the land. You’ll want to ask yourself a lot of questions. First, what city or town do you want to live in? Assess the crime rates, school districts, and culture. Another aspect to consider is the neighborhood and whether the nearby homes have similar values to your projected home value. Be sure that the land you’re purchasing will work for the plan you have in mind. Will it suit the size of the house you’re trying to build? Is there enough outdoor space to meet your preferences?

Hire Home Building Professionals and Plan

Now is the time to hire those who will be involved in building your dream home. You may need to hire an architect to design the home, a contractor to coordinate the project, an interior designer to help with the design choices that need to be made once the structural elements are built, and the home builder themselves. Be sure to check each professionals’ credentials, reviews, and licenses. Ask family and friends for references or recommendations.

Paperwork and Insurance

Building a home requires lots of permits. You’ll need to get the paperwork taken care of in order to build your home. A general contractor can take of the paperwork and inspections. And don’t forget to purchase some insurance. This will help protect you if anything doesn’t go as planned.

Construction

Now it’s time for construction! Depending on the project and how you’re going about the home build, construction could take up to several months or longer. Building a home takes time so make sure you have living arrangements.

Inspection

Once construction is complete, you will need to have an inspection done in order to be sure that the construction was done as planned and everything is safe and up to code.

Landscaping

Now that the house is built, you can take some time to work on landscaping. You may want to seed the lawn, plant greenery and flowers, and set up any other aspects of your dream landscaping or hardscaping. Be sure to keep curb appeal in mind.

Making Your Dream Home a Reality

When it comes to acquiring your dream home, there are many ways to go about it. You can search the market for an existing home, you can design and custom build a home, or you can renovate an existing home to your liking. There are plenty of factors to consider when it comes to customizability, affordability, and financing with any of these choices. Our Loan Originators are available to answer all of your questions and guide you to the home loan that best suits your individual needs. Contact us today to learn more about buying, building, or renovating your dream.