Things to know when building a new house

Building a house is a very important milestone in anyone’s life. Finally, you will be able to say “Goodbye” to all the annoying landlords, loud neighbors, and high rents, and smoothly sail into the calm waters of your family life, right? Well, kind of. How much those lifesaving waters will actually be safe will largely depend of how much attention you have put into the planning process. Let us look then at some of the characteristics, and hidden costs of new houses you should know about in order to make this new beginning a pleasant one.

A “Lot” of Opportunities

In order to start building a house, you will, of course first need a lot, and, indeed, aside from the very house, the lot will pose the second greatest budget burden. The fact that prices of similar sites tend to vary in tens of thousands of dollars, does not make this issue less complicated, either. Mitigate this problem by buying the lot together with anyone you will not mind as a neighbor. Also, you can opt for some of the cheaper “problem lots” (hillside, narrow, etc.) whose disadvantages can be easily amended with capable contractors.

License to Build

There is nothing strange about the fact that you will need some permission in order to build a new house. What may surprise you, though, are their number, cost, and sheer variety. So, before you put a single shovel into the ground, be prepared to ask (and pay) permissions to build anything from septic system, and electrical installations, to exterior structures, and home construction. Make room for them in your building budget in advance, so you are not sorry later.

Driveway? What Driveway?

Some companies will do very nice job building your house, but they will not bother providing you with flooring, or proper driveway finishes. Hence the lower price. Although these problems are easily solvable with floorboards, and a lot of gravel, you should be aware of them, so you can asses the contractor more realistically, and potentially opt for the more expensive one who will save you from DIY home-building troubles.

Speaking of Contractors…

Always choose seasoned and well-qualified professionals with years of experience.  Although reputation does not come for free, the difference in price will be paid off through established relationships with subcontractors, and suppliers, both of which will amount to better house, built from better material.

The Dangers of Poor Planning

Finally, there is you. Some of the ill-conceived decisions you can make in the planning process may haunt you for quite some time, so do your best to avoid these common mistakes:

• The lack of light. Make sure that your house has sufficient windows, and uses natural light whenever possible. It will have a great effect not only on your bills, but your health as well.

• Not thinking in advance. Try thinking through where the life will lead you several years, or even decades from now, in order to avoid being forced to buy new house once your family expands or you get a new job.
• Unused space. Man cave, huge dressing room, or a home gym are all great, but only if you make them possible. Otherwise, all that unused space will just become a giant waste of money, meant for collecting the clutter.