It's almost the time of year when we in the upper mid west become afflicted with "cabin fever". The holidays are over. Football is almost over. Winter is nowhere's near over. This is the time of year when people start to think about spring and building a new home. Here are a few tips to make building a new home fun.
The first step is to take your time when picking a plan. This is usually the hardest yet the most enjoyable part of the building process. Spend some time thinking about how you use your existing space. You want to design your new home to fit your lifestyle. If you spend a significant amount of time in your kitchen, then focus on that area very carefully. If it's important to you to have a large master suite, then focus on that area,etc.
It can also be beneficial to visit open houses to get ideas and to talk to Realtors. A Realtor can be very helpful in providing you with names of reputable builders. They may also have listings of completed new construction that you may find attractive.
If you plan on building a large and/or unique home, you may have to have plans drawn. The draftman usually charges per sq. ft. to draw your plans.
Some builders are able to include the cost of the drafting plans in their quotes. If you are building a relatively simple home, try to find an existing plan that comes close to what you want and make the necessary changes to that plan. This will help save you money by reducing drafting charges which may allow you to add amenities to your new home. Most builders have books of their plans that you can borrow.
To keep the building process enjoyable, keep in mind that no house is perfect. Go into the process with the attitude that a house is a man made product and will probably have a few minor issues. To help avoid issues, try to visit your job site every day. No one knows your new house better than you and you can point out mistakes to your builder when they occur.
Take pictures or video of the building process at various stages. In the future, you will enjoy having a record of your new home as it progresses.
Communicate with your builder. When you discuss changes to the plan and chances are you will make changes, make sure the changes are documented. Just because the builder says he can change something doesn't mean he is willing to do it for free. Don't be afraid to ask the builder how much the changes will cost.
Once the cost of the changes is agreed upon, have the builder write up a change order and have it signed. If the builder says he will make the changes for no charge, have him put that in writing also. No one likes to be surprised with upcharges at closing.
Building is not for everyone. It can be very time consuming and a lot of decisions need to be made in a timely fashion. Those who choose to build and go into the process prepared, however, find it can be a very enjoyable experience.
Take care.
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