EuroAngel Graffiti

For some people, building their very own property is a life-long dream. After all, why would you buy someone else’s home when you can design one with your personal stamp on it. It’s a great way to tailor your new home to meet your exact needs. You can be creative with space and design, and also, be as hands-on with the project as you like. Not that into DIY? Fair enough, you can always hire a contractor to do all the hard work for you. But if you do enjoy building and large projects, then building your very own home could be a fantastic challenge.

Source

If the project is efficiently planned out and done correctly, then a self-build home can work out cheaper than buying one.  For it to be cost effective, though, a lot of careful planning and organization needs to go into it. This will prevent you from forgetting anything or miscalculating costs. And there are a lot of small details that many people forget, causing them to go over budget. Want a handy guide to what you need to remember during the project? Read on!

Order Extra Materials

You’ll have spent a long time considering the measurements and dimensions of each room and the property as a whole. No doubt you’ll have an architect working with you to ensure the blueprints are safe and practical. Once you are all clued up on the measurements, you’ll buy all your building materials. But don’t just buy enough. Go one step further and buy slightly more materials that you require. This goes for everything, from timber and bricks to roof tiles and paint. This then leaves room for error. As the construction team starts building, you might find that your plans need to change ever so slightly. If you need to change the size of your home, even by just a few centimetres, you will still have enough materials to continue. And your project won’t have to be put on hold while you order some more and wait for them to be delivered! It also means you will have spare materials in case something goes wrong, and you need to start over with one part of the build.

Source

Power Outlets

Carefully think about where all the power outlets and light switches will go in the finished rooms. It’s a good idea to plan the locations in the blueprints and then have a quick walk around the building before the electrician puts them in. That way, you can see how much natural light a room gets and if your planned number of lights is really necessary. You’ll also see if your planned locations for power outlets are practical. Try and think of unusual places you might not initially think of putting an outlet. Eventually, you could regret not doing so. Places like in the garage if you have a second refrigerator. Outdoor outlets are also useful if you plan on using your garden a lot through the summer. There are more ideas of where to place your power outlets on many websites, including http://remodelista.com/posts/remodeling-101-where-to-place-electrical-outlets-in-the-living-room/

Water and Central Heating Placement

You will also need to carefully consider where your central and water heating systems will go in your home. If you are using a combination system, then you have an easier decision to make as you just need to place one. Most systems need quite a bit of space, so a lot of people fix them up in their attics or garages. If you have neither, then you could put it in your kitchen and build up some fake cupboard space around it. When you are thinking about your heating and water supplies, try and consider eco-friendly options. These could be a little bit more expensive to install than regular systems. However, in the long run, they will certainly bring your utility bills right down. Another point to take into consideration when planning these systems is how well they will work once installed. There isn’t much point installing a fancy system that your local handymen won’t be able to fix or maintain. Check out the kind or furnaces and other systems that local tradesmen know about at the following kinds of websites: http://academyair.com/services/residential/emergency/furnace-repair/

Source

Plan Rooms Carefully

It’s totally fine to get excited about your new games room or swanky home gym. But are you sure you will still be using them once the novelty has worn off? It is very easy to get carried away during the planning stages and you might think adding a cool, quirky room is a great idea. However, it usually isn’t. These types of rooms can quickly become unused and pointless. So think long and hard about whether it genuinely is worth adding one. If you are a personal trainer, then it makes sense to have your very own home gym. If you’re not a gym bunny, you might give up your fitness regime after a couple of months. If you do go ahead with a special room, make sure you correctly measure up. If you want a game room, make sure it is big enough for a pool table and any other grown-up toys that you want in there.

Doors

Usually, doors will only swing open in one direction. So this needs to be planned into the blueprint as well. If a builder has drawn up the plans, either get an architect to check them over or have  a look yourself if you know what to look out for. This is useful because sometimes builders do not place doors the way that would be most logical. If a door swings open the wrong way, it can certainly affect the overall feel of the house. It could even prevent you from accessing certain areas of the property easily. This is especially the case if you have two doors that are next to each other on perpendicular walls. To make things easier, try and find doors that can swing both ways.

Source

The Laundry Room

Placing your laundry room is key. It is a largely personal decision, though, as many people have different opinions on where this room should be in a house. Some prefer it nearer to the bedrooms, so they don’t have to drag dirty clothes and linen through their home. Others prefer it out of the way, such as down in the basement. Wherever you think you need it, you should plan it into the blueprint. Don’t just build the house and put your washing machine and tumble dryer in a spare room. You will then probably waste money on getting a water pipe fitted into the room. If you know where it is going from the beginning, you can make sure the room has the correct plumbing from the start.

The Master Bedroom

It is also important to decide which rooms will be the bedrooms in the very early stages of planning. If you wait until you move into the new property, you might realise you’ve made some mistakes on the planning front. Try and keep the bedrooms away from any roads or external noise. As for the master bedroom, don’t place it over the garage. This could easily cause a disturbance if other family members are coming and going throughout the night or early in the morning. It is also a good idea not to put above the main living area. Especially if noise travels up through the floorboards easily. Think about whether you want the master bedroom to have an en suite. Planning it into the blueprint and building it with the house will be a lot more cost effective than having one put in at a later date.

Source

Make Your Own Decisions

At the end of the day, this whole project will benefit you and your family. You will be the ones living in it. Even though you will need to hire professionals to help with the design and construction, the final decisions should be left up to you. Don’t let anyone else make any important choices for you. Otherwise, you could end up unhappy with the final results. It’s always good to consult with the professionals but, at the end of the day, you need to take charge of your project!

If you follow this handy guide, you will find that you can keep your building costs relatively low. One thing is very important, though. Remember to plan everything fully before you begin. This is key to ensuring a smooth build without running into any unforeseen problems. You can chat with various professionals along the way if you are ever confused about anything.
Not only will you find building your very own home an extremely fulfilling project, but you will also pick up new skills along the way. And you and your family will come away with the perfect house that you’ve always dreamed of! So don’t be nervous about a self-build. You’ll find it much easier than you ever expected!

Both comments and pings are currently closed.