Before you build put together a budget.
Calculate the cost may sound basic but many think they have done this only to get a rude awakening. Make sure every cost is factored into your budget – including the ‘actual prices’ of the particular building materials, right down to the paint you are going to use on your walls, the cost of tradesmen, the cost of connecting the phone and electricity – every detail possible. Very often building a home includes unexpected costs – so if you can take as much as the surprise out of it as possible you will save yourself a lot of stress.
Talking to those who have built their own home can be helpful. What unexpected costs did they encounter? If they built again what things would they change? What are they glad they included? Was their things in their budget that had hidden costs? What advice did they benefit from? People who have built their own homes have a wealth of knowledge, and they often love sharing their story.
When it comes time to build your house
Building a house involves tradesmen or other professionals. A key to getting the end product you want is to be an expert at communicating. Be prepared to have repeated conversations to tradesmen and be clear about your expectations. It is always a good idea to summarise any conversations, re-stating the main points of the discussion and your expectations. It is also recommended to write down what is discussed. So it can be referred to later and even be used as a checklist. It is also common sense to read any written documents or contracts thoroughly before you sign anything. Make sure you fully understand what the contract entitles you too and what it does not.
If you are DIY then make sure you research your products well. Builders often buy their products from discount/ bulk sellers and can get the product for a much cheaper price. Companies would have you believe that if you cannot buy in bulk you are not entitled to discount rates. This is simply not true. So look on the net and ask around for suppliers of building products who sell direct and are willing to give you a decent price.
Adjusted expectations
A ancient proverb states that “postponed expectation makes the heart sick”, in other words when you do not get what you expect it makes you feel pretty blue. So what can you do? Firstly make sure you have reasonable expectations. Every building is going to have something not perfect about it – no matter how much money you poured into it- there would still be something that was less than ideal. Be willing to adjust your ideals. Some think that because they are building their own home they can finally get the house they have always wanted. In reality though your ideals may not fit into the piece of land you bought, the practical design of a sturdy house, the available products, the available labour, or even your budget. So in other words expect a measure of some disappointments and you will probably end up pretty satisfied!
Tags: building a home, building a house, building materials, common sense, conversations, electricity, rude awakening, tradesmen, unexpected costs, wealth of knowledge