Are you ready to become a homeowner?
First things first, congratulations. America is a country of homeowners, and homeownership is key to the American dream.
Now, there are two paths to homeownership: build from scratch or buy a readymade property.
Both options have their pros and cons. In this article, our focus is on building from scratch.
Keep reading to learn how to build your own house.
What Do You Need in a Home?
The time before building a house is usually full of excitement — and for good reason. At this stage, you’re looking at various designs, trying to find one that suits your architectural tastes.
However, amid the excitement, it’s easy to get confused. Almost every house plan you’ll land your eye on will look like your dream home, only until another better plan comes along.
This is why you need to have a firm grasp of what you need in a home before you start building. If you’re looking to build a luxury home, identify all the features you need.
It’s also important to keep your future in mind. If you don’t have a family right now but plan to in the future, be sure the home will accommodate your future living needs – or at least allow room for expansion.
Choose an Ideal Location
A number of factors go into choosing an ideal location to build a home.
First, you want to consider the cost. Cost varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, city to city, and state to state.
Second, evaluate the security of the area and access to utilities and social amenities. You want a location that’ll make it easy for you to connect the property to a power grid and piped water, for instance.
Another thing to consider is local zoning laws and other construction regulations. There are places you cannot build certain types of homes.
Get Your Finances in Order
Houses are big-ticket items. Regardless of its location, size, features, and quality of building materials, expect to spend heavily.
It’s for this reason you need to get your finances in order before initiating the project. Your desired house plan will come with cost estimates, but it’s important to add a couple of thousands, just in case there’s an emergency.
So, how do you fund the project?
If you’ve saved up money for the house, awesome! But if you don’t have enough cash at hand, you can get a home construction loan.
Hire an Experienced Builder
Unless you’re a builder, you’ll certainly hire a building contractor to oversee the project.
There are probably hundreds of builders in your region, so you have to focus on finding an experienced one.
You also need to consider whether the values of a potential builder match with yours. If you want an environmentally-friendly home, for example, find a builder who focuses on building sustainable homes, such as LIDA Homes Inc.
After finding your builder, be sure to enter into a contract that sets forth each party’s obligations.
Go Build Your Own House!
Opting to build a home from scratch instead of buying a built one is a big decision. However, it’s the best way to get a custom home and control your budget.
With this guide, you’ve all the information to ensure your quest to build your own house goes smoothly.
All the best, and once the house is ready, come back to our blog for interior design tips and inspiration!