Six Mistakes To Avoid When Building Your Home

When you finally decide to take the plunge and custom build your own house, you'll no doubt have made wish lists of wants and needs.  You'll have set a budget, secured financing, worked with a reputable realtor to find the perfect lot to build upon and you've discussed your plans with a talented team of architects, builders and project managers.  So what's left?

Six Mistakes To Avoid When Building Your Home

The two things that can kill a construction project are poor planning and a lack of budget clarity:  Be sure to set your budget by looking at your new home from every angle and factor in at least a 20% cushion for unforeseen circumstances.

While you probably won't need to spend big bucks on aggregate pier installation, your foundation will be one of the biggest expenses that you will incur, along with framing and the roofing system you choose.  A budget that isn’t right for your project can lead to some disastrous missteps.

In addition to poor planning and a lack of clear budget, here are six more mistakes you should avoid when building your home.

Don't Mess With:  HVAC

When it comes to your HVAC system, efficiency is key.  Make sure you work with your architect or home builder to ensure that you have the right system for your home.   You're looking for modern, energy-efficient technology that is sufficient enough to handle the size of your home and is installed by a vetted professional who understands and implements proper installation practices.  You should feel confident and comfortable enough with them to ask any questions and discuss any issues you may have.

Don't Mess With:  Planning

Your lifestyle is a huge consideration when it comes to building your new home.  Do you have children?  Are you planning to have more children?  If so, how many?  How long will you live in this house? Building a home based solely on your present situation can be a costly mistake.  Make sure you think about your future when planning your new home, including designing a layout that's best for all of your needs.

Don't Mess With:  Sunlight

I once knew an architect who had 44 windows in his home.  Fortyfreakinfour.  While 44 is no doubt excessive, you too should be striving for as much natural light in your home as possible. Skylights are a great way to flood your home with sunlight (we have four).  Make sure your landscape design doesn't include large trees and shrubs that may block sunlight from entering your home, especially as they mature.  Also, bear in mind that rooms that face north will see the least amount of sunlight overall.

​Don't Mess With:  Waste

In today's world, is having a formal living room truly necessary?  It seems that showcase of a "living" room is passe; a room that sits virtually empty save for some pricey knick knacks is a room that is likened to throwing cash in a garbage can.  Don't waste your money building rooms you won't use or save for that once a year, special occasion.  Build your home as you'll use your home.  

Don't Mess With:  Room Placement

Some homeowners don't mind having a bathroom that leads off from the kitchen. Others really don’t want to have to go through the kitchen, and prefer a 2-piece powder room off the hallway. As a new homeowner, think about how you would personally like the floor plan laid out. Laundry rooms on the main floor, for example, were de rigueur as far as traditional floor plans were concerned.  But a second floor laundry area is becoming far more popular these days.  As far as layout is concerned, it's closer to bedrooms (the hub of most dirty laundry) and makes a lot more sense!

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These mistakes are best avoided when it comes to building a new home from scratch. Don’t mess with these mistakes, and you may have a project that goes off without a hitch.

For more things to consider before building your own home, check out this infographic from Ashworths Solicitors, LLP: