Building a home can be difficult. Millions of decisions, constant attention, and all-around hard work is put into every house you see today. It’s also one of the most satisfying jobs you’ll ever have in your lifetime, as many of the new construction homeowners in Beavercreek, Ohio say.
A home lasts for decades, or longer. Making sure that your home is what you want requires a lot of thought and carefully planned actions, making that first night in your home ever sweeter. It helps to remember a few pointers during the process, so here are some helpful tips to help you along the way.
1. Measure Twice, Cut Once
Preparation is key. There are so many things happening at once when you build a home, it’s important to remember to slow down every once in a while and make sure you haven’t lost your way, or strayed too far. Plan as much as you possibly can before starting, and make sure you’ve got a solid budget and timeframe to stay on task.
2. Find the Proper Builder
The builder you choose is someone you’ll be working with for months. Check out references, see their previous work, and ask questions. It’s absolutely imperative that you choose someone you can trust with your money, time, and home.
With that being said, let the professionals do their job. The builder you choose and the team that comes with have been on the job site for a long time, and know the work. That’s why you hired them, so let them do their job and trust their instincts, as well as your own.
3. The Perfect Location
Finding the correct location is a huge step. The view from your house, the neighborhood you’ll be spending time in, and how close you are to work, schools, and shopping. Not to mention zoning laws and what you’ll be legally allowed to do on your property. Find a location that works best for you, and for what you want to do with your land and home.
4. Consider HOA
HOA, or Homeowner’s Association, will dictate a lot about what you can do with your property. The majority of new neighborhoods have an HOA, and that can affect what color you paint your house, how you maintain your yard, and the general upkeep of your property.
While they can be very helpful in keeping neighborhoods orderly, they often come at steep prices and have specific rules. Be sure to thoroughly read all HOA documents to be sure you are comfortable with following their laws.
5. Lock in your Rates
When building a house, while it is best to try and stay on a timeline, it can be difficult to do so. A multitude of unforeseen things can happen, and that will delay closing. If closing is delayed, your interest rates could potentially go up. Talking to your realtor about locking in a rate is ideal, and be sure to have a plan for a delayed closing time. If you are prepared, and you have locked in your rates, you will know what to expect come closing day.
6. Stay On Budget
As said with the first tip, staying on task and on budget is so important. Before you even start with the process, make sure you and your builder have gone over the specifics of how much each stage of the building process should cost. Be realistic, and expect everything to cost more than you think in the planning stage.
What are your must-haves? As you go through the building process, you may potentially find yourself over budget even after all your planning. Be sure to know what you need to have, and what you can let go of. Trust your gut, and your builder, but remember that it is you who will be waking up in this house every morning, and not your realtor or the team. So know what you want, and what you can be happy without.
Another tip for budgeting, plan out your finishes before you start. What type of faucets you use to the tile in the master bathroom, if there’s a solid, specific budget for your finishing touches, then the budgeting will happen more smoothly.
7. Stay in Contact
Hopefully, a good builder and team have been chosen to help stay on task and on budget, but it’s always good to keep tabs. Open communication is necessary to know exactly where your money is going, and that you are satisfied with the house in all its stages. Let your professionals do their job, but being open to what they have to say and where they are in the process is important.
8. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Of course, after all the sweat, time, and money being put into this new home, everything should be perfect, right? However, things never go quite as you’d like them to. Just be sure that you are focusing your time and efforts on the important things, and really think about whether or not a small issue will affect your enjoyment of the place.
Don’t blow your budget just because something isn’t exactly the way you imagined it to be. Focus on the big issues, and let the small things work themselves out. As long as the house is safe, pleasant, and has those key things you wanted in a home, then trust your builders to do the rest and accept that every house has its quirks, and you’ll love your home as is.
9. Don’t Over Customize
Remember the big picture. Whether or not you plan on selling this home in the future, be aware that according to the numbers, odds are it will eventually go on the market. With that being said, do not make the house too difficult to sell in the future. Of course, it is your home and should be planned out the way you want it, but adding too many unusual aspects to the layout will cause issues in the future. Not only is it more expensive, but it would be hard or even impossible to change later on if your lifestyle or plans ever change.
Keep a simple idea in mind, and only add specifics if you’ve thought them out thoroughly and they are worth the money and potential issues in the future.
10. Have Fun
Building your own home can be a whirlwind of emotions, and no one says it will be easy. Just remember why you are doing it in the first place, and keep your eyes on the prize. While it can be daunting, the process is exhilarating. Have some fun with it, and enjoy all the decisions made and watching your dream house appear out of a pile of wood and materials. It’s an exciting prospect, and it’s important not to get weighed down by the minute details or the small parts not going your way. Best of luck!