Staying on Schedule and Within Budget - Building Your New House

Building your dream home can be a wonderful and fulfilling process. However, you should always be mindful of a few simple guidelines that can help you keep your construction budget within range.

Wants vs Needs - Before choosing a home builder, be sure to determine which features are "must-haves" and which are "nice to haves" and find a floor plan that most closely matches those needs and wants. A benefit of using stock home plans is that they most can be modified to your liking. Change orders, which involve changing the floor plan during construction, can be time-consuming and costly.

Pick the Right Lot - Find land that is appropriate for your needs and particular home design. Tasks such as clearing rocks/trees and leveling land can quickly add to the cost of building your home, if you're not careful. Also, be sure to check into costs such as property taxes, building permits, home owners' association fees, etc. and include them in your monthly budget.

Choose a reputable builder - Choosing a home builder based solely on being the lowest price provider can cost you more money in the future. Key items to look for when selecting a contractor for your home includes finding one who is a member of the National Association of Home Builders / other like organizations, and also be sure to check references. Do not be hesitate to ask questions, drive past homes the builder has completed or is currently building, and/or asking past clients if they were happy with t

e results. Your new home will be one of the major purchases of your life, and the person responsible for building it should be up the job.

Building Materials - Be sure to ask your builder when the construction materials must be purchased, and if any unused materials can be returned for credit. Also, be sure to decide your preference for materials in the more viewable areas of the home, for example on cabinets, counter tops and flooring. In general, you should build as much house as you can afford and choose the higher-end materials where possible. In any case, you can upgrade your material finishes at a later time as the need necessitates.

Build It Yourself - While not recommended for all persons, hiring yourself to manage the new home construction can save you 15% or more of the estimated labor costs. However, if you do not have a background in home construction, new home finance, and/or managing multiple sub-contractors, and dealing with various materials' issues can turn into a time-consuming job. When you hire a builder, it is his job to stay on time and within budget. Carefully consider the potential savings versus the time and stress involved.

By keeping these above tips in mind, you can build the home of your dream and stay within budget. You can do it! Go for it!

Best wishes in the building of your new home!

Jill Phillips is a home design enthusiast and operates one of the leading stock houseplans websites on the Internet located at Home Design Central.com. On the site, you can quickly search through thousands of unique house plans from the nation's leading building designers and architects.

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