In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the essential steps of planning and building a custom home from scratch.

Determine Your Budget

Before you even start dreaming about your perfect home, it’s crucial to establish a realistic budget. Building a custom home can be an expensive endeavor, and you’ll need to factor in costs like land acquisition, construction materials, labor, permits, and various fees. 

It’s a good idea to consult with a financial advisor or a lender to understand your financing options and ensure that your budget aligns with your financial capabilities.

Choose the Right Location

The location of your future home is a critical decision that will impact various aspects of your life, from your daily commute to the quality of schools and amenities in the area. 

Consider factors like proximity to work, access to public transportation, neighborhood safety, and the overall vibe of the community. Additionally, research zoning laws, building codes, and any restrictions that may affect your plans.

Hire the Right Team

Building a custom home requires the expertise of various professionals, including an architect, a general contractor, and potentially several subcontractors. 

Take your time to research and interview multiple candidates, checking their credentials, portfolios, and references. 

A good team will not only bring your vision to life but also help you navigate the complexities of the construction process.

Design Your Dream Home

This is the fun part! Work closely with your architect to design a home that meets your needs, reflects your personal style, and incorporates any special features or amenities you desire. 

Consider factors like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the layout of living spaces, and any specific requirements for home offices, media rooms, or outdoor living areas.

Choose Your Materials and Finishes

From flooring to countertops, cabinets to lighting fixtures, there are countless materials and finishes to choose from. Consider durability, maintenance, and energy efficiency, as well as your personal preferences for style and aesthetics. 

For those considering building custom homes West Virginia, the state’s beautiful natural landscapes and relaxed way of life provide an idyllic setting to bring your dream home to life.

Obtain Necessary Permits and Approvals

Building a custom home requires obtaining various permits and approvals from local authorities. These may include building permits, zoning approvals, and inspections at various stages of construction. Your general contractor should be familiar with the process and handle the paperwork, but it’s important to stay informed and ensure that all requirements are met.

Construction Phase

Once all the planning and preparations are complete, it’s time to break ground and begin construction. This phase can be both exciting and stressful, as you’ll see your dream home taking shape brick by brick. Regular communication with your general contractor is key to ensuring that the project stays on track and that any issues or changes are addressed promptly.

Landscaping and Finishing Touches

As the construction nears completion, it’s time to turn your attention to the exterior of your home. Work with a landscape designer to create an outdoor oasis that complements your home’s architecture and your personal style. Consider elements like patios, decks, gardens, and outdoor lighting.

Move-In and Enjoy

After months (or years) of planning and construction, the day has finally arrived – it’s time to move into your brand-new, custom-built home! Take the time to properly settle in, unpack, and appreciate the fruits of your labor. Don’t forget to throw a housewarming party and celebrate this exciting milestone with loved ones!

Wrapping Up

Building a custom home from scratch is a significant undertaking, but the rewards of having a space that’s tailored to your unique needs and preferences are immeasurable. By following these steps and working closely with a team of professionals, you can navigate the process with confidence and create a home that truly reflects your vision and lifestyle.

The post How to Plan and Build a Custom Home from Scratch appeared first on Houseyog.

If you are planning to build a new custom house, and you are looking for the best custom home design tips and ideas that’ll help you to plan and design a beautiful home in budget, then I can help you get it right. We have worked on several custom house design projects and we interact with hundreds of customers like you. We have helped them with their custom home designs and we can help you get it right as well.

What is custom home design?

A custom home is a unique house which is designed for a particular client according to their requirements, plot size, lifestyle and budget. A custom home design is different from a ready to move house because it offers plenty of control to the home owner. Designing a custom home gives you the opportunity to design the layout, number of rooms, floors, features etc as per your requirements and specifications.

The custom house plans and designs are created by a professional architect or a custom home builder as per the input, space requirements and budget of the client. Naturally, you don’t get such control when you buy a ready to move property that was designed by the builder or a previous home owner as per their needs and requirements.

Best custom home design tips worth knowing

The whole idea of designing a custom house is to design it as per your requirements, priorities and budget. But, designing and building a custom home is no easy task, because it’s a long term process that involves multiple stakeholders and contractors. You will get multiple ideas and inputs from different contractors. But, you should stay focused on your priorities and stay focused on features, amenities and areas that are important for you, and your family lifestyle.

Here’re a few of the best custom home design tips and hacks that’ll help you create beautiful custom home design plans for your new home.

Start with the basic

We have been designing custom house floor plans and elevation designs since over a decade now. I can tell you with authority that the best way to end up with a fully optimized and well designed house floor plan is to start with the basics.

This is your dream home. Hence, it must be designed as per your priorities, and space requirements. You don’t have to be an architect to draw a simple house floor plan with all the amenities and features that’s important for you and your family.

Moreover, you are not supposed to create a final house floor plan on your own, but the idea is to bring your vision on paper. Draw the layout of the plot and visualize how you want to use the space and just create multiple floor plan ideas. Try and accommodate all your requirements on the paper and see if you liked the division of space and overall floor plan idea.

Brainstorming with multiple floor plan layouts will not just bring clarity, but it’ll also help your architect understand your priorities and vision for your dream home.

It’s absolutely important to hire an architect to finally draft the building plans, elevation and structural drawings. Architects do not charge a huge service fees, especially for smaller homes and buildings. But, a little bit of home work prior to meeting and consulting an architect will make things easier for both of you.

Think long term

The main idea behind designing a custom house plan is to ensure that your dream home has all the features and amenities you need today and might need in future. So, when planning your custom home design, don’t just think about the current space requirements, but think of the future requirements as well.

For instance, if you have aging parents who may stay with you in a few years from now, then you should create a room for them. If you have kids or plan to have kids, then they require a separate bedroom room. Similarly, if you have frequent visitors, then you should think of a guest room. You may have a car or may like to buy one in the future, so your custom house design must have a provision for a car parking space. Similarly, you may need a flexible space that can be used to setup a home office or can be used as a library or as a store room.

All I am trying to say is your custom home design should include your future space requirements. It does not cost much to keep provision for amenities and features you may require in a few years from now. However, if you don’t look at your future space requirements and amenities while drawing your custom home plan, it may be difficult to accommodate those requirements at a later stage.

Even though you plan to build one floor currently, there is no reason why you would not design a ground plus one or two floor building. Planning has to be with end in mind, especially when you can build the second or third floor when needed in the future.

So when designing a custom home, you should always think long term.

Choose facing wisely

Since you are exploring custom house plan design ideas, you most likely own a plot to build your house. If you don’t already have a plot, then it’s the right time to search a suitable plot as per the house size you are planning to build.

However as every plot has some unique features and properties such as open space, park, main road, pond, greeneries etc, you should consider these features when you are designing the house floor plan. For instance, if there is an open space in the north, then it would be wise for you to keep the bedroom on the north side to enjoy the open space. Similarly, you may like to expose the living room towards the north side to get extra light and ventilation in the entire living area and hall.

While choosing the right position for doors and windows in your custom house plan design, you should consider already available features of the plot. Ideally, the doors, windows, balconies, open terrace etc should be placed in the direction that offers natural light and ventilation.

Check out functionality

Now that you have finalized the key features and amenities you want in your custom house design, the next step is to figure out the layout of the floor. However, while choosing the placement of different spaces like bedroom, kitchen, temple, study room etc you should always consider the lifestyle of your family.

For example, to avoid noise and to get more privacy, you may like to place bedrooms away from the living and drawing hall. Similarly, if you have a big family and like to gather in your drawing room, then your living and drawing space should be a little bigger.

The idea is to make the floor plan much more efficient and functional.

However, there is no one fit all rule, so choose a layout that works well for you.

Consider your priorities

The whole idea of a custom house design is to ensure you get all the features and amenities you want in your home. But, if you try to incorporate too many features and amenities, then the cost of construction can easily go up by a good percentage.

So, ideally you should list out all the features and amenities you want in your custom house design, then sort it out as per your priorities and of course the budget. For instance, it would be nice to use Italian marble on the floors, but it’ll also cost nearly double than a good quality floor tile.

Similarly, if you always wanted to have an open terrace, then you should go for it. However, if you are building the house on a small plot, and you need one extra room, then it becomes crucial to take the call. What’s more important, an open terrace space or an extra study room?

I hope you get the idea?

Check construction budget

Now you have a house floor plan design for your new custom house, it’s time to look at the financials. The simple rate of construction comes at around Rs. 1300 -1700 per square feet. But that’s not enough, especially when you are building a duplex or a triplex house.

However, you can calculate very accurate construction estimate with a bill of quantity. As you already have detailed measurements and the total build up area, you can easily calculate the approx construction cost.

The building contractor or the architect can provide the bill of quantity for your new custom home construction project. Once you have the bill of quantities, you can easily make the overall construction budget and start constructing.

And if you calculate the BOQ correctly and stick to it, it can even help reduce home construction cost to a good extent.

Stay in budget

There is always a possibility of exceeding the budget during the construction. However, you should try and stick with the budget you have already made. Crossing the budget by 5-10% is okay and natural because a custom home is built once in a lifetime. However, you should not get tempted and get carried away while sourcing materials and fittings for your new home construction. You should rather stick to the custom house design and plans. Or else, you may end up spending a lot more than you had thought of initially.

Conclusion

Building a new custom house can be overwhelming for anyone. There is so much to plan, so many things to look at, and so many decisions to be made. It really requires proper planning and knowledge. I have already shared a few of the custom house design tips that’ll help you big time. Here are the custom house design tips and ideas we have discussed today:

• You should start with the basic planning
• Always think long term space requirements
• Choose the facing for the house wisely
• Give priorities to the functionality
• Always be mindful of your priorities
• Make  detailed construction budget
• Try and stay in budget

If you stay focused and follow the above custom house design tips and ideas then you should not have any issues in designing and building a beautiful house in your budget.

What else do you think one should keep in mind while designing and building a custom house?

The post Custom Home Design Tips to Build a Beautiful House in Budget appeared first on Houseyog.

Moreover, it also requires plenty of money to build a house today in 2021 and therefore, everything has to be planned minutely before starting the construction of a new house. In fact, you should make a construction checklist to track everything and to ensure you are not missing out on anything important while building a house.

There have been phenomenal changes in the way people build their homes today e.g. home construction process, tools and equipment they use and also the building materials. Today, people are talking about sustainable living, smart homes and whatnot. 

Therefore it has become even more important for someone planning to construct a home to plan everything minutely and consider all the vital factors and aspects of building a house.

If you are building a house or planning to build your dream home in the near future and you are wondering about what to know and consider when building a house, then continue reading.

I have been associated with some of the best builders for over a decade now, and I know the industry and the process of constructing a house inside out. So, today, in this post I am sharing a list of the most crucial things you should consider when building a house of your own.

So, are you ready? Let’s talk about the first thing first.

What things should be considered before building a house?

There are many vital things that have to be considered when building a house on a plot of land e.g. the location of the land, legal formalities, size of the house, actual built-up area, open space etc.

Here’s the list of the most important things you should consider before building a house in India.

Location of the plot

Among all the other things that you should keep in mind, the location of the land is probably the most important thing worth considering. While all of us want to live in a developed residential locality, sometimes you may not get the appropriate size plot in an already developed area. Moreover, the cost of land will be super high in such residential areas, and unless you have a decent budget, you may have to look out for a plot in other localities, and that’s absolutely fine.

However, you should just see to it that the area in general and your plot of land in particular is not in a restricted zone. Double-check and ensure that you’ll get the required permission for constructing a new house before booking the plot or proceeding further with your home construction plan.

Legalities

Different cities may have different zones and building regulation laws. For instance, in major cities like Kolkata, there are different zones that are planned and developed by local building authorities. But the same is not the case in smaller towns.

So, based on where you plan to build your home, check with the local building authority, and Municipal Corporation or Gram Panchayat office about the legalities of constructing a house.

For instance, if you have farmland where you plan to build your home, you can easily do so in smaller towns, but you can’t build a house in major cities without converting the use of land. So if you are planning to build a house on a farmland, you may have to follow certain legality and documentation to get the permission for construction of a house.

Build area

The build area is not going to be the same as the land area. So for instance, if you have a rectangular plot of 50×40 sq ft i.e. 2000 sq ft, then you can’t really use the entire space for building the structure, especially in major cities / municipal areas.

Different cities may have different regulations and building codes, which may restrict you from using the entire space. Depending on your city, you may have to leave anywhere between 15-30% (or more) of the space as open space. And, you can only carry out the main construction in the rest of the area.

So if you are asked to leave 25% of the plot, then you are left with only 1600 sq ft to carry out the construction of your home.

The best way to know how much open space has to be left at your plot is to check with the local regulators and building authorities. Only when you know how much space you have got to carry out the construction work, you’ll be able to take a call on the build-up area you can use for construction purposes.

House size

It’s very important for you to think through and decide the size of the house you want to build. Depending on the size of the family, and the build-up area you can use on your plot, you can take a call on the size of the house and the number of floors you want in your house.

However, when deciding on the size of the house you want to construct, you should think long-term and decide accordingly. Because we build a house only once or twice in our lifetime and therefore, it is important to think about:

• The immediate space requirement
• Space you may require in the next 5-10 years
• Size of the land and built-up area
• Home construction cost
• Maintenance cost etc.

Open space

While building a house, we often think about the building and how to best use the built-up area. However, you should pay equal attention to the open space and use the space wisely and creatively for different purposes.

If you have plenty of open space available then you should ask your architect to develop that space strategically. Similarly, if there is little open space left then also they can put it to best use.

Some of the best and the most creative ways to use open space could be to:

• Design a landscaped garden
• Use the space as a sit-out area with or without shade
• Setup a home garden
• Create a barbecue zone
• Plan for a small swimming pool
• Build a deck

There are many ways to utilize the space, and you just have to think through and make the best use of free space.

What should you not miss out when building a house?

Building a house is a long and complicated process and it involves multiple stakeholders from architects to interior designers, construction contractors to building material suppliers etc. And you can’t really afford to miss on anything which is crucial.

It usually involves:

• Working with architects to get the house plan right
• Working with local bodies to get necessary permission and sanction
• Construction contractors to get bill of quantity
•  Sourcing of building materials from suppliers
• Working with interior designers to decorate your home

Then you have to finally furnish the newly constructed homes before moving in with your family.

Here’s the complete list of the most essential things that you should not miss out on when building a house on your own land.

Detailed house plan

If you want to build a beautiful home then you can’t really miss out on designing a perfect house plan. House plans are usually created by professional architects and engineers. A properly drawn house plan can help visualize the division and usage of the entire plot space, including the open space.

Getting a detailed house plan before starting the construction of the house is very important. I have seen people build houses without a proper house plan. And then regret later as they end up wasting space and creating inefficient traffic movement on the floor. As a result, they end up demolishing and reconstructing a part of the building. Building without a proper plan may result in wastage of space and increase in overall construction costs.

However, you can avoid all these hassles by getting a properly designed house plan designed by a professional team of architects. And it’s highly recommended to not miss out on getting a customized house plan according to your space requirements, lifestyle, plot layout and construction budget.

Efficient floor planning

I have seen people build homes without getting a house floor plan drawing from architects, especially in villages. Sometimes, the building contractors help draw a simple house floor plan and at other times they do it themselves.

However, that’s not the right way to do it.

Floor planning is a crucial step where you divide the buildup areas into various rooms, passage, balcony, open terrace etc. Moreover, it is easier to tweak the size of a room or any other area at the planning stage. Because you are working on a paper or a computer file and it does not cost anything to edit.

However, it’ll be really difficult, expensive and impossible at times to adjust the size of a room once the construction is already in progress.

Imagine a situation when during the construction you realize that the bedroom is actually small. Or the kitchen could have been a little wider, can you really do anything about it now? Maybe yes. But that means demolishing some walls and then redoing it and that is going to cost you time and money.

Moreover, you are already spending a lot of money in constructing a house. So, there is no reason you would not engage a professional architect to create a space optimized and efficient floor plan for your new home.

Building elevation design

If you want a beautifully elevated house within your budget, then you can’t really miss out on not designing the building elevation. Building elevation design helps you visualize how the structure of the building will look from the outside.

However, the building elevation designs are not done just to visualize the design of the house from the front and other sides. But, it helps you prepare the bill of quantity, and the most accurate estimate to construct the building.

Moreover, without visualizing the structure and finishes of the exterior walls of your upcoming house, you may not estimate the cost of construction correctly and that may result in increased construction cost. So don’t miss out on building elevation design when building a house on your own land.

Budgeting the construction cost

Estimating the cost of construction is yet another crucial thing that you can’t afford to miss out on when building a new house.

After all, it’s not about a few thousand bucks, because home construction costs could easily run in hundreds of thousands of rupees.

Moreover, if you don’t do detailed estimation of construction cost, you may end up shooting the total home construction cost. And in the worst case, you may have to pause or halt the construction work due to lack of funds. I am sure you don’t want to get into such a situation while building a house.

Calculating the construction cost accurately is so very important before starting the construction of a new house, so don’t miss out on this.

While estimating the cost of constructing your new house, you should always keep a buffer amount to deal with the sudden price rise of the construction material or some unplanned expenses that may come during the construction.

Home construction loan

If you have a detailed home construction estimate and bill of quantities (BOQ) and if it runs beyond you might have thought of, then you can avail home construction loan. Home construction loan as the name suggests is offered by Indian banks to an Indian citizen who has a free hold plot and who wants to construct a home on their land.

As the rate of interest on home construction loan is way less than personal loan or a loan against fixed deposit, it’s always better to apply for a house construction loan than taking any other loan for building a house.

We have already published a detailed post on home construction loans that talks about the process of documentation, eligibility and everything else you need to know to apply and avail such loan, that you may like to check out.

Home building contractor

Unless you plan to build your house on your own, you have to work with a reliable and credible building contractor to build your own house on a plot of land. And if that’s the case, you can’t really miss out on finding a reliable custom building contractor who can help you in constructing your home as per your house plan and budget.

Ideally, it’s better to work with one building contractor to build a new house instead of dealing with different individual contractors for different tasks like flooring, roofing, water proofing, plumber, electrician etc.

Moreover, when you have one key contractor working on your home construction project, then there is more transparency and accountability and that matters a lot in the long run. However, if there will be different independent contractors working on your construction project, they start playing blame game for any error or mistake they might commit inevitably.

So think through and take a call on if you want to give a full construction contract to one reliable construction company, or you want to work with several independent entities or individuals. And whatever you decide, make sure to check their credibility, prices and quality of work before signing the contract.

What costs the most when building a house?

Cost of constructing a house primarily depends on the size and elevation of the house. However, there are certain elements like foundation, roofing, flooring etc that costs more than other jobs.

Here are the top five cost heads that you should think about when estimating the costs of constructing a house.

Foundation

You already know that the foundation has to be really strong to ensure the longevity of the house.

Roofing

The next major expense goes towards the roofing, especially the concrete roof.

Flooring

Flooring again is a costly affair, but thankfully there are many options when it comes to flooring from simple mosaic flooring to floor tiles, Italian tiles and marbles, there are plenty of options.

Fittings

Majority of expenses will go towards the fittings e.g. bathroom and kitchen fittings.

Doors and windows

Doors and windows when done right can cost you some good money.

What to know about building a house with a builder?

If you are building a new house, you are most likely going to hire a home builder contractor available near you. However, because of the no entry barrier to the construction industry anyone can become a construction contractor.

But can you really trust just anyone coming your way to build your home?

You can’t and you should not. Here’re a few things you should know about building a house with a builder.

Credibility

Before hiring a building contractor, you have to ensure that the builder is credible and trustworthy. Anyone can become a construction contractor because all it takes is a little experience and some contacts. But, that does not mean you will award your home construction contract to anyone coming your way.

So, check everything from license to industry certification, team strength to the building they have built in the past. And only when you are fully satisfied with their credential, you should award your home construction contract to the builder.

Experience

Ideally, you should work with a builder with relevant work experience i.e. builders who have experience building the kind of house you are planning to build. If you’re planning to build a small house, then you should work with a builder that specializes in building small homes.

Materials

This is the most vital thing that should be considered when working with a home builder. The grade and quality of materials the builder is planning to use is directly related with the strength and longevity of the building. And therefore, you should ask for a detailed bill of quantities to get the most accurate idea of what types and grades of materials the builder is proposing to use and at what price.

If you just keep these things in mind before hiring a home builder, you should be fine.

Conclusion

Building a new house from ground up requires adequate planning and preparation. From coordinating with different stakeholders like architects and construction contractors to getting permission and sourcing materials, it takes a lot to build a beautiful home.

The journey to building a new home can easily become easy when you know of the things that are crucially important and you can’t do without it. We have already talked about what are the essential things to know and what you can’t miss out on when building and constructing a new house.

Hope that’ll help you plan and prepare yourself for building your own house.

What else do you think one should consider and absolutely not ignore when constructing a new house in 2021?

Bring up your tips and ideas by commenting below.

Happy home construction!

The post Things to Consider When Building a House in 2021 appeared first on Houseyog.

Builders and developers in major Indian cities are building different types of residential complexes with different facilities and amenities. And therefore, one can easily find and buy a suitable house to move in. However, if you are unable to find the perfect house as per your space requirements and preference, then building your own custom house is the most viable option.

Besides, you may not always find a house that suits your space requirements and budget. And therefore, building your own house may be the way forward for you. So, if you are considering building your own house on your own land, and wondering about:

• Building your own your own house
• Selecting and buying a land
• Making a perfect house floor plan
• Finding construction contractor
• Making construction budget

Then continue reading this post. Today in this post, I am sharing a simple guide to building your own house on your own plot from ground up.

9 Easy steps to building a house on your own land

Building a dream home on your own land can be an exhausting and an overwhelming process. Because it involves a number of steps from selecting a plot of land to getting the house floor plan drawn, hiring an architect to finding a construction contractor to build your custom home; it requires plenty of planning, coordination and of course patience.

But, the joy of building your own house on your own land and the way you always wanted to build can’t be matched. Of course, its time taking and tiring process, but the joy of living in a custom built house as per your space requirements, preferences and style can be phenomenal.

However, there is plenty of scope for error and therefore you should spend time in planning everything perfectly to avoid any error along the way of constructing your own house. A construction checklist can come handy in keeping track of every aspect of constructing a new house

So are you ready to discover how to build your own house on your own land without hassles?

I heard you saying yes, so here we go.

Freeze the space requirements

When building your own home, you should start with freezing your space requirements and the most essential features. This is an absolutely important first step as unless you know what you want, it’ll be difficult for you to plan other essential aspects of building a home.

Think through and figure out:

• How many bedrooms do you need?
• How many bathrooms will be required?
• How many floors do you want to build now or in future?
• Do you need any extra room like a store room or a study room?
• Do you need a garage?
• Do you want to build a single storey or a duplex house?
• How many balconies do you need?
• Do you want an open terrace?

Ask more questions like this so that you know what are the absolutely important spaces and features you need in your house. Don’t bother about other nice to have features for the time being, or maybe note them down, but focus on absolutely important space requirements for your new house for the time being.

As you already know, there is so much money, time, and effort involved in building a house, having a clear idea of what you want will help you immensely when building your new home.

Finalize a plot of land

Now that you know about the key features and size of the house (number of rooms and floors), the next step is to find a suitable plot of land. If you already have a plot of land, then you can skip this step. However, if you don’t have a freehold ready plot available, then you have to find and buy a plot of land to build your house.

Finding a suitable size plot to build your dream home can be a time consuming process. Sometimes you will not like the location, at other times it will be the size or dimension of the plot or the plot may be out of your budget.

However, you can’t really do without a plot, and you have to find and select a plot and get it registered to move forward with your home construction. Plots and lands at main locations in your city may be a little costly. You can find a residential plot a little outside of the main city at economical rates, if not cheap.

However, when choosing a plot, don’t go over budget because you still have to spend money in constructing your house. Moreover, cities are growing rapidly these days, and what seems like a little remote may become the future of the city in a few years from now, so just keep that in mind.

Finalize house floor plan and elevation

Now that you know your space requirements, number of floors you want to build, you have a free hold ready plot available, now is the time to reach out to an architect to design your house in your style.

Depending on the dimension and size of your land, you may even consider using a readymade house plan design and get that customized to suit your requirements. But, if you are after a fresh new custom house design, then you can do so as well.

Whatever is the case, you have to finalize the house floor plan for each floor, and get a beautiful exterior elevation designed for your new dream home.

Figure out construction budget

You can easily get a tentative idea of construction cost based on the build size of the house. But, as you already have a house plan and building elevation design ready, your architect can help you figure out the construction budget.

Usually, in India a new home can be constructed with Rs. 1300 – Rs. 1500 per square feet. Since you already know the total build area, you can calculate the construction cost easily.

However, you should be ready to adjust your budget by 10 – 15% at the construction stage.

Think of nice to have features

Now that you have the tentative construction cost, it’s time to review your space requirements and check if you can add any nice to have features while elevating your house like using a little expensive floor tiles, or using wall tiles in the exterior of your house or going for a small landscaped garden etc.

If your budget allows, you can make these small adjustments after discussing with your architect. And, if your architect okayes this and they think that adding these features will not increase the overall construction cost by much, then you should tweak your feature list before approaching a construction company or the custom home builder.

Hire construction contractor

Architects and construction contractors are the two vital stakeholders and they have a very crucial role in helping you build your dream home effortlessly. Needless to say, you got to be very sure about hiring a custom home builder or construction contractor.

Usually, the architects help design your house, and the builder will turn the design into a reality. So, they both need to work collectively and collaborate well with each other.

To begin with, ask your friends and colleagues and check if they know any reliable builder. Working with someone referred by your known contact is way easier than hiring someone you don’t know about. However, be prepared to spend some time screening and asking right questions to the builder before hiring for a new home construction.

Here’re a few of the best ways to hire the best home builder near you:

• Check their portfolio to ensure they are capable of building your home in your style.
• Review their credentials and industry certifications etc to ascertain they are reliable.
• Check their prices and estimates to ensure they are competent and cost-effective.
• Ask for referrals of clients they have worked with in the past.
• Visit a site they are currently working on to know their way of working.

And most importantly, compare a few of the home builders in town instead of going with a builder that came your way. This is important because unless you compare apples with apples, you may not get the best apple in town.

Once you have found a suitable home builder, just review the construction contract and sign the deal to start the construction work for your new home.

Review construction work

New home construction takes time and depending on the size of the house, it may take anywhere between 12 to 15 months to complete the construction work. So, it is important for you to review the progress and monitor everything as your new house is being constructed by the builder.

Ideally the construction company you are working with should keep you posted on the progress. In fact some of the construction companies have started sharing live CCTV footage with their clients so that they can stay updated.

However, that should not be a reason to not inspect the site physically. Whenever you get time, you should visit the site and review the progress. Because, it is easier to make any corrections at an early stage of construction and therefore it is important to do site visits frequently.

Furnish your home

Once the construction work is over and the builder hands it out to you, you have to furnish the house with the most essential items. Depending on the kind of construction contract you signed with the home builder, you may have to prepare a list of essential items needed to set up a new house.

If you are planning to do interior designing and decorating after construction, then you may have to talk to an interior designing company and get your house decorated and furnished.

If you don’t plan to decorate your home for the time being, then just furnish it with the most essential household items like furniture, curtains, lights, fans, kitchen appliances etc and your house will be ready to welcome you.

Move in and enjoy

Now, that your house is ready to welcome you, it’s time to call a moving company to get your goods packed and help you move to your new house.

Usually it takes some time to adjust and settle in a new house, especially for kids as they hardly know anyone in a new locality. They are going to miss their old friends and neighbors.

But, that’s okay and they will start loving the new house automatically in a few weeks.

So it’s time to throw a housewarming party and enjoy the new home with your family.

Conclusion

No other feeling can match the experience of living in a house you built as per your preference and requirements. Living in a fully custom built house is always amazing.

However, building your own house from scratch is not an easy task. It takes a lot of planning, effort, money, involvement and 12-15 months of time to build a house of your dreams. The process of building a house can be tiring and exciting for a homeowner.

But, when you follow a process step by step, your chances of getting everything right will improve substantially. I have already shared a 9 step guide to building a house on your own and I am sure if you follow these steps, you will have no issues building your house.

What else do you think one should know and do while building a new house on their own land?

Feel free to share your tips and hacks by commenting below.

Happy home building!!

The post Building Your Own House on Your Land? Get Started in 9 Easy Steps appeared first on Houseyog.