It’s often a big dream come true to get to construct a home. Whether you’re choosing a brand-new home with standard features or going semi or completely custom, the process of constructing a home requires a lot of thought. Here are just a few things to keep on your radar as you get ready.
Your Location
Many people get ahead of themselves and start planning their home before they choose their land, and it’s often a bit backwards. By waiting until you select the location to get an idea of what the house will look like, you can give yourself the freedom to shape the look, style, and features of your home to the location you’ve picked. From the nearby homes in the neighborhood to the level of urban/suburban development in the area, you can start daydreaming once you’ve picked the spot.
Lot Size, Relative To House Footprint
One big thing to consider before buying land, though, is the exact footprint of your home, relative to how much yard, driveway, and other structures you want like a shed or separated garage. If the lot you are looking at seems large now, you might still need to do a little modeling and see how close you’ll be to your neighbors once there is a house on that land.
Planned Location Within the Lot
Similarly, for any piece of land that isn’t uniformly a square or rectangle, you’ll want to give consideration to where on the lot you can place the home. For larger lots, you’ll want to know whether you’ll be cutting down trees to place the lot further back, or whether you’re going to be leaving space to potentially build other structures, making a house right in the middle of a lot potentially an issue.
The Grade and Soil of Your Lot
Your builder will need to understand if your lot is sloped and also what kind of soil you’re working with, since they’ll be building a foundation in it as he begins to construct your home.
Finished and Unfinished Spaces
While many people know how many bathrooms and bedrooms they want, it’s a good idea to go into the process and consider whether you want a basement, an attic, a garage, or other areas that won’t be finished, at least not at first.
Materials and Sourcing
Many builders have connections to source materials, but do some of your own research: it’s possible that you can source something more in line with your vision, as long as your builder also approves and can work with that material.
Closets and Storage Spaces
It’s easy to see squares on a blueprint and think that of course a closet space will be large enough, but conventional wisdom says that no one ever thinks, “I added too much closet space!” Work with your builder to get plenty of closets and storage areas.
Ceiling Style and Height
Don’t get so focused on the floorplan that you stop thinking about height. Whether you’re fine with standard height ceilings or want vaulted designs, super-high ceilings, or non-standard doors, talk it over with the builder.
Integrated Home Technology
When you’re building the home it’s the best time to add in smart thermostats, speakers, and other smart devices. Think this one through and get your builder’s take on whether they will be easy or hard to replace if wired into the house.
