Are You Losing Your Mind When Building a House?

Are you in the middle of new construction? Then you probably already know what it’s like to go somewhat insane when constructing, building and preparing your own house. Sure, the idea sounds great. But when you get into details like the type of molding, door frames, window tracks, blinds, doorknobs and light fixtures, it can be very easy to go a little nuts. However, if you are in the beginning stages and you haven’t yet finished your house or even begun to find a property for development, there are some ways to keep your sanity during the process.

First, you want to plan out the entire project.

This might be difficult because things come up as you build. Try to find an architect that focuses on the type of design you like and that is practical, within your budget, and is realistic with expectations. The planning stage is essential to keeping your cool and maintaining your sanity throughout the project. Rely on others to help fill in the gaps that you might be missing. If you’ve never built a house before, you probably don’t have a clue as to all the details needed to finalize projects, order materials and fixtures, or help you think about things you wouldn’t ordinarily consider.

Be flexible.

I’m not talking about settling for the kitchen backsplash that came in the wrong color or a light fixture that arrived broken. However, be flexible on time frames and even your budget. I know the budget is an odd thing to be flexible with and many people just don’t have the wiggle room in their budget. But if you are approved for $400,000 loan, don’t plan on a $400,000 home build. Plan for around $350,000 home built so that you have some cushion in case you find light fixtures that are more expensive than you budgeted for. Frustration happens when something expected does not go as planned. If you prepare yourself for the unexpected, you’re much more likely to maintain your cool and be pleasantly surprised when everything goes to plan.

Changes can be a big deal.

Any little changes no matter how minor they might seem can add time and money to the project. Changing an outlet, light fixture location, switch or plumbing issues can add a lot of time and expense to the project. It can also cause delays. If you’d like a bathroom in a certain place or you wanted to move a doorframe, it could rearrange the entire room, hallway or plumbing situation. These things may be able to get done, but you have to understand that there could be a budget change and definitely a time change.

Realize you may not be their only customer.

You may have put your life on hold for this, but for the contractor, builders, and architects, this is what they do on a daily basis, and you may not be the only client at the time. There are contractors, suppliers, vendors, and workers that all have to work together to get things done on time. It’s important to be respectful and courteous of other people’s time.

Building a home can be fun and exciting but also stressful. If you plan ahead and realize there may be bumps along the way, you’ll do yourself and your sanity a favor.

Are you looking for a great lot to custom build on? Give me a call! We have lots of listings right now and I can help point you in the right direction to get started with a budget, loan and builders.