Construction & Contractors Blog
Folks planning custom homes oftentimes focus on the exciting parts of the projects, such as creating their dream kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. When constructing design-build homes, it's wise to think about some of the mundane things. That's especially the case when you and a custom home builder want to keep a budget within a narrow range. Let's look at four ways you can accomplish that.
Know the Site Before You Buy It
A major budget-buster when working on a custom house is getting into re-engineering the location. A lot of custom homes get put in spots that are idyllic from a visual standpoint but present other problems. You don't want to have to rethink the structure from the foundation up because the builders run into the wrong type of rock, for example. Have a complete engineering survey conducted before you commit to buying the site.
Forcing Square Pegs Into Round Holes
Understandably, bringing a design-build home builder in on a project means you want something extremely personalized. Unfortunately, this can lead to situations where people start trying to force the property to be something it isn't. Instead of making the home conform to the contours of the land, they end up bringing in fill, grading land, and tearing the terrain up.
To be clear, a custom home builder can usually make the square peg fit into the round hole. It's just not the kind of thing that's going to keep your budget on track.
Designing Before Budgeting
Putting plans together is the fun part of a project. Making a budget isn't, and that can lead to problems if you're not careful. The plans and the budget should be formed in concert because you want things like materials and engineering choices to come together with your budget. Putting the budget first in the process will ensure you ask questions like, "Can we do this cheaper by using X instead of Y?"
Not Thinking About Long-Term Cost of Ownership
Making design-build homes is a chance for customers to do more than create gorgeous places. Green building principles can be used to drive the long-term cost of owning your house down. You'll be doing custom work, and that means you can make tons of eco-friendly and cost-conscious choices about LED lights, energy-efficient windows, low-flow toilets, in-floor heating, and numerous other things. Make every decision with an eye toward how customization can save money in the long run.
Share15 April 2020
My name is Debbie Greenberg. I’m a single woman who owns her home, and like most homeowners I dread home repairs. I’m not very handy with do-it-yourself projects around the house. I can do a few minor repairs when necessary, but for the most part I have to call in a professional. Last year I had a leak in my roof. When it rained, water would leak into my kitchen. What appeared to be a simple fix turned out to be anything but simple. It took over four months to finally identify the problem, and double the money I was initially quoted to fix it. The problem ended up being that the flat part of my roof didn't have shingles, but a sheeting material. I learned a bit about home roofs along the way, and that is what I want to share with you.
