Building a home can be a stressful endeavor, yet with the proper planning and preparation that stress can be nearly eliminated.
Before you even begin the planning stages of building a home it is important that you conduct a self-evaluation to discover if building a home is the right choice for you as well as if you have the right materials and resources.
This short checklist will help you to learn some important things about yourself as you embark on your journey toward a brand-new home.
- What Is Non-negotiable for You?
This is hugely important, especially for people who may be more timid or compliant. There are many things that will inevitably change throughout the building process due to feasibility, budget concerns, or a host of other issues.
You need to be the one in charge of these changes. Ultimately you are the one who is going to live in your home, so you need to make sure it is one you are comfortable in. Take a few minutes to make a list of all the things that you absolutely must have in your new home no matter what. Keep this list with you in all planning and design meetings and make sure that these things happen. Your future self, living in your wonderful new home, will certainly thank you.
- What Is Your Budget?
Budget is another important element that you need to be completely clear on. Do not let contractors bully you into purchasing materials that are much more expensive if you don’t really need or want them.
Pay close attention to whether your budget is being followed properly through every stage of the process. While deviations from your budget may be necessary, make sure that they are worth it. If you spend every penny you can, you may end up with a lovely home but also insurmountable amount of debt. On the other hand, if cuts are necessary, make sure that you are still getting everything that you deem to be non-negotiable.
Make sure you always maintain control.
- How Is Your Credit?
Unless you are a billionaire, you will likely have to take out rather hefty loans while building your home.
To do so you will need good credit. It is important before you get your hopes up on an extravagant home that you evaluate the current state of your credit and make sure you can get the loans you want at the rates you need.
However, if you don’t have the best of credit that does not mean you need to give up on your dreams immediately. There are many options for people to build up their credit while still taking out loans. There are many sites online that can give you more information about the top credit builder loans in existence today.
- How Much Time Will You Have to Pay Attention to Details?
It would be nice if everyone in the world could be trusted to do the right thing on time all the time, but unfortunately, that is not the case especially when it comes to home building.
It is important to always try to maintain clear communication with the project manager or anyone else working on your home. Yet sometimes communication alone isn’t enough. Before diving into the home building process, you should take a look at your schedule and make sure that you will have the time and energy over the building process to oversee the work every step of the way.
Most of the time you are the only who will know if things are not completed to your standards. It is important that you will be able to survey the work each week if not each day to check for imperfections or anything that has not been completed according to plan.
If issues are detected early they can usually be quickly and easily fixed; however, if you realize weeks later that a light wasn’t placed in the correct position after the ceiling has already been completed then that may be difficult if not impossible to remedy. This project will eventually become your home and you will want to make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible. Yet that responsibility falls on your shoulders.
Building a home is a huge undertaking, but as long as you understand its magnitude and are ready to tackle it head-on with immense planning under your belt it will be a fulfilling and rewarding experience. Just always remember that it is your home so you should make it the way you want it.
