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Building a home is one of the biggest milestones of life. Most people only get to do it once, and that is why it should be done with immense care and caution. Building a home comes with far too many considerations and getting everything right is an overwhelming task. Somewhere along the way, mistakes are likely to be made if you aren’t extremely careful. Being prepared for the major pain-points well ahead of time can help you better manage sensitive tasks when the time comes. So here’s a quick rundown of the biggest mistakes you should avoid making when building a home.
A lot of people feel that they can save a lot of money by eliminating the need of a general contractor. They feel that they can hire sub-contractors themselves, and get the work done on their own, saving money spent on a general contractor. That could not be farther from the truth.
Building a home requires a myriad of different subcontractors working for you, from electricity to plumbing, HVAC, sheetrock and much more. You don’t necessarily have the knowledge, experience or the time required to find the best of each. Moreover, general contractors have good relationships with the concerned people and have much more collateral on them than you do, to make them show up for work and get it done. Since the sub-contractors need steady business from the general contractor, they would not like to miss his dates or make excuses. Also, they will not be able to cut corners and use inferior materials with a general contractor watching them. In the absence of one, they can easily cheat you into paying more for low-quality raw material and end up with a weak home.
A contractor who can get your house built for half the price of others is clearly not going to do a good job. Anybody offering you surprisingly low prices is likely hiding something and you do not want to walk into a trap. This is your home, one that you will probably pass on to your next generation, or at least expect a good resale value. You absolutely have to choose an experienced, reputed and licensed contractor. A good contractor will further hire good sub-contractors, ensure the use of quality materials, stick to the timeframe and avoid delays and prevent errors and last minute changes that cost a ton of money. In short, spending money on the right contractor can help you save money in the long run.
Are you planning to have children? Will you be living here in your senior years? A home is not something temporary. Make sure you build a home that will support your needs as you grow. Plan kids bedrooms right now. You may need extra car parking. Do you have a family member who may need wheelchair access? Account for that too. Take a good long while to visualize all the time you will be spending in your house and plan accordingly so, that the house will still be good after ten, twenty or even a hundred years.
Every homeowner has to stick to a budget and when bottlenecks arrive, some areas need cost cutting. The foundational elements of your home however, should never be compromised. You can cut corners when it comes to décor, carpets, cabinets and even doors and windows, as these can be upgraded in the future if need be. Electrical fittings, drainage systems, pipes, vents, gas lines and other such fittings must be done to perfection the very first time. Upgrading these in the future is a herculean task that will require stripping of walls and floors, something you do not want to do. Monitor these tasks carefully, get them done under strict supervision to ensure quality and check them at every stage. You can use and sensors to ensure the quality of the project.
Of course, it’s your home. It should reflect your style and look exactly the way you want it to. That, however, does not mean that you can replace a professional floor plan with a figure you drew on the back of a napkin. Not having a plan leads to way too much confusion during the construction, mistakes happen that end up costing thousands of dollars to fix, there is a severe communication gap between different sub-contractors together and in short, too many things can go wrong. You may save a few hundred dollars upfront but not having a plan will ultimately cost you way more than that by the time the house is done.
If the dimensions of your foundation are off by an inch at the start, you will be several inches askew by the time you finish the walls. You need to make sure that the slab of the foundation is absolutely perfect. When it comes to a house, one mistake is not just one mistake. It affects all your other fixtures. One inch off in the floor dimensions could lead to floorboards not aligning or tiles not fitting.
You may have the best plan ever made, but is it the right plan for your lot. If your piece of land slopes to the east, your plan must be made according to the slope or you could end up with your garage three feet above the ground. Account for the nature around you when you build.
Mistakes at the construction stage can not only cost you a ton of money but also significantly affect the future of your dream home. The issues mentioned above are some of the most common mistakes homeowners tend to make. Being aware and consciously avoiding them will make sure your project goes smoothly, stays within budget and gets completed on time. Moreover, it turns into the beautiful home you always wanted.
