6 Things to Consider when Building a House

Naturally there are many things to consider when you decide to build your own home, but here are a few of the more important ones.

1. Location is key - how many times have you heard that?  It's the one thing that simply can't be changed so make sure you love where you're building, especially if you intend to live there. Finding a suitable plot may be the longest part of the process unless you're lucky enough to have a building that can be demolished so you can start from scratch. Once you have a site, make the best of views and features, orienting the house to take advantage of everything you love.
   
2. Consider how much time you want to put into managing the build. Do you want to employ someone to oversee everything or are you itching to do it yourself?  If you undertake the job personally, be prepared to spend a great deal of time understanding how things work, chasing up suppliers and sub-contractors, working with local authorities and building inspectors, making decisions and numerous other things.  A company that manages the build will take most of the stress out of it, but there will still be times when decisions have to be made by the owner.
   
3. Ensure you hire the right company. Nothing matters more than having people you can work with, who understand the brief and are on your wavelength. Stay in communication on a regular basis so you always know what is happening with the build.
   
4. Make all major decisions before work starts.  This will minimise stress and expense as changes to plan are always expensive.  Smaller decisions such as the finish of the kitchen or the sanitaryware for the bathrooms can be left until later, but you need to completely understand how the layout will work for you.
5. Budget for the standard of finish you expect.  There's a lot of difference in the price of luxury fittings and economy ones and if you're having your dream house built you may decide you want good quality throughout.  Check out how much this will cost and add it in before you start to avoid nasty surprises later.
6. It's a strange thing but when a building is being erected, the perceived size and shape can change continually.  So don't panic when you get to a stage where everything looks far too small. Provided you've done your homework and have a good architect, it will all pan out in the end and you'll get an amazing home.