Being happy in your home is so important. But the sad fact is, not all of us are. It’s easy to find yourself in a property that you dislike. Because life circumstances can push you in a direction that you’d never thought you’d be in. Maybe you move into a place because it’s all you can afford at the time. Or because it’s the only available spot. Or it’s somewhere that your spouse likes. All of these reasons can lead you to living in a place that you do not truly love. And this can have a huge effect on your happiness levels. However, it’s not something that you have to settle with. If you know that you want to move into your dream home, and you want to do it soon, then it’s time to do something about it.
But maybe making a small step isn’t enough for you? Maybe you don’t want to save to buy a house or rent somewhere gorgeous. If you’re someone that knows what they want from a property, then it could be the case that designing and building your own dream home is exactly what you want to do! For some people, this can seem so far away from their reality, it scares them. But it really doesn’t have to be a big dream that you never go after. Instead, it can be a goal that you break down, make tangible, and then go after. So let’s take a look at the step you need to take to make that happen.
Research The Process
Now, to help yourself get started, motivated, and to understand what this will involve, you should look to do some research. When it comes to any successful building project, there are set processes you will need to follow. So doing a bit of research here will give you a good background.
Understand What You’re Getting Into
And it’s here that you really need to be sure of what you’re getting into. Because building your own property isn’t something that you can take lightly. It takes time and planning and money. So you need to be fully confident that you want to do it and aware of what life is going to be like as you go through this journey.
Look Into Land
At this stage, it’s also a good idea to start looking into the idea of buying land. Because it can be a strange process. And you will want to make sure that you find land that you can build on, in the right condition, and at the right price. Doing some research and seeing what’s available early can often work in your favor here.
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Create A Budget
The next thing that you’re going to need to do here, is come up with your budget. Now, the cost can be quite scary. It’s often the one thing that puts most people off from getting started. But, if this is what you want, you need to know exactly how much it will cost you. Roughly to the penny! Because then you can start to work out how you’re going to make it all happen.
Start Saving
And yes, this is where you need to think about getting a savings plan together. Because the money just will not save itself. You are going to have to proactively work out how much you need to save each week or each month over a set period of time. It can seem hard at first. But the second you get started, and as you start to see the funds build up, you will stay motivated and be able to make all of this happen.
Hire An Architect
And then, when the money is ready, it’s time to get started. And this is going to begin with finding an architect. Yes, you do need to purchase land, but you also need to know what planning permission you can get and you need to design a dwelling that will be passed! So start to shop around for an architect that you trust and that can design exactly what you’re looking for.
Choose Your Tradesmen
You will also need to make sure that you pick out the builder, plumber, electrician, and other specialist tradesmen that you need to get your house built. You may find that you can get a firm that covers everything from the design to the execution. If not, you may even want to consider getting a project manager.
Let The Process Begin
Then, you just need to let it all start. If you have chosen an architect, contractor, and project manager all in one, or you’ve hired a project manager separately, leave them to take control. Then, everything from the soil removal and grounds work to the building and roofing will be done in time. If not, just make sure that you know that the people are on site when they need to be.
Get The Design In Mind
At this point, you’re going to want to start thinking about the look of the home. You decide on the external look and the internal layout with the architect, but not the interior design. This is something that you will want to start looking at ASAP. You could always decide to hire an interior designer, as they will largely take on a lot of the work for you.
Choose Your Dream Fittings
And then there’s the fun part – picking out all of the dreamy fittings and fixtures that you want in your home. Mainly, we’re talking the kitchen units, counters, and storage, and then also the bathroom suites and storage that you want. You will need to identify these early enough so that they can be ordered and fit by the specialists when the time is right. Or, when you are ready to.
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Start Finalizing The Finish
So by this point, you really need to be 100% sure and finished on the finish. This means you need to know what paint colors you want to use where and the kinds of floors that you’re going to lay. As the fitting are going into some rooms, the other rooms will be coming together quite nicely now. But this also means that you have to be a little more patient.
Let The Shell Come Together
Then from here, you’re going to want to make sure that you kind of let everyone do their thing. Yes, you’re exciting that it’s coming together, but being on site is only going to slow things down. So, where you can, let the shell come together in its own time. Try not to get involved. You’ve made your choices, now wait to see what they look like when they’re in.
Opt For Any DIY
And then, you can definitely elect to do some DIY. Maybe you don’t want professionals in to paint? Maybe when the shell is done and the electrics and plumbing is sorted, you’re going to take over? Sure, you might want someone to sort the fittings and fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen as we talked over, but you could handle the rest yourself if you’re looking for ways to save money.
Get Landscapers In
Then the final part of the process is always the landscaping. This is because all of the construction workers are done and won’t be trampling through the garden! So this is when you will want to bring your landscaping ideas to life. And because you’ve spent so much time working on creating a gorgeous home, you can’t stop there. Make sure that the garden design you go with really sets off the space.
Set It Off In Style
The very last thing that you’re going to want to do here, it to make it your own. So bring in all of your dream furniture or buy new pieces. And make sure that you’re really styling out the space. If you’re working with a designer, this is what they will do for you but if not, really focus on setting of the space in style
And there we have it. Did you really think that designing and building your dream home would be impossible? A dream so far removed from your own current reality that it just couldn’t be yours? Something that only the rich and famous do? Well, now you know! Now you know that it’s certainly not the case. Yes, it can take more time, more planning, more money, and more stress than just buying a house. But if it’s your dream, don’t you owe it to yourself to go after it? Of course, you do.
So what are you waiting for? Think about whether or not this is something that you really want and then put a savings plan in place. Because if you know that you want to do this next year, in five years, or in ten years, you need to start putting some money behind you. So go forth, and make your home building dreams come true!
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