Building your home is probably one of the most exciting things that you’ll ever do. According to a report, first-time home buyers rose to 34% from 31% last year. As the National Association of Realtors put it, purchasing a home is one of the most significant purchasing transactions first-time homeowners make.
That’s why proper planning is important. In this post, we’ll walk you through the most common mistakes that you can commit when constructing your home, as well as what you can do to avoid them:
1. Poor space planning
Unless you have ample space, planning and design are essential to keep in mind. Does your main bedroom need that ample walk-in closet space? Or can you make better use of the area as an addition to the bedroom or the master bath?
During the planning stages, it helps that you get excellent design software for contractors to plan out space. You should pay attention to where you place your closets as well. There should be at least one in every bedroom and the main hall.
However, note that too much storage space can also take up a significant portion of your living space. So, if there’s no use for a coat closet, don’t build one.
2. Not planning for long-term
Again, we couldn’t stress this enough. Building a home is a life-long investment. It’s so easy to be caught up in the moment rather than thinking about it. The end result is creating a space that won’t fit your needs as early as five years from now.
You can avoid this by asking yourself a couple of simple questions:
- How many kids do you have? This allows you to plan the exact number of bedrooms you’re going to have.
- Do you plan to accommodate guests? If so, consider adding a guest room.
- Are you regularly hosting events and parties? Opt for a more open-spaced living room or kitchen.
- How much storage space will you need? The standard is one closet per bedroom and an additional closet in the main hall.
- Do you plan to live here when you retire? Then, you might choose a single-story home or place the primary bedroom and the bathroom on the main floor.
3. Neglecting the property’s location
If you’re in you’re 20’s and 30s, living at the very heart of the city may be an appealing option. However, areas with busy streets and big stores are not family-friendly.
Another thing to keep in mind to make sure that you get an excellent resale value of your property, in the long run is to look up the property’s proximity to amenities such as grocery stores, hospitals, schools, parks, and public transport.
Read More: How To Design A Stunning Eco Friendly Home
4. Not considering natural light
While you can always place as many artificial lights to make your house brighter, there’s nothing better than natural light filtering through your windows.
So, make sure that you pick windows that can accommodate natural sunlight throughout the entire space. Not only will you save on energy bills, but it can make your house welcoming, cozy, and bright.
If you want to invite the night sky into your space, consider installing skylights in your bedroom or living area.
5. Insufficient kitchen workspace
Whether you’re a fan of cooking or not, ample kitchen workspace is essential and should be one of the primary considerations when designing your space. There might be times that you’ll be holding dinner parties for guests in the future.
Also, having a functional kitchen space, preferably a floating kitchen island bench, allows people to gather around when someone is cooking and have a more enjoyable and interactive cooking experience.
6. Not considering outside space
Another thing you should consider when designing your new home is to see to it that you have ample outdoor living space that will integrate with your indoor living space.
It encourages excellent airflow in your home and can make it feel more spacious. You might want to include shaded and sun-drenched areas as well. That way, you can take advantage of the space all year long.
7. Not designing the house to fit the land
You should also pick the right land to build on. Although it might be tempting to choose the cheapest property you can buy on the market, there’s probably a good reason why it’s cheap and still available.
Do your research thoroughly and the neighborhood you’ll be staying in before you decide to buy it.
8. Skimping on infrastructure
Here’s the thing, a significant portion of your budget will likely be spent on stuff like plumbing, electrics, heating, insulation, and foundation systems.
While you won’t be as excited about planning these aspects, they are essential building blocks of a well-designed home. Make sure that you allocate enough budget for infrastructure. Doing so will ensure that your home will work the way you want it to work for years to come.
Over to You
So there you have it. There might be many things that you have to consider when building your dream home. Also, a lot of things might not go the way you planned.
If you want the process to be smooth, make sure that you avoid these most common mistakes to ensure that everything will work out well.
As long as you prepare accordingly and try your best to avoid these mistakes, you’ll have a beautiful home that will last for many years. You certainly can with careful planning and preparation and a reasonable expectation in the home building process.
