There is some excitement when building something from scratch. It must be the same feeling that artists get when they’re within the work of their respective fields: whey they run their fingers over a masterpiece that they’ve sculpted, view a picture that they’ve painted, witness their composition turn into reality, eat the fruits of the trees they’ve planted and nurtured, and see their children grow up and become respectable individuals.
You’ll understand the feeling when choosing to build a house instead of buying an already existing one. It can be quite an ordeal, but the possibility of it being gratifying is also there.
Here are some things you need to know before choosing to build your own house from the ground up:
Land
This is a given but a vital necessity; you’ll need to have good land before building a house. The land must be reliable not only to be built on but also paperwork-wise. It would be such a shame if the land your dream house is built on would have ownership issues soon. It is best to make sure the land is firm and reliable literally and figuratively.
Appraisal
Your unbuilt house should be an asset that can have higher resale value. If you’re going through a loan, then the house you’re building will be considered collateral for your loan, and so the amount of how much you can borrow is also reliant upon the resale value of the house you’re building.
An appraisal of an imaginary structure can be quite a more complicated, luxurious, and time-consuming process than just a traditional appraisal. And once the house is finished, the possibility of the appraisal being different from the original is likely to happen.
Loan
As mentioned above, the lender, so that they would incur fewer risks, would ask you to make your home become the collateral when you get a mortgage. This safety measure is quite reasonable and primarily protects the interest of the lender.
So lenders, as a rule, are always cautious; imagine how cautious they would be if the subject of the loan is an unstructured home. Not only is the appraisal challenging to establish, but the possibility of an unfinished home due to a lack of funds would also result in half-baked collateral with little market value.
Budget
Be practical with your budget. Building a home is not cheap, and there are fees, fees for permits, and the expenses incurred for the lot in itself. Even estimates by your builder can be off from the real thing, except that you’ll be paying more in actuality.
It would be highly encouraged to stay within a 5% or 10% range above the given estimate of costs. This would give you a practical approach to being financially prepared and avoid consequences on the miscalculation of the original quotation of prices.
Timeline
Expect your house building to be longer than the given estimate. A grace period of three months or more over the estimated time would be apt. This could be a severe financial issue when you’re paying rent while building a new house. This means you’re paying two obligations, and time is of the essence.
Even if you have a contract stating a definite date to finish your house, these types of contracts would still have clauses that would anticipate weather conditions and other factors that are far or out of human control. So it is best to expect a more extended timeline when building a house.
Design
It could be ideal to think that the house you have in mind would be the house that you would achieve. In most cases, this would not always be the case. A home is under the mercy of dimensions and mathematical accuracy. If your envisioned design would circumvent the rules or laws of physics or even just proper masonry, then it would be likely that your design would be undermined.
Materials
Make sure the materials that you get are of the best kind. Some contractors would try to save on money by using cheap materials, but you must make sure this does not happen. Your safety and your family rely on the reliability of the materials used to construct your new house.
Builder
Find a trusted builder who can show you a clear and concise construction management plan. A little background check and vetting through the internet would not take too much effort or time. It is vital to find a good builder; it could make or break your house, literally. A trusted builder would have been around for years and have constructed homes that can still be seen standing. Most builders would have websites and people commending and commenting on their performance. It is also best to ask around family and friends for opinions or suggestions for some good builders.
Flexibility
Building a house is not an easy task. You must be flexible when approaching housebuilding. Flexible with your budget, timeline, and expectations. Most of the time, house building exceeds expectations, but also there are times when it falls short. So trust your builders, guarantee within your budget, make sure the house would not only look good but is most of all durable.
Building a home instead of opting for a ready-built one is a choice that would have risks. But almost everything in life requires or includes the possibility of taking risks. And this is a risk that would eventually be rewarding. This dream house is an original, not just some secondhand dream of another person’s dream house. So it must be perfect, it must be unique, it’s something you can call your very own.
