It’s as daunting as it’s exciting! Owning or even building your home from the ground up is a milestone to be proud of, but the process contains so many risks! We’re not here to scare you into dropping your plans! But we do have some valuable information. From picking the right spot to familiarising yourself with processes like caulking Melbourne homeowners often wish they knew some information earlier. Luckily you can, by scrolling down and taking in these tips.
Must-know Facts When Building a Home
It Pays Off to Research Your Location
The property listing may talk about how close to local schools and retail areas the piece of land is. But what’s the truth of that location?
Some property owners run into trouble once they start building. If the condition of the soil or the water tables require you to add fill in order to have a firm foundation, it will cost effort and money you didn’t plan for.
You can usually find out helpful facts—such as whether the piece of land is located on a historical landfill area—from geological societies or local government offices.
Prioritise Energy-Efficiency and Sustainability as Much as Possible
When planning a house, do consider features that are popular—and necessary—in the property market. Many buyers look for energy efficient homes and it’s likely that this trend will only intensify in years to come. Since you have no guarantee that you’ll stay in your new home for decades to come—you may relocate in a few years’ time—you must build with future buyers in mind.
Also, as members of society we should look for ways to protect the environment in all we do. Use sustainable supply chains as far as possible by enquiring where vendors source building materials from. Furthermore, when planning the interiors and décor, use eco-friendly fabrics and materials.
Find the Balance Between Personal Tastes and Trends
Above we mentioned keeping future buyers in mind and you should at least consider them when planning the details of your home. Align styles, décor and features with what you need to suit your preferences and lifestyle, but also consider if others would find them valuable. If there are too many ‘odd’ features on a property, buyers will consider it too much effort to align it with their own requirements.
But what if you love an outdated building style or a paint colour no one else would pick for their exterior walls? Simply understand that it may take time to get an offer if you do sell, or you’ll need to do some renovations before putting it on the market.
Timelines can be Surprising
Yes, in many cases construction work tends to take longer than predicted. However, modern techniques have sped up certain processes. So, you may move in much sooner compared to when your parents built their home a few decades ago.
Discuss timelines with all vendors, and ask to be kept up to date. This way you can plan other actions, such as moving out of the property you’re renting or giving correct furniture delivery dates to retailers.
Make Sure You Can Trust the Crew
To get the best results, from workmanship to staying on schedule, you need to partner with the right professionals.
From the architect and the construction crew to the interior designer and bathroom caulking contractors Melbourne locals will refer to you, do thorough vetting so you can have peace of mind they’ll do the job well.
Reading marketing material of someone on a website isn’t enough to know if they provide quality work or a positive customer experience. Rather to read reviews and talk to previous clients.
Before signing a contract, also compare vendors by sending multiple questions via email or leaving a message at reception. Compare how quick you get a reply from different companies. This will give you a fairly good idea who is organised and considerate with their clients.
Things No-one Tells New Homeowners
Do you want to find a home you love that already exists, instead of building one yourself? We have some tips for you too:
- With fewer people looking for older homes, their prices are usually lower, but some of them still have amazing features. Add a few of them to your list of properties to check out before you make your final decision.
- No property will have everything you want or need. Write down your list of features you love and mark the ones you can’t go without. Be prepared to settle for a property that may not have everything on that list, otherwise you may never make a purchase. You can always do some renovations later on.
- Once you’ve moved in, educate yourself on details like where the circuit box is. How do you perform an emergency shut-off if there’s a problem? When there’s a crisis you may need to act quickly and you don’t want to exacerbate an issue by not taking immediate action.
- Plan and budget for maintenance tasks, because this is how you protect your new asset.
Final Tip: Trust Your Gut
While building or buying a home you’ll be given many opinions by professionals, friends and family. Consider their input on what’s best, but at times you should follow your gut. After all, you’re the one who will stay in your new home, so make sure YOU love it.