Building a house from scratch is a stressful process we all have gone through- or will- at one moment or other in our lifestyle. This usually happens when you don’t know where to start from or what steps to follow. However, it’s wonderful and exciting especially when you design a plan beforehand so as to keep track of it.
Home construction is emotionally and financially overwhelming since we are prone to get things done with a few clicks or get whatever we want in a couple of minutes. Home construction market is not governed by these rules, that’s the reason people get desperate when they cannot get their house finished when they want.This happens a lot since common people ignore home construction steps.
In order to make things easier, there are 5 steps you can follow so as to gain confidence when trying to construct your first property and get big chances of achieving the best results which means no money loss.
There’s a lot to consider about home construction from choosing the right location and builders, shopping construction materials to the moving day. Each construction process is a different experience which can take from months to almost a year depending on external factors such as weather conditions and workers and supply availability.
Step 1- Planning
First things first, before buying a lot you’ll want to choose your house design since a customized property will need to fit the selected plot and not the other way round. For a tailored made design you can hire an architect. You’ll meet with the expert several times to determine the house orientation in relation to the sun, as regards heating, plumbing, number of bedrooms, floor plans, amenities, among other aspects.
If it’s off budget, alternatively your house can be built using stock blueprints. A home designer can make minor modifications so as to adapt it to your needs. If you choose a stock plan from a catalog, decide with the other family members in which room you spend most of the time so as to determine room size, examine different house features and exterior finishing. In most cases, pre-design home plans have a lot of advantages such as:
- Time saving. you don’t need to spend your time meeting designers, architects and engineers to make changes until the house structure seems to be safe.
- Money saving. It’s affordable since the home construction development is already complete.
- They’re much easier to resell in the future since most pre-design houses have standard designs which like the general population. .
Most importantly, whether you choose a stock plan or a custom-made design, your home construction plan needs to meet your family’s needs and interests as regards rooms size and layout.
Step 2- How much is it going to cost?
Secondly, once you have decided to build a house you need to take into consideration the home construction cost. Plan your budget carefully, check your credit score before asking for a loan or mortgage and request a quote to different architects, builders and other experts.
“There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location”. This well-known saying, almost as a mantra, is a true fact since estimated selling prices of plots of land vary on the area where your house will be located.
It’s convenient to talk to a real estate agent who can help you out to find the right place according to your needs, interests and budget. Also, it’s of paramount importance to bear in mind that building your house in an urban area will be much more expensive than in a rural area. However, rural living is a little bit costly in comparison with rural living as regards utilities and expenses.
Other things to take into consideration as regards home construction cost:
- Construction materials and amenities such as bricks, concrete, wooden planks, among others.
- Clear up the site of rocks, debris and trees.
- You’ll need to hire a secure lorry container, a mixer station and other appliances unless builders bring their ones.
- In the budget you’ll also need to include electrical and plumbing materials.
Step 3- Home construction experts
Once you have the plot of land, the budget and have chosen the home design; you can start lining up your team. Home construction experts are highly important so as to construct and design your dream house in a matter of months without any structural inconvenient.
It’s quite convenient starting by hiring an architect or engineer. Home designers are also apt to design your house but they aren’t licenced by local governments to lead a construction team. Other experts you’ll need are builders, electricians, plumbers, an excavator, a surveyor, among others. It’s also important to consider if you’ll be involved in your home construction process or will outsource the general construction coordination to a general builder or architect.
Before hiring any expert you may want to get at least a couple of contractor bids and check their references beforehand. There are a lot of home builders in Canada which you can find on the internet. Check different websites so as to find the right builder in your area. People usually leave a review so you can have a good idea of the person you’re about to hire.
Step 4- What are the steps to build a house?
There are basically 8 important home construction steps you need to follow before seeing the final project finished. It’s understandable you want to get your home done in a couple of months, but it’s hard work and requires patience. Knowing beforehand which steps builders will follow will help you out to be in control of your home construction. How to build a house is not an easy task and requires a lot of details.
- Prepare the site. First, the construction team will prepare the land by clearing it from grass, trees, rocks and other debris so as to level the land up.
- Pour the foundation. Builders dig trenches and holes. Then, they put up wooden forms to create a kind of template. After that, they start pouring the concrete.
- Framing installation. It consists of installing the skeleton of the house: floor, walls, windows, door and roof systems.
- Plumbing and electrical systems are finished.
- Insulation and drywall. Insulation plays a key role to keep a comfortable temperature in the house. Then, drywall is taped and hung so as to hide the boards.
- Interior and exterior finishes.
- Installation of fixtures.
- Installation of flooring
Step 5- Inspection
Before you can move in and enjoy your new house, the home construction will be periodically inspected so as to avoid potential problems. If at the end of the process there are no defects, a local building official will give a certificate of occupancy. In case of any flaw, builders will have to correct it and a second inspection is scheduled.
Now, it’s time to enjoy!
Building a new house can be a very stressful situation but if you plan beforehand and be patient it’s an exciting period in anyone’s life. When you know how to build a house, the process is much easier and you can anticipate the next step.
The decision to build your house shouldn’t be taken lightly. It takes a lot of time, money and planning. Make sure you already have everything you need to embark upon this wonderful experience. If you don’t, start planning now with a lot of anticipation so as to get anything you need in a couple of months.
