Here are 10 tips to help potential homeowners to cut costs when building a house.
1. Stick To A Budget
The most important thing you need to do ahead of the home building process is to set a tight budget. Determine how much you can afford to spend on a new home long before the project gets underway.
Always meet with a financial advisor and lender prior to purchasing a lot. Once the budget has been set, communicate and reiterate this figure to your builder. Refrain from adding on any more expensive options/amenities.
2. Choose Stock Floorplans
For a lot of potential home builders, this can be a difficult task, yet it is essential if saving money is a high priority. Rid yourself of extra expenses by simply browsing premade house plans instead of any custom blueprints.
If you have a great eye for design and vision for future uses, most stock plans will work for your future home. There is also the option of hiring a professional to make adjustments to the stock plan without the expenses associated with a customized layout.
3. Reduce Square Footage
Reducing the square footage of your home can dramatically cut down on your total costs. It’s suggested to build upward with a two-story layout rather than constructing a ranch-style home.
4. Find The Right Home Builder
Builders can make or break your budget. Your goal will be to find an affordable builder with a long and respected history of new home construction projects. Find a builder that promises to work with your budget and stick to a timeline. Always compare a few different builders in your area before settling on one.
5. Use Standard Sizes Only
Even if you chose a customized design over a stock plan, make sure you choose to have all doors and windows in standard sizing. Oddly-sized or shaped areas will only drive up total costs of the project. Feel free to shop around at construction supply stores for standard sized windows and doors.
6. Modest Kitchen & Bathroom Designs
Consider downgrading your kitchen appliances, amenities, and design to start. Nearly everything in the kitchen can be upgraded in the future.
The same thinking applies to your bathroom design. All bathroom materials can be updated as time goes on.
7. Handle The Final Touches Yourself
When hiring a contractor, you can tell them to leave certain final touches out of the bid. Tell them you can take care of easier tasks that come near the completion of the project, including interior painting, landscaping and staining wood trim. Handling these tasks yourself can drastically decrease the overall costs.
8. Simple Roofing
The roof is undoubtedly one of the most expensive materials included in a new build. Labor costs are very high for roofing projects, as well. Opt for a simple roofing system to lower your costs. A complicated roofing system may be more aesthetically pleasing but it will also be more costly.
9. Avoid Change Orders
Change orders are any last minute design or material changes requested by the homeowner. These orders can quickly add up so it’s suggested to make any significant changes down the line once the entire home has been constructed.
10. Go Off The Grid
Off the grid housing, also known as self-sufficient homes, relies on natural resources. These resources typically include wind or solar-powered generators.
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Contact Hughes Development today to get an estimate for your home building project. Hughes Development builds custom homes in Mesa, Apache Wells, Mountain Whisper and more areas in Arizona.
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