4 Things You Should Know Before Building a House

Most people buy a house that has already been built. The stats back this up. It might be because starting the construction of a new home can be incredibly stressful. That can definitely be the case. So what are the things you should know before building your dream home?

Photo of a builder and a framed house
Building a house is a big deal! There are hundreds of moving parts and plenty of ways for a non-reputable builder to take advantage of you.

Building your house should be straightforward and exciting. If you keep the things mentioned below in mind, you can have an incredible journey to a new home. You can also check out G. H. Clark for a guide on building your home

1. Establish a Reasonable Budget

For the process to go smoothly, you need to set a reasonable budget well in advance. 

Understand that a budget given by your builder might not be very accurate. The reason is that they are only concerned with the structure of the home. They might not have added the other areas of your residential property, such as a garden, fences, deck, mailbox, or other items you’ve already collected in your mind. 

Therefore, you must think about both necessary things and “wish list” items that you might want to include and build your budget smartly. 

2. Look Into Financing Ahead Of Time

Since the budget might come out to be quite more than you might have expected, it is smart to look at all financing options. If interested, here’s a piece on the Basics of Financing Your First Home.

Most people use a mortgage. The house is the collateral that allows you to borrow the money needed to build your home.

Check your credit score. The higher your credit score, the better rate you can get on your loan. If it’s too low, you might now qualify at all.  

If you don’t have the cash on hand or qualify for the loan, you might be able to ask family or friends to help finance the house. But beware, borrowing money can sometimes lead to troubled relationships. If you decide to go this route, we recommend using a loan agreement template to have something reliable for all parties to use.

3. Plan Your Home

Photo of two people looking at a floorplan

One of the things you should know before you start building is the house plan itself. It is imperative that you plan your entire project completely before putting up even a single brick.

Don’t just consider the exterior. Many homes look marvelous on the outside but once you enter… the interior design leaves a lot to be desired. This can happen if your house plan isn’t thorough and complete.

If you happen to be building your home in Australia, you should definitely consider Hotondo Homes. They will help you plan the design of your home, as well as build it. They can also show you the popular styles that people like to develop nowadays, such as a duplex, split level, a forever oasis, and a forever sanctuary.

4. Take Advantage of Expert Advice

There is a lot that goes into building a home. You can never have too much expert advice. Reach out to your trusted Realtor and anyone you know that’s built a home in the past. You can learn from their mistakes!

You can also go online (like you’re doing right now) and learn even more about all the things you should know before building a home. From the foundation all the way up to the roof and everything in between. There are a lot of decisions to be made! Have some friends partner with you on this incredible journey.

Don’t forget to chronicle your home-building journey. Take lots of pictures and videos. In years ahead it will be fun to look back and remember how the home building process went—start to finish. 

Tre Pryor, Realtor

Tre Pryor is the leading real estate expert in the city of Louisville. He is a multi-million dollar producer and consistently ranks in the top 1% of Louisville Realtors for homes sold. Tre Pryor has the highest possible rating—5.0 stars on Google—by his clients and is routinely interviewed by the local NBC news. Tre Pryor is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame.