Plan Ahead: What You Need To Know Before You Build

There are many reasons why you might decide that a building project is the right thing for you. Perhaps you have purchased a rundown house which is easier to destroy and rebuild, or perhaps you have always wanted to buy a plot of land and build your dream home.

Whatever the motivation there is some critical things that you need to know before you start building:

Land Purpose

The first thing you need to establish is that the land you have bought can be built on. Not all land automatically has the right to be constructed on. If there are already buildings and they’re legally recognized you have a good chance of being allowed to build.

You must check before you buy the land!

Survey

The next stage is to have a survey done. You need to use a professional firm, such as Sydney based Geosurv. They will assess the land, mark out the boundaries and provide you with an array of useful information, such as if any utilities run under the ground.

This will allow you to choose the right spot for your building and successfully finish a build.

Budget

Building anything requires materials and potentially professional labor. You need to know how much it is going to cost before you start. Be generous when estimating costs, a build almost always costs more than you imagine so allow for this when calculating the cost. This way you will ensure you have the funds available and finish the build within budget.

Reason For Building

If you are building a house to sell then your approach should be different to when you are building your forever home. You need to consider what people who usually live in your area will expect from a home and make sure these features are included.

To an extent this should be considered if you are building for yourself but you can afford to be more flexible with the details.

Materials

Your budget will dictate what materials you buy unless you already have strong beliefs on what is environmentally correct. In general, cheaper materials will not last as long as the more expensive ones. Although this may not always be the case, you do need to consider which materials are most appropriate to your build intentions and your environmental beliefs.

Maximize Your Space

It doesn’t matter if your building has a small blueprint, you can still make the most of the space inside. Think about clever storage ideas to minimize the need for furniture. You could also add mezzanine floors as well as 2nd and 3rd floors to maximize the space you have inside your home.

Convenience

No matter how beautiful your home there will be some chores which still need to be done, cooking, cleaning and washing are the ones that come to mind first. Design your space to make these chores as pleasurable as possible.

At the same time it is worth considering how you live, the interior layout can be open plan or separated into rooms; consider what is best for you and your family before you start your build.

This is perhaps the most important tip; spend plenty of time considering your options and what you really need before you draw up your plans and start looking at the build. You should also not be afraid to change in part way through!