How Much Money Do You Need to Construct Your Dream Home?

Constructing your dream home enables you to customize it. That’s because you take control of the design and construction process. You decide the materials that are used to build your home and how the process is completed. But, how much will you spend on the construction of your dream home? Here is a breakdown of the amount of money that you will need to build your dream home. 

Foundation 

Pouring concrete foundation will cost you between $4,500 and $21,000. A simple slab will cost you less than this. However, the cost will increase if you decide to build a basement that you can furnish later. That’s because you will need rebar reinforcement, more materials, and excavation. 

Fixtures and Finishes 

Marble floor tiles and granite countertops are the most coveted options. However, these are high-end options whose costs vary from $40 to $100 per square foot. You will also spend more money if you choose hardwood flooring. Therefore, think about the costs of these aesthetics when budgeting for your home. 

Roof 

The installation of a new roof will cost you around $7,311. However, this price can be higher if you choose higher-end options. The installation of energy-efficient solar panels, for instance, will cost you between $10,000 and $15,000 depending on your location. 

Appliances 

The cost of major appliances will vary from $50 to thousands of dollars. What’s more, you will incur the costs of plumbing and wiring. These costs should be factored into the budget before constructing a home. 

Additional Features 

A porch or a deck will cost you up to $20,000. If you need an indoor pool, be ready to spend a minimum of $28,000 on it. You can spend up to $1,000 on sod. Essentially, these additional features will increase the cost of building your dream home. 

You will spend more on the construction of your home if you have an expensive taste. The exterior and interior finishes will impact your budget significantly. Nevertheless, careful planning and budgeting will make constructing your dream home a smooth experience.

Low-Cost House Designs: 5 Design Principles of Home Building

How your home is designed can either impact high construction costs or greater savings. If the design is complex with many features and corners, you can expect to pay more in terms of construction costs compared to a simple house design. Nevertheless, the following are five principles to help you design and build a low-cost home. 

Optimizing the Strategic Position of the House On-site

Choosing the most suitable construction plan for your home mainly depends on the geography of the land, its climate, and other environmental factors. The general condition of the land will significantly impact the overall construction costs, appropriate foundation, and positioning of the structure. The general rule is to consider an affordable house design with features that can allow you to maximize the positives of the environment such as solar and cool breezes. 

Choose Simple Designs with Efficient Floor Plans 

Houses with simple rectilinear designs have smaller footprints that require fewer materials, time, and labor to build. However, you should be keen to choose efficient floor plans that maximize space and meet your living needs. 

Consider Energy-efficient House Designs 

Energy efficiency is not just about the building materials and products installed in the home. To conserve energy, consider a house design with features that allow you to maximize the usage of natural light and ventilation. 

Use Low-cost Building Materials 

The cost of building materials not only relates to the prices listed by suppliers but, also the cost of their installation and maintenance. As such, consider affordable but, long-lasting building materials and products that can effectively withstand wear and tear over time. 

Implementing an affordable home design and construction may not be the easiest adventures. However, the above guidelines can help you to easily avoid common problems and ensure a successful house construction project. Besides, it is also advisable that you consider using standard construction methods to cut the costs of building materials and labor. 

Useful Tips for Hassle-Free House Construction

Arturo from GT Roofing, he shares that even to the savviest home builders, home construction still presents a series of challenges. However, that should not discourage you from going ahead with your plans for building a house. The following are insights on how to ensure hassle-free home construction. 

Carefully Select the Right Home Builders 

Despite the many home builders available in the industry today, only a handful can deliver successful projects. Before hiring a home builder, take time to do some research on a few contractors. The main areas that you should carefully look into when hiring home builders include licensing, experience, referrals and bids. 

Research about the Location 

Before you proceed with buying a plot for building a home, do a little research to find out more about the area. Check the proximity of the location to health facilities, schools, shopping centers, and other social amenities. You should also check the roads and security of the area. A proper understanding of the area will help you to determine the right measures to implement to avoid problems that could negatively impact the project. 

Build for the Future 

When building a house, you should not only focus on your current lifestyle and living standards but, also the years to come. When creating the plans for the house, you should consider the prospects of future structural developments and renovations. For example, installing a shaft could make it easier to add an elevator onto the building in the future. Instead of going for trendy fittings and fixtures, choose classic features with a timeless appeal. 

Hire Local Residential Property Developers 

Hiring a local home builder will offer you greater convenience when it comes to the management of the project. Due to the familiarity with the area, they also know the best sub-contractors and suppliers that can deliver the required labor and building supplies without delays and elevated costs. 

The above tips are proven effective for ensuring stress-free house construction. However, the overall success of the project will mainly depend on how well you are prepared for it. 

How to Identify a Good Homebuilder

If you have decided to build a home, one of the key requirements for the project is finding a good home builder. Although there are many factors to consider when hiring home builders, knowing the main qualities of a good home builder can make the entire process stress-free and faster. The following are the key aspects to look into when choosing home builders. 

Experience 

You do not want to hire an amateur to build your home. The best way to avoid that is by choosing a home builder with experience on the job. Look into some of the past projects done by the builders that you consider hiring for the job. That will give you a better picture of what each home builder can deliver depending on the scope of your project. 

Licensing 

The law requires that home builders obtain licenses from relevant authorities to practice. The licensing proves that the home builder has the necessary skills and, meets the set standards by the construction industry. Besides, a licensed home builder is easy to trace in case they fail to deliver. A good home builder should willingly share proof of their license with you. 

Reputation 

The reputation of a home builder is also very critical when hiring. The reputation is mainly based on their job practices and reliability. If a particular home builder is known to leave projects halfway or deliver sub-standard work, you can expect the same whenever you hire them. On the other hand, a home builder with a good reputation will no doubt offer satisfactory workmanship. You can find out more about the reputation of home builders by reading online reviews or asking for referrals from people who have hired home builders in the past. 

Overall, there are no clear cut rules for choosing home builders. However, the tips discussed above can help you to easily identify the right home builder for your home construction project. 

Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Remodeling Company

Hiring a remodeling company for your project can be a very tricky exercise if you do not know what constitutes the right contractor. Without choosing the right remodeling company, you could up with so many unnecessary losses. Asking the following questions will help you to easily determine the best company for your home remodeling project. 

Is Your Company Licensed?

It is a standard industry requirement that all professional remodeling companies should have valid licenses. Licensing is important because it shows that the company has trained personnel and meets all the provisions for offering remodeling services. Every legitimate company should freely give you proof of their license failure. If they are reluctant to show proof of license, you should simply find another company.  

Can I See a Portfolio of Your Past Projects?

While all remodeling companies will tell you that they have done many renovation projects in the past and have experience on the job, do not just take their words for it. A good company should provide you with references to some of the projects that they have done in the past. If you are unable to visit the projects or talk to former clients, the company should provide photos or pictures. That will enable you to prove their expertise. 

What Are Your Rates?

It is also important that you know the cost estimates for hiring the company beforehand to avoid surprises. The rates often vary based on the particular remodeling works to be done and duration of the project among other aspects. However, a good company should be able to provide you with estimates so you know how to organize your budget for the entire project. The company must break down the rates to show how they arrive at the final figures. 

How Do You Handle Customer Concerns or Complaints?

Not all remodeling plans always go according to plan. Sometimes, you may need to make certain changes after the start of the project. On the other hand, the company may fail to meet your expectations. As such, the company should also tell you about their policy for handling customer concerns and complaints as well as the process of doing so. 

Asking the above questions will give you a clear picture of the company’s expertise, experience and reliability, which are essential to a successful remodeling project.