Building
Your Dream House
5 Tips: Getting Started on Your Dream Home.
Have you ever wanted
to build the house of your dreams but had no idea where to begin?
Here
are 5 Tips to help you through the process.
1. Settle on Your Dream
House.
The words "settle" and "dream house" may not
seem to go together, but they're more related than you think.
When you envision your dream house, what do you see? While your
vision of your dream house may include a state-of-the-art kitchen
and lots
of closet space, your partner may have a different vision...like
a state-of-the-art entertainment system and extra garage space
for a
muscle car collection.
The first thing you'll have to do is settle
on is what your dream house should be. How big should it be? How
many bedrooms and baths?
Is your
style contemporary or traditional? Once you decide on the basics,
you can start designing your dream house.
2. Design It Yourself.
You don't have to pay for an architect. There are plenty of Web
sites and software packages available that can help you design
your dream
house yourself.
At www.eplans.com, you can customize your building
plans by selecting the number of bedrooms, bathrooms you like
as well
as the home
style and approximate square footage you want. The site will
generate a variety
of plans that meet your specifications.
Another one to try is www.dreamhomesource.com. This site can
even tell you about how much it will cost to build your dream
home in
different
areas of the country.
Punch Software offers a number of products
to help you design the home of your dreams. Two recommended offerings
are the
Punch Home
Design
Pro Suite Platinum, which sells for about $99 and the Punch
Home Design Architectural Series 3000, which sells for $199.
The $99
product includes
all the necessary tools for home design, 3-D viewing features,
color application and landscape and deck planning tools. The
$199 product
includes all the features in the Platinum package plus expanded
lighting capabilities, additional templates for room design
and extra design
tools. For more information on their software offerings, check
out www.punchsoftware.com.
No matter what product you use to
design your home, it's best to have the plans looked over by your
builder, as they'll
most likely
know
about local codes and building restrictions.
If you're not
a do-it-yourselfer and you'd prefer to go a more traditional route,
be selective choosing an architect
or designer.
For help, log
on to the American Institute of Architects' Web site at www.aia.com.
3.
Make it Happen.
Unless you're an experienced builder, you'll need someone
to execute your plans. Whether you choose an architect
to head
up the project
or you look to a general contractor, you'll want to find
someone with experience and a good reputation. For that
reason, you'll
want to get
as many references as possible and follow through on most
or all of them. Unless you're using a big homebuilding
company, ask to
see profiles
and plans of past work. Most people in this field are proud
of the work they've done and will be happy to show you
pictures of past projects.
It's also important to make
sure your builder and subcontractors are all insured. And don't let
anyone
tell you they need
the money up front.
That's a red flag this person may not be on strong financial
ground.
A good way to pay is to ration out the money, paying
10 percent down and then 25 percent as each major system of
the house
is completed, such as plumbing and electrical, cabinets
and windows
and flooring
and painting.
Hold back the last 15 percent until well after construction
or at least until you're sure everything is working the
way you
expected. For more
information on choosing and finding a builder, go to the
National Association of Homebuilders' Web site, www.nahb.org.
4.
Consider
New Materials.
Have you always loved the look of hardwood floors, granite
countertops and Italian tile? Well, you don't have to
spend a ton of money
to get the look you want in your home. There are new,
affordable and low maintenance
materials that will allow you to get a luxe looking home
for less.
Tom Kenney of the NAHB Research Center, says synthetic
materials are both cost effective and durable.
Can't afford hardwood floors? Head to your nearest home
improvement store and check out the laminate flooring.
There are different
types of laminate. Some have a wood veneer on top but
others are completely
synthetic. You'll get the surface look and feel of the
natural wood at a much lower cost and the installation
is easier.
Many of them are
sold as modular, interlocking slabs that snap together.
Can't afford granite in the kitchen? Laminate countertops
have come a long way since the 70s. Many of them have
the look,
feel and shiny
finish of real granite. Check out the new color offerings
from Wilsonart. (www.wilsonart.com)
Are you in love with the idea of an Italian tile floor
in the kitchen? Cement (yes cement) can help you get
the look
you
want for less.
It can be treated to look like slate or tile or it can
be treated to mimic
marble or wood. For more information on new durable home
technologies, check out www.toolbase.org.
5. Look it Over.
Naturally, you'll want to have the builder in to fix
items on his last minute punch list before he leaves
the site.
Have the
contractor
put
together his own list first.
Experienced builders have a better eye for things
that need to be corrected. Develop your own list
as well.
Before the
builder
leaves for the last
time, you'll want to do a final walk through and
make sure everything is as you wanted it to be.
You should also have an independent home inspector
look over the project. Is the electrical work shoddy?
Is there
going
be plumbing
trouble?
They can tell you if there's anything amiss.
Home inspectors typically charge about $200 to $300
for their services. To find a home inspector near
you,check
out the
National Association
of Home Inspectors Web site at www.NAHI.org.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/08/pf/saving/willis_tips/
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