6 Mistakes to Avoid When Building a New Home

Building a new home is incredibly exciting. After years of putting up with your old house’s shortcomings, you finally have the opportunity to build the property of your dreams. When done right, you’ll have a personal haven that has everything exactly the way you and your family want it. Yet if you’re not careful, you could wind up in the same old situation of making do with something that isn’t quite right. Careful planning can ensure you don’t commit any design or budgeting errors that you’ll regret in the future. 

Here are a handful of common mistakes people run into while going through the homebuilding process. 

Failing to Budget Properly

Even if you budget your project down to the last nail, you still may run into problems. No job ever goes as smoothly as we expect. That means you’re almost certain to run into delays or changes to your plans. Allowing for some wiggle room when you start can make it easier to roll with the punches and not get caught by surprise. 

Overdoing the Floorplan

You want your custom home to be the ideal space for you and your unique lifestyle. However, many people waste time and money by building rooms they won’t use as often as they think they will. Adding a gym to your plans is a nice idea if you’re serious about exercise, for example. However, if you’re expecting that space to jumpstart your interest in fitness, it may not be long before it becomes little more than a walk-in closet. Make sure whatever you throw into the design will be something that you’ll use often enough to justify the cost.

Forgetting About Windows

It’s easy to assume that you can rely on artificial light to brighten your new spaces. However, having enough windows in every room will prevent your home from feeling cramped. Windows also help reduce your electric bill by providing natural lighting during the day.  Don’t jump straight to window replacement if your windows are outdated. Replacement windows may seem like an obvious, efficient upgrade, but there are huge benefits to keeping your original windows. Original windows are part of the home’s original design and you can get the same upgrades without construction by adding storm windows. Window inserts can often address issues at a lower cost and better performance than replacement windows.

Not Thinking Practically

You might envision putting your kitchen on one side of your property because it offers the best aesthetics or better flow for entertaining. Though you could regret that decision the 100^th time you haul groceries across your living room because your refrigerator ended up nowhere near the garage door. Although you definitely want your new house to look and feel great, it also has to work well to be truly comfortable. Be sure to think about how you will be using these spaces on an everyday basis to make your home function as conveniently as possible. 

Only Planning for Today

Designing a house based solely on who you are at the moment means you might need to rethink it in the future. For example, you may not have children now, but could you see it happening? If so, you’ll want to plan some additional bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate your growing family. If you have a home office or multipurpose room, is that space flexible enough to adapt if your career or interests change? 

Not Having the Right HVAC System

It’s critical to have an HVAC system that will be powerful enough for your home’s space. If it’s too small, it will need to work overtime to keep up with the conditions outside. If it’s too powerful, you’ll be using more energy than you need. 

Building your next house from the ground up can be your chance to have the home you’ve always wanted. Still, unless you put in the work to confirm every detail is covered, you may experience disappointment. These are just a few of the many issues that might come up during the planning stages, so be certain you won’t leave anything overlooked. 

Author bio: Kathryn Foster is Marketing Communications Specialist for Indow, a leading custom storm windows company. She has a passion for the written word and the environment, which is why she spends her time writing about energy-saving window inserts.