By Grant Rohde – Easyway Building Brokers - June 2021
1. BUYING THE LAND
In real estate the term location location location is often thrown around. You need to ensure the house you intend to build is suited to the area you want to build and live in. You would not want to build an investment type home on a million dollar block of land and vise versa you would not want to over capitalise by building a million dollar home in an investment home area.
So location is the first thing you need to decide and the location of your block will largely determine the type of house you can build.
The size, shape and orientation of your block of land will dictate some of the options you have in the design of your home. A well-designed home will be designed to optimise solar orientation. For example, it will not have large windows facing due west so they get cooked by the hot afternoon summer sun.
The orientation of your home is really important regardless of the size and style you want to build.
People generally seek north facing homes which provide the most possible sunlight throughout the winter months. This plays a big part in reducing the heating costs of the house compared to houses with poor orientation.
Solar orientation, natural lighting and passive air flows are some key points in creating a well-designed home. Other things to consider are street lights and headlight, strong winds and security.
2. BUDGET
Once you have secured your land, paid the conveyancing and stamp duty costs you should now be able to determine your exact build budget for the construction of your new home. Its imperative that you stick to your budget. You will need to consider if there are additional costs that are not going to be covered by your builder before you commit every last cent to the build.
You need to be sure that you have sufficient funds to cover miscellaneous things such as driveways and paths, fencing and landscaping, retainer walls if needed, window furnishings, TV antenna, clothesline etc. Many of these things are not included by some builders and need to be accounted for by you.
Once you have a budget figure worked out you can commence the job of instructing your building designer of the concept you have in your head for your dream home. This process is called developing a Design Scope.
The biggest initial challenge a designer faces is getting the concept ideas you have in your heads, onto paper for you to see. It’s surprising that on many occasions the ideas that someone may have can vary greatly from the ideas their partner has. Its therefore a good idea to discuss this in detail before you speak with your designer, so you know you are both on the same page before you start.
A good building designer will create a design that suits your requirements and fits your allocated build budget. It is important that the designer knows the budget so he knows how big he can design your house.
3. INCLUSIONS
The best system when approaching a building designer is to do some homework first. It’s a really good idea to prepare 2 simple lists for him. The first list is a list of all the things you MUST have in the home. For example:
4 bedrooms
Large Ensuite
2 car lock up garage
Butlers pantry
Media room
Air conditioning
High ceilings
Etc Etc
The other list is a WISH list. These are things you would really like if you can afford them. These are the items that start getting removed or down-graded if the project is over budget and needs to have costs cut somewhere. For example
Pure wool carpets
Floor to ceiling tiles in the bathrooms
40mm stone benchtops
Timber garage door
600mm rectified floor tiles.
Swimming pool
Built in BBQ
Etc etc
Put these lists in order of priority. These lists will obviously vary from person to person depending on what is NEEDED and what is WANTED by the individuals. Having these lists in place will save a lot of time and heart ache down the track.
4. THE FUTURE
Its important to consider what your future needs may be. Many people approach building design purely based on their current needs. You need to think about how your house can function when your young children grow up and become teenagers or move out. What happens if an elderly parent moves in?
A good designer will assist you to ensure you have a home that can cater for your growing family and provide areas of separation for privacy from each other.
You may for example require a home office to work from home that can later be converted into a guest bedroom when it is no longer required.
You should also consider storage space in your home. Its has been said many times that a house can never have enough storage. You will notice in some project builder’s home designs, they have included a 1500mm long robe in each bedroom and maybe a 750mm wide linen closet in the laundry. This is simply not enough storage space for a modern family. A walk-in storage cupboard fitted out with shelving is a wonderful idea for most homes. They take up minimal space and serve as a linen and combined storage cupboard. Make sure you impress upon your designer your requirements for storage spaces in the home.
5. LIFESTYLE AND OUTDOOR SPACES
Are you the type of people who live outside a lot? If you are then you need to ensure you get a large out-door area with space for your BBQ and outdoor table etc. Are you considering a pool, either now or in the future? If so, then you need to make sure you have allowed adequate space for it to go. If you are building your pool later, have you considered access for machinery to build the pool once the house is completed?
Or, are you a passionate gardener who loves plants and lawns. You need to be sure you have allocated enough room for your gardens or green house etc and you may need a garden shed for all your gardening equipment.
Either way, its important this is considered at the design phase of your new home.
6. STYLES AND TRENDS
Style is determined by your individual tastes. Some people for example like a traditional or colonial style home while others prefer an ultra-modern or contemporary look. Its all about personal taste.
Sometimes the style of your home is pre-determined by the building covenant of your land but mostly it is a design option. It is generally suggested to try and avoid trends as they come and go. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on a house that is out of “trend” in 10 years’ time. Try and stick with things that will stand the test of time. This does not mean compromising on your tastes and your wants.
Modern day people have a need the things that only wanted a few years ago. It is very common now-a-days for a standard home to include a Butler’s Pantry and a Media Room. 10 years ago it was regarded a luxury to have a dishwasher. Our wants and needs change with time and your home design should be created so that it can cope with the changes in your lifestyle.
Careful planning and lots of thought up front is a good start. Choose a great building designer that will listen and apply what you want to your design but will also be up-front enough to tell you if he thinks you are making a mistake. Don’t assume to know everything. This is a specialised field so if you are unsure of something, ask questions. Ask lots of questions. It’s the only way to get a proper understanding of things you are unsure of. Most importantly of all, have fun. Designing and building your dream home should be an exciting and exuberant time for you. Its shouldn’t come with unnecessary stress. If it does, then chances are you have the wrong building designer or builder working for you.
If you are looking for a company that can undertake your complete design and build project, look no further than Easyway Building Brokers. We have talented building designers and draftsmen that can transform your ideas into reality. We have some of the best custom home builders available to do the on-site construction of your new designer home.
We offer Guaranteed Fixed Price Contracts, Guaranteed Build Times and Guaranteed Build Quality.
Our team has built hundreds of homes across South East Queensland and we would be privileged to assist you with the design and build of your new dream home.
Visit www.easywaybuildingbrokers.com.au for more info.