finding innovative ways to save money when deciding to build a home

Innovative ways to save money when building your home

Here are some of the important things to consider:

SITE

Choosing the right piece of land

1. If you choose a piece of land in an estate, they have restrictions on materials & the look of your home.
2. Choose land that suits your pocket, for example building on flat topography will be cheaper than building in the mountain where you mind need to do blasting and /or piling.
3. Thinking carefully about your design choices taking cognisance of the arrangement of windows & doors for energy efficiency, and what the style dictates for building materials, and
4. Working closely with a building contractor you can trust will make the process much smoother. Keep in mind that you should negotiate any extras with the builder, such as landscaping etc, when you are developing the contract.

With proper planning and smart decisions, you will be able to build your dream house, and, hopefully, you can do so without breaking the bank. However, keep in mind that many people do go over budget when building their dream home.

BUILDING PLAN

Choose an architectural professional that offers options such as:

1. Stock Plans | Ready To Use Plans
2. Allowing a certain number of changes to the plan If designing concept from scratch.
3. Prepared to do a rider plan for free on completion of the project in case changes were made during the building phase to the approved plan

BUILDING & SITE LAYOUT

When choosing the plan design and layout consider

1. Building vertically
   keeps the cost of the slab and roofing to the minimum. However, if you build too high it could put stress on the architecture of your home and you might need to pay more for special trusses and deeper foundations.
2. If you want a larger home build wider
3. Choose a rustic or industrial chic look. Firstly, it is very vogue and secondly cost-effective, as you will be able to leave wood trusses open without ceilings and could even leave roof beams exposed.
   A modern, industrial look could also work to keep your costs low if you, for instance, choose rendered concrete floors and concrete surfaces.
   Both styles would save on construction and materials costs
4. Avoid investing in high-end finishes, expensive millwork, and fancy decorative components. KEEP IT SIMPLE

SIZE MATTERS

In these modern times we are more aware of the concept of “waste not – want not” Why build a mansion if you need a cottage. Consider the planet and save money in your pocket.
At the same time consider the other homes in the area and build similar if you want to benefit from the sale of your home in the future.

1. Think carefully about your needs when building your house. If you build a massive house but only spend time in two or three rooms, you have wasted a lot of square footage and money.
2. Meet your needs, but do not add space that you might not use.
   Be as minimalistic as possible – it saves the planet, energy usage and closes the hole in your pocket.

BUY LOW MAINTENANCE MATERIALS

Select materials that have a long lifespan and do not need much maintenance in the long run:

1. Choose exposed bricks instead of plaster and paint!
2. Use concrete floors and surfaces
3. Use exposed trusses and beams
4. Use reclaimed or second-hand materials if they are compliant to the building regulations.