1. BUYING THE LAND

 

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION is often talked about.  It's important that the home you intend to build is suited to the area you want to build and live in.  You don't want to build an investment type home on a million dollar block of land and you don't want to over capitalise by building a million dollar home in an investment home area.

 

So location is the first thing to decide on and this will largely determine the type of home to build.

 

The size, shape and orientation of your block will determine some of the design options you have in your new home. A well-designed home will be designed to optimise sunlight and prevailing weather.  For example, if large windows face due west the hot afternoon summer sun will be unbearable.  This is really important regardless of the size and style you want to build.  People generally want north facing homes to provide the most possible sunlight throughout the winter months.  This also plays a big part in reducing heating costs of the home.

 

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, vehicle headlights, strong winds and security.

 

2. BUDGET

 

Once you have the land, paid the conveyancing and stamp duty costs, you can now determine your exact building 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 worked out you can discuss with your building designer about 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 look at.  It’s surprising how the ideas that someone has can vary greatly from the ideas their partner has.  It's a good idea to discuss this in detail before you speak with your designer, so you know you are both on the same page right from the start.

 

A good building designer will create a design that suits your requirements and fits your build budget.  It's important that the designer knows the budget so he knows how to design your home.

 

3.INCLUSIONS

 

The best system when approaching a building designer is to do some homework first.  A good idea is to prepare two simple lists. 

The first 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 second is a WISH list.  These are things you would really like if you can afford them.  The items that get 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

 

List them in order of priority.  The lists will vary from person to person depending on what is NEEDED and what is WANTED.  Having them 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 home will 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 or privacy from each other.

You might require a home office to work from home that converts 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. 

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5. LIFESTYLE AND OUTDOOR SPACES

 

Are you the type of family who live outside a lot?  Do you need  a large out-door area with space for a BBQ and outdoor furniture?  Are you considering a pool, either now or in the future?  Then you need to make sure you have allowed enough space for it to go.  If you are planning to build your pool later, can you get access for machinery to build the pool once the house is completed?

 

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, it's important to discuss these at the design phase of your new home.

 

6. STYLES AND TRENDS

 

Style is determined by individual taste.  Some people 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 set by the building covenants 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.

 

Families now need the things they only wanted a few years ago.  Now it's common for a 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 so your home design needs to 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 about.  Most importantly of all, have fun.  Designing and building your dream home should be an exciting and fun time for you.  It 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.

 

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  EASYWAY IS THE ONLY WAY TO BUILD