Building and designing your dream home can be a fun and rewarding experience. And fortunately, it can be achieved without breaking the bank! When you are building from scratch, it is nice to be able to cut back on expenses and save yourself money and unnecessary stress. There are many ways you can cut back costs to build a house – from good planning, and sourcing materials to doing some DIY work. Ask yourself what is important to you and think about your long term housing needs. These factors can determine how much you will end up paying for your dream house.
If you are getting ready to build a house or thinking about how to keep the costs of your build down, then read on!
USE A VOLUME BUILDER
The primary way to keep the cost of building a house down is to use a volume builder and work from a standard plan. By using a volume builder, you won’t have to bring in another party to draw up plans, saving a huge lump sum from the word go. Making amendments to a plan can be costly, whilst working with a standard plan tends to keep the price down. You’ll also be able to incorporate the cost of the time it takes to build the house more accurately into your budget as a volume builder should be able to estimate the time it will take to build your chosen home design from experience.
PLANNING AND BUDGETING
Being organised and having a plan is an important part of the building process. Get your plan done before you talk to a builder – and stick to it! This is important because if you keep changing your mind in the middle of the building process, it’s going to cost you extra money. Ask yourself questions and write down the answers. Keep a folder with all your paperwork in it. This includes any receipts – just in case there are any hiccups.
Keep a track of designs that inspire you. Pinterest is a great way to create mood boards for each room of the house – such as what kind of layout it will be, the kind of decor, etc. Get creative by drawing a floor plan. These are great reference points for when you talk to your builder.
It can also be overwhelming thinking of what the realistic budget should be. Before you even meet with a builder, plan your budget and determine exactly how much you can afford to spend on this project and ask yourself, “how much can I really afford?”
FINDING THE RIGHT BUILDER
Finding the right builder is another crucial part of the building process. A good builder will understand your wants and needs and do their best to stick to your budget. Make sure to meet with a few builders and ask for their references, credentials, past work and their design style – so it matches yours. You will be working with your builder for months, so communication will be the key to getting jobs done. Make sure they communicate with you and keep you in the loop. As they are professionals, tell them your priorities. They could help you cut costs and save more money.
OPT FOR AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN
If you do choose to carry out your project with a custom builder, staying simple is the key. If your design is more complex, then it will cost you more money. This is why going for a simple and open floor plan can help you cut costs. An open floor plan will allow you to use your space in many different ways. The most popular layout is having a kitchen that opens up to a large living room – which is perfect to use as a living and dining space. An open floor plan can help you save costs on doors, hardware, and paint, resulting in saving money on labour.
Thinking of building your own home and looking for financial advice? Book a call to get free independent advice from iBuildNew today or call 1800 184 284 to chat with our team of new home advisors.
Let us do the legwork for you.
- We’ll ask the right questions to better understand your needs
- We’ll create a recommended shortlist ideally matched to you
- We’ll answer specific questions or concerns related to home building, land purchasing or financing
1800 184 284
