Owning your own property continues to be a basic requirement of the Australian dream. That’s despite the fact it is getting harder and harder to afford a property, especially for first-time buyers custom home.
For many people, the best option appears to be investing in custom-built homes. This approach generally makes it easier to spread the initial payments, reducing the size of the deposit required.
It also allows you to plan your own property and even, within limits, choose your location.
However, choosing this option does have its pitfalls. You need to be aware of the most common issues in order to avoid them.
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1. Not Being Involved
It’s easy to list what you want and draw a rough plan of your dream, house. But, if you simply hand this over to the builders it is highly likely that what you get won’t be what you expected.
The truth is what works on paper doesn’t always work n the real world. If you don’t stay involved in the process you’ll force the builder to make all the decisions and the house will be finished, just not quite how you intended.
You must be in contact with them every day to ensure everything goes to plan.
2. Preparation Costs Money
Budgeting for a new build can be difficult, there are many variables that can be easily overlooked as well as unforeseen issues.
But, one of the biggest issues that most people face is forgetting about the cost of buying the land around the house, the cost of preparing this for the build and landscaping it afterwards.
Forget this and you’ll have a beautiful house sat on a mud pile.
3. Failing To Secure A Completion Date
With inexperience and excitement, it’s easy to sign the contract for the build without securing a completion date.
Doing this means your project could go on for much longer than you expect, and there will be little you can do about it.
4. Choosing a Builder By Price
When shopping for the right builder you’ll want to get several quotes. But, choosing the cheapest one is not always the best option.
You need to think about how easy it was to communicate with the builder and whether you feel you can trust them.
In this instance, you need to go with your gut and not your wallet. Choosing the cheapest can mean extra charges on the build or simply a lower quality finish. That won’t help in the long run.
5. Forgetting The Prototype
Again, the excitement can make you eager to get started with the build. However, if you proceed without making a prototype it is likely that there will be features that just don’t work.
A prototype takes the blueprints and creates a 3D model that allows you to see how the house really flows and whether it will work for you.
This is the perfect time to make final adjustments, even if that means moving windows and doors. It’s easier doing it on a prototype than it is on a partially built house.