You only have to flip through one of the popular home and lifestyle channels to know that people who self-build their next dream home are a pretty amazing breed. There’s nothing more impressive than learning that someone you know build their own home. The average person never considers this possibility for themselves, thinking it’s simply beyond the scope of their talent and vision. And while that might be so for some people, if you’ve read this far into this paragraph, chances are you are equal to the task.
We’ll deal with some of most common fears that people have about self-building a home, as well as ways to work around them.
I’ll Mess it Up
Many people feel that if they were to endeavor to DIY build a home, they would mess it up in the worst possible way. And while that might be true if you were to, all by yourself, handle all sourcing, design, and construction on your own, this is not how self-building actually works. Almost every self-builder pulls together a team to make the dream home a reality. You’ll work with architects, designers, contractors, and other professionals who possess the skills you do not. In fact, you may never even have to hammer a nail. Even if you were to handle more of the skilled labor and design yourself, self-build insurance has you covered in the event that you make mistakes. This is sounding more doable already, isn’t it?
I Can’t Afford It
Because most people do not build their own homes, the average person doesn’t have a clear understanding of how these projects are financed. The reality is that self-building a home is cheaper, in almost all cases, than buying an older home. This is because the convenience of buying an existing home causes the property to sell at a premium – a price that’s greater than the sum total of the materials and labor it took to build the home. When you’re doing the work yourself, with your team, you’ll realize that you come in beneath the budget of what it would cost to buy an existing home identical to the one you’re creating.
I Don’t Have Time
No one is saying that building your home isn’t time consuming, but it’s probably not the all-consuming time suck you’re imagining. As already stated, self-building only happens with the help of a team of professionals. With careful planning at the start of such a project, you’ll find that many of the aspects of construction go smoothly. In assembling a quality team, you’ll be saving yourself time and headaches down the road. This team can cover for you when you have other obligations, and will be there ready to catch you up on progress when you are available. Building your own home is a commitment, but it’s worth it to many.
There are many reasons to self-build your next home, more in fact than the arguments to the contrary. More people should self-build than currently do. Don’t let self-doubt and anxiety prevent you from realizing the savings and satisfaction that comes from building that home that perfectly fits the needs and dreams of you and your family.
