Building a home is not an easy project to undergo and there could be a lot of potentially high impact blind spots on a project like this if the correct level of planning and execution is completed. Many people decide to do this as a one-off project as they build their “dream home” and normally employ external support to do this for them. Here are some of the top things to consider when building your home
Permission is key
Even if you have some land (or have purchased some), you cannot just go ahead and build on this without the correct level of permissions. There are many restrictions in place for building property and even permission of the residents may need to be sought. This could be for some fundamental reasons or even simple things such as – the new building is blocking out daylight. This could be a reason for rejection. Even although residents or business could place an objection, they do not get the final say and the authorities will ultimately decide whether to grant this or not, taking everything into consideration. If you do not do this research in advance and get the correct permissions, you could find yourself getting a heavy fine or in worst case scenario it could even mean that you are instructed to demolish the building.
Home Values
It is usually pretty common to see that home prices rise year on year in most parts of the USA, however, there are areas and circumstances that can affect this. As a result, if this is to be an investment for you and you are looking to sell it down the line, the timing of purchase can prove to be important to ensure you are getting the most for your money. It is also then important that when building the home to take into consideration other things that a potential buyer would be looking for – this can include things such as off the road parking, modern interior décor and efficient heating. Put yourself in the eyes of the buyer when building the home.
Insurance Cover
It is not a legal requirement to have home insurance when you have a home, but it would be unwise not to have this. If you choose not to have insurance cover and then something terrible happens (such as burst pipes or flooding) then you want to make sure that all is in hand and an insurance company will pick all this up for you. Shop around when doing this and ensure that the deductible insurance is fully understood. This is sometimes referred to as insurance “excess”. This will be the amount of money that is deducted from any claim that is made.
An example: If you choose to have an insurance excess of $500 and you have a home damage claim totalling $1,500 then $500 is deducted and you will receive $1,000. There are so many different insurance deductible options. Ultimately, the lower the deductible amount, the higher the monthly/annual payments will be. Also take note of the hazard mortgage insurance to confirm you are covered for all eventualities. The last thing you will want is to invest in building a nice new home for it to be wiped out in an act of God like an earthquake and then you not to have any funds transferred to you to cover.
Energy Efficiency
In 2019, there have been some real upgrades in terms of energy efficiencies as the world aims to be more energy efficient and each country committing to global warming targets. Solar panels being put up in homes is now a common activity and you will see that these are on the roofs of many different buildings. This does not have to be in the sunny parts of the US (although it is more use in these areas) – if it is pointed at the sun, homes will normally get good energy via this method. Some people do not like the look of these on the homes, however, the price of using this rather than normal gas or electric heating is far cheaper.
Other ways to keep energy efficiency in mind is to ensure there is adequate insulation in place. This could be in the form of robust, good quality double glazed windows and doors. It is one thing getting the heat in the home but keeping it from escaping is important to minimise your energy buildings moving forward.
Make sure to consider these things before building your own home.
