Everyone’s dream – a house, of his or her own, with all amenities and conveniences, where you are the lord and master! Yes, but if you are not a wee bit careful while you go about constructing your house, those dreams could well become nightmares! Here are some house construction tips which could go a long way to help you complete the house of your dreams…
8 house construction tips that guarantee a cost reduction
- Reputation speaks for itself : While finalizing the architect or builder, ensure you see a few of his earlier projects. Take time to meet his previous projects/clients. Engage in a heart to heart discussion with them to identify problem areas. Do not rush into finalizing your contractors without being convinced on their capabilities. If you’re planning to have an elevator in your abode, stick to the reputed names. Ensure you enter into an AMC – it is worth the additional expense.
- Count your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves: Jot down every single expense you will incur and assign a value for it. Don’t be surprised how long the list turns out to be. And remember to make
- Cheapest is not always the best : Select only reputed and renowned names whether it is steel, cement or electrical/ sanitary fittings. Saving a few rupees on an inferior quality initially will make you shed tears in the long run. It could even double your expense later. Safety, of course is paramount – no shortcuts in selecting electrical equipment including FRLS cabling.
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- It’s a joint effort always : At every stage from design onwards engage yourself and family in the process. Who knows…your spouse or child could give you practical requirements which you may have missed. Be it locating an additional electrical point or an ideal location for the washing machine! Cash in on the experience of your friends who have been through the grind earlier. After all, experience does make a man wiser! You never can predict from which quarter you can get good house construction tips.
- Add that personal touch : It is your house and you need to get to choose the nitty-gritties. The tiles, the colour combos, the landscaping, the niches to display your heirlooms to name a few. Never mind if the architect or the builder has different viewpoints. After all, tastes do differ… and ultimately, its your house!
- Think practicality : Small but important facts – like keeping the children’s study away from the noise prone areas, or the dining room close to the living, skirting on the terrace to prevent seepage, and many more. All these go a long way in ensuring more comfort and less headaches in the long run. Here again, take the cue of these seemingly insignificant house construction tips from other residences you’ve been to.
- Be one with nature : Ensure your building plan makes best use of natural sunlight and cross ventilation. Ask your architect to ensure proper location of skylights and ventilators. If you are planning for renewable energy, plan the solar distribution before construction. This will avoid rewiring and messing up the switch-gear at a later stage! Who knows, this could as well become mandatory in a few years! Reduce your load on mother earth – get that rain water harvesting scheme into your plan at the initial stage itself.
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- Plan for the future not for the present :The most difficult of the house construction tips would be that to think for twenty/thirty years ahead. Your family could be bigger and children will grow out of their spaces. Plan for more/bigger rooms if it suits your budget. Design your rooms with easy access for the senior citizens (you will yourself become one!) and comfortable parking to mention a few. Plan for adequate storage space – you’ll be surprised how quickly your home gets filled up after you move in!
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And of course,the most obvious of the house construction tips would be to keep a regular tab on your construction work. Engage in constant discussions with your builder – just to ensure that work is progressing as per your plan. A personal eye on the progress at every stage pays great dividends in the long run.
And as a last of the house construction tips, don’t forget to get that house insurance policy operational once you are ready to move in. You never know when you may need it!
We do hope these simple but effective house construction tips will hold you in good stead. Happy Constructing!!!