Building a new house is an exciting time. You have organised your finances and can finally start looking at home designs and locations. To avoid any unexpected issues, it is important to know what is involved with a new house-building project. If poorly planned and managed, building a new house may become a financial and emotional drain. Avoid these 17 mistakes to limit these burdens and ensure your house meets your practical needs and is aesthetically pleasing.
17 Mistakes To Avoid When Building A New House
17 Mistakes To Avoid When Building A New House
1. Not Investigating The Location And The Surroundings
When choosing the location of your new home, take as much time as you need and don’t make the decision too quickly. Your location will impact your quality of life in many ways. A good location will mean something different to everyone, depending on your lifestyle and long-term needs. When looking for the right location for your new home, consider amenities like shops and schools, infrastructure, and public transportation. Think about your commute to work and the type of neighbourhood you want to live in.
Another factor is the choice of block. Be careful when considering the type of block to build on. Certain allotments, like sloping blocks or blocks that are hard to access, can increase the overall cost of construction. Although they may cost less to initially buy, or have an amazing view, it is important to be aware of the potential issues that come with them.
2. Rushing The Research
Research and planning ahead is one of the most important aspects at the start of your home-building journey so you need to do your homework. When thinking about what you need, take into account the location, future plans, lifestyle, sustainability, budget and personal taste.
Read books, magazines, and articles online that explain the steps towards building a new home, visit home display centres, and seek expert advice from builders, architects and developers.
3. Starting The Project Without All The Professionals You Need
Building a house is a specialised field, and with that, you need to assemble a very specific list of professionals to take on a building project. You can either be an owner-builder and manage the project yourself or leave it to the building experts and hire a licensed builder. If you decide on the former, you must hire and coordinate builders and trades to work on the project. Depending on the size of the project, professionals you will need to include are architects or building designers, draftsmen, and general contractors to make the project run smoothly. As a novice owner-builder, research is imperative. You may also require a certificate of consent from your local Building Authority to be an owner builder. Ask plenty of questions and seek references before engaging any trades or professionals.
On the other hand, hiring a professional licensed builder will oversee the entire process from start to finish, coordinating and working on the project. The builder will handle rules, regulations and insurance and ensure the worksite meets safety regulations. A good builder will involve you in the process as much as you require. You won’t be doing it all, but you will be a big part of the journey of building your dream home.
4. Glossing Over The Builder’s Quote
Pay close attention to the information in a builder’s quote as it will give you all the details you need to help choose a builder. A builder’s quote is an extensive pricing proposal that details the project description, materials, itemised costs and schedules. The best way to get an accurate builder’s quote is to provide a tender package. This can be organised with an architect or building designer and outlines all the work and materials required. A builder with an extensive brief, including the building plan, engineering documents, soil and material tests, and fixture and fittings details, can produce a more accurate quote. The building quote should have a detailed description of the works included . These details will illustrate that the builder has understood the brief properly.
When considering quotes, be mindful that a cheaper quote may not be better in the long run. Some quotes may not include things such as hot water and gas supply, power outlet location, roof insulation or light fittings in their total price. Additionally, some quotes may not even cover the cost of the materials and finishes you want, opting for inferior, cheaper alternatives to reduce the total cost. Keep a look out for words like “prime costs” and “provisional sums” as both describe items that cannot be given an exact cost. If you want to avoid “prime costs” on your quote, be very specific about the exact make, model, colour and style of fixtures and fittings to be included. Avoid “provisional sums” by having a detailed soil report included in the builder’s brief.
5. Settling For A Less-Than-Ideal Builder
The quality of your home build will come down to a competent builder, so choosing the right one for your project is extremely important. There are many ways to find a builder, including word-of-mouth, advertising, online research and more.
The trick is to decipher the good from the bad. Methods to choose the right builder include comparing communication style, contracts, licences and most importantly, ensuring they specialise in the type of work you’re looking for.
When comparing builders, look at their portfolio quality, which is a testament to their skills. Make sure to obtain references from previous clients who should give an honest appraisal of their work ethic and reliability. Drive around the neighbourhood and look at the type of work the builder has completed.
Finally, check their credentials. Make sure they are a registered builder and have up-to-date insurance for public liability and contract works. Investigate their safety record and confirm they are proactive with health and safety regulations, maintaining safe and clean sites, and supporting sustainable building practices.
6. Overlooking The Inclusions and Exclusions
Be aware that what is not written in the building contract will be an exclusion and additional cost. This is why it is essential to understand what is included and excluded in the scope of the building project. When looking at a building contract, pay close attention to services that are not specified so you have a clear understanding of what has been quoted in the building process.
Inclusions are documented descriptions of the items and services you will receive as part of the work to be done during the construction process. Anything not specified will be considered an exclusion. Examples of exclusions and inclusions include fixtures, fittings, landscaping, fencing, site cleanup, and demolition. An exclusion can also occur if there is a reference in the contract that allows for changes or additions during the construction process.
When considering what to include in your new home build, consider what will make you comfortable and make life easier. Think about structural inclusions like a garage, games room, or outdoor living room. If you are a large family, you may want to specify additional storage in your inclusions, and if you have a home office, consider including more power points or smart home technology. Your inclusions will depend on what is important to you and the people living in the new home.
7. Mismatching Your Budget To The Project Expectations
Being realistic about your budget is imperative when building a new home. You need to know how much the build will cost while allowing a contingency for any issues that may arise during the construction process. Setting aside 10% of your budget for procurement issues or building delays is a good idea. When looking at your project budget, make sure you have a good understanding of what you can borrow but, more importantly, what you can afford to spend.
8. Underestimating The Time Required
A realistic timeline is essential if you want a successful, high-quality building project. You may be excited about the new home and want it done as soon as possible, but high quality builds take time, and you don’t want to take shortcuts to save time or money. There are roughly 10 stages for building a home, and each one will have an estimated time frame. If it all goes to plan, you can estimate the house-building timeline to be around 12 months. This may be more or less depending on the size and complexity of the project. However, the timeline will still depend on things like the supply of materials, weather, and even labour availability.
9. Misjudging Construction Skill For Design Skill
When designing your new home, give thorough consideration to the layout, including where the rooms will be located, their size, window placement, and even hallway width. Most issues with a new home are because of misjudging construction skill for design skill. Construction is on point, but the design has been rushed and little thought has been put into it. Choosing the right design for your home will save time and money and create a happier environment.
To avoid a dysfunctional design, consider the spaces you need in your home to support daily living. This could be the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas, depending on the number, age and mobility of people living in the home. Contemplating how each room will be used will be a factor in its size, fixtures needed, and even position in the home. For instance, a study or nursery will not necessarily need to be a large room but should be adjacent to the master bedroom.
Current and future needs should be taken into account as well. If you have a growing family, consider separate living areas for teenagers. If you have a person with a disability in the home, you will want to include design elements that cater to accessible living, like oversized doors, wide hallways and accessible ramps.
If you are a family who loves outdoor living, design elements that connect the indoors and outdoors should be a factor. Outdoor living offers many benefits, enhancing the quality of life and boosting resale value, to name a couple. To design with outdoor living in mind, consider which way the best view is and where the home should be positioned on the block for the best natural light. Indoor-outdoor spaces should be designed to capitalise on a view. However, if you don’t have a good view, using large windows for natural light will suffice in creating a stunning indoor-outdoor space.
10. Building Too Big Or Too Small
Your family’s needs will ultimately determine the size of the home required for comfortable living. So, ensuring the home is ideal to accommodate the people living there is essential. When calculating the right-sized home for your needs, consider the square metres per person.
As a rule of thumb, each person needs roughly 55m² to 65m², but it will also come down to personal preferences, the location and size of your block, future financial goals and family situation into account. The right-sized home for you will be the one where the living areas and bedrooms are used the majority of the time, and there is little wasted space.
11. Focusing Only On The Present And Not The Future
Think about what the future looks like when planning your new home. Will you be having a family or will the children be leaving home in the near future? Is this the house you wish to retire in or an interim home? It is tempting to build a house that suits your present needs, but looking towards the future will help you create a home that is functional and relevant in the years ahead. You can do this by incorporating ageing-in-place features like wider doorways, walk-in showers or bedrooms on the ground floor, or having extra bedrooms for an expanding family.
12. Cutting Too Much Costs On Building Materials
A home is where we spend most of our lives, so choosing what we build it with is more important than the initial short term cost. Building materials will impact structural integrity, aesthetics, performance, durability, and energy usage so it is important to choose the right building materials for the short and long term of your home. Building with the right materials will create a more enjoyable environment and add value to your home. To make an informed decision about the best material to build a house, you will need to understand the distinctive characteristics of each building material. This can be done by researching online articles and asking professionals for advice.
It is worth investing in high-quality materials for critical aspects of the home, like the roofing, structure, foundation and insulation, as these significantly impact the home’s durability and energy efficiency. However, if budget constraints exist, you could still compromise on materials in certain areas without affecting the long term outcome too greatly. For instance, use the more expensive and durable flooring in high-traffic areas and budget flooring in less-used rooms. Alternatively, you can think a bit more out of the box and source out materials that are not necessarily standard practice – but offer both affordability and longevity. Bamboo flooring is a great example of that.
13. Making Major Changes During The Construction Phase
Changing elements during the construction phase can lead to additional expenses and delays. To avoid this, make sure you are completely satisfied with the design, the builder’s quotes and the materials being used. Ideally, any changes you want to make should be done during the design phase and not the construction phase.
To avoid making changes during the construction phase, have a detailed home design and regular planning meetings where you can assess and modify details. Make sure you have excellent communication with the builder and designer so that the project can be developed accurately and easily. The designer needs to understand what you want and be able to help you visualise what the design will look like.
14. Making Big Purchases When Building a House
It might seem a bit strict, but it is always wise to avoid making big purchases while building. During the building project, you will want any spare money or credit to be available just in case additional expenses arise. So, to be safe, think about delaying buying a new car or going overseas until the house is built.
15. Not Being Organised
As exciting and rewarding as building a home is, there is no skirting around the fact that it takes a lot of time and effort to do. With so much going on, things can sometimes feel like they are spiralling out of control. To avoid that, organisation is key.
Your organisation should begin at the start of the building process by keeping a diary or document with all your inspirational notes and research. Use an app like Pinterest to keep track of your design inspiration. Keep your building quotes, documents and emails in one folder for easy access. These are items you will want to revisit as the build progresses. Keep a building calendar to track any meetings or important dates. Document all communications with your builder for future reference. Alternatively, create a spreadsheet to chart the build’s progress, what has been implemented and what needs to be done.
As much as all of these items may seem overkill, keeping record of everything you can for such an important and jam-packed exercise that is ‘building a home’, really does ensure both a smooth experience and a whole lot less stress.
16. Neglecting Aesthetic Elements
Windows, doors and the roof play a big part in the street appeal of a home. They can add a certain aesthetic appeal so it is important to not neglect these choices. When thinking about the home’s facade, consider the materials windows, doors and the roof will be constructed from. Apart from aesthetic appeal, these will protect your home from the elements.
For door and window choice, choose materials and colours that will complement your facade style. Examine the different types with appearance, functionality and performance in mind. Choose a roof that suits your home style and climate.
17. Putting Energy Efficiency To The Side
When building a home, it is important to consider energy efficiency. All new homes built in Victoria need to comply with the energy efficiency guidelines of the National Construction Code and meet the 7- star performance standards.
Even without government intervention, buyers are beginning to demand more energy-efficient housing in today’s market. Not only for environmental reasons, well-built energy-efficient homes have significantly reduced energy bills compared to conventional homes. Which in itself pays for any additional construction costs in the long run.
Among the many improvements and investments you can make for a more livable and valuable property, sustainable living is paramount. A sustainable home uses clever design techniques, recycled or environmentally friendly materials, as well as reduced construction waste so speak with your builder and designer to see how to make your home more energy-efficient.
Building a new home is a rewarding and exciting journey that requires high-level planning and attention to detail. It is essential to think ahead and understand the mistakes to avoid for the project to run smoothly. By being aware of the top 17 mistakes, you can understand how to avoid them. With our guide, you can confidently navigate the home-building process and create the home you have always dreamed of. Consult with a professional builder to start the process of building your new home.
