6 Resources to Check Out Before Building a House

Many people turn to home builders when they can't find a house on the market that fits their needs. Building your home is an exciting venture, but you must make sure you do your due diligence before starting the construction process.

Do you want to construct the abode yourself, or are you looking for a company specializing in home building to come and do the work?

Resources to Check Before Building

There are a lot of considerations when building a home, and you need to do your homework to ensure you're making the right decisions. Here are some resources and things to consider in the building process.

1. Land For Sale

To build a home, you must have land to put it on. If you're using a home building company, they often have land/home packages for you to bundle. However, finding the desired spot yourself is often better.

If you pay for the land upfront, it can be used as collateral to help secure the mortgage. Your land must be able to accommodate the size of your home per the specifications of your locale.

The home must be placed off the property line to ensure you're within code. These are all things to take into consideration.

2. Deciding on a House Model

Modern house plans are essential to making your dream come true. You can go to an architect and pay thousands of dollars for plans, or you can find the home you want online and get the plans with ease. Building tiny homes, compact trailer homes, or other unique houses can be done with luxury and comfort in mind.

Do you long for open floor plan living, or do you want well-defined zones? Maybe you want a home that's perfect for entertaining. Whether you have modern urban living in mind or want tranquil gardens and an urban sanctuary, you can have what you desire.

Having detailed plans is beneficial whether you're doing the building yourself or hiring a home building team.

3. Utility Companies

Where you build your home is essential. Utilities can cost thousands of dollars. You need to know if the house will require a septic system or if it can hook up to a city sewer. Electricity is another primary consideration.

Is the address easily accessible to the electric company, or do they need to run poles on neighbor's properties? All these things will cost you extra money and time on your building project.

4. Zoning and Permits

To build a modern home container style, you need to ensure that your area will allow such a structure. Some regions have stringent guidelines for housing, and you must ensure that you fit within the requirements to be legal.

How long does it take to get building permits in your area? Do you need a soil test for a septic system? All of these things are going to add time to your timeline.

5. Insurance

It would help if you had insurance on the construction site and after the home is complete. Being protected in the event of the unthinkable happening is imperative. Make sure that you have adequate insurance that covers replacement costs and not just the price of the structure as it stands.

6. Check Housing Market to Ensure the Right Path

Though you’ve, no doubt, already checked the housing market to ensure there’s nothing on there you desire, it doesn’t hurt to call a realtor. Realtors often have connections and can get inside deals on homes that haven’t even hit the market. Before starting any building project, you want to ensure there’s nothing new on the MLS that will fit your needs.

Final Thoughts on Building a House

Building a home is exciting. Whether you want to upsize, downsize, or just choose something with the better flow doesn't matter. You can create the home of your dreams and ensure you've done all the necessary steps to make the process easier.

What do you envision as your new home? Does it have a modern floor plan with wide-open spaces, or are you looking to focus more on outdoor living? Whatever you want can happen when you have the right plans and a building team ready to work.            

Guest Contributor: Miranda Spears