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Tips for building an organized home"Planning the details in the
beginning can save you thousands in the end"
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10 IDEAS FOR SAVING YOUR SANITY WHEN BUILDING A CUSTOM OR SEMI-CUSTOM HOME1. Choose all your allowance items before signing the contract. Allowance items will be listed on the your contract and will include flooring, closet shelving systems, kitchen & bath cabinets, built-ins, lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, windows, doors, trim package, pool, landscaping, etc. It is extremely important that you participate in forming these allowance numbers and that they work for you. This will take a while, but you need to do it at some point anyway. Do it up front when it will benefit you. Hire an interior designer to help if you need to. The right interior designer can be extremely helpful in setting appointments, coordinating choices, and keeping the sometimes overwhelming number of selections in perspective. 2. Make sure your builder gets hard numbers on the construction costs. This means he sends the plans to each subcontractor for pricing as opposed to estimating any of those costs on his own. It is important that all possible details be on the plans prior to this step. For example, your electrical estimate will include only the minimal required by code if the outlets, dimmer switches, lighting, etc. that you want are not indicated. The combination of your real allowance numbers from tip #1 and real construction costs means the bottom line on the contract is as accurate as possible. You can finish up much closer to budget when these numbers are real – a huge stress reliever. 3. Be sure that the builder, architect, and mechanical contractors concur on the locations for you’re A/C units and water heaters. This is particularly important if you live in an area that does not have basements or attics. If this forethought is not done at plan stage, you may find that precious closet space is lost to these items. I’ve seen it happen over and over again much to the dismay of the homeowners. Going over this detail in the beginning is another way to save some hassles during construction. 4. Communicate as much as possible in writing. Reduce the possibility of miscommunication and you’ll take another big bite out of the anxiety of building. Providing your changes and instructions in writing will also save money by avoiding the question of who is financially responsible if your requests are overlooked or not completed. 5. Write down all part numbers, colors, etc when making your choices. You’ll need this information to confirm the bids you are signing are correct. Check and double check all bids! Also make sure that delivery and tax are included. Have the lighting and plumbing bids broken down by room and have your representative provide pictures of your choices. By the time these fixtures are delivered to your job site it will be difficult to remember what you chose let alone where it goes. Having pictures and a room-by-room breakdown will make checking your order and installation much less stressful. 6. Keep bids, drawings, small samples, and brochures in one or two small portable file boxes in your car. I recommend small file boxes; the ones with handles for easy transporting, because you’ll have samples, brochures, etc. that won’t work well in 3-ring binders. (See the list “File headings for your file box” on the website.) Having this info available each time you are meeting at the job site will come in handy for confirming delivery of the correct products and making on the spot decisions time and time again. 7. Invite the closet designer, interior designer, and designer of your built-ins to your current home prior to moving to a temporary residence. If you will be relocating to a temporary residence and placing items in storage, this step will allow your designers to take the measurements, pictures, and wardrobe inventories they need before clothing, electronics, and furnishing are packed away. 8. Draw your furniture on the plans along with the size of each piece. This step is necessary for making sure your furniture will fit in addition to determining the placement of lighting, electrical outlets, floor outlets, and switches. The furniture size will come in handy when you are walking the house with the electrician marking the exact electrical locations. 9. Sell your current house, but rent back from the new owners if possible. Not having to move twice will greatly reduce your stress level. You’ll need to put a date on the contract when the new owners can take possession. Ask your builder for a date that he feels comfortable with and include a little breathing room. 10. Look into a construction perm loan which allows you to lock into your interest rate for 9 to 12 months. This takes the worry out of possible rising interest rates. Be aware that your house must be completed before the time period of your lock is up or you can incur some pretty steep penalties. However, by doing your homework up front,( ie, making your choices and planning the details ), you are reducing the possibility of holding up the building process. You won’t be calling a halt to everything while you make up your mind about different choices, nor will you be slowing down the process with change orders. The builder can just build. Be aware that there will be hold ups that you can’t control such as subs being tied up on other jobs or shortages of product. These things are just part of the building process. Be sure the final engineering is completed on your plans before your construction perm loan is set in motion. You don’t want the time on your lock to begin ticking while your plans are still being completed. Want help with all the details? ”Don’t forget the Linen Closets! – a checklist for building an organized home” is a powerful tool to help you address the many details and incorporate function into the design of your new home. This preplanning will save money on change orders; reduce the amount you are over budget at the end of the construction; make your new home more organized, efficient, and enjoyable; and render the building process much less stressful for you and your builder. Click here to purchase your copy today
PLANNING THE DETAILS IN THE BEGINNING CAN SAVE YOU THOUSANDS IN THE END! |
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Florida Green Building Coalition, Inc.
