Australia already feels like a dream. So, imagine what it would feel like to have your dream home there. Those blessed to live in the down-under have it a bit easier, but I’m sure they even have plans and dreams for a beautiful home-sweet home in a favorite location.
Building your dream home has its struggles, as does realizing every dream. This process of creating your home from the ground may make you pull your hair out of your head, but it will surely be an unforgettable and exciting journey.
You have all the cards on the table. Do you want to build a residential property or buy one that suits you? Complete personalization or just some things here and there? It’s all up to you. But don’t worry; here are 6 things that will help you build your dream home with complete clarity:
1. Location and Planning
Location is the first and one of the most significant parts of the process. Australia is such a huge country that every part of Australia has different weather and atmosphere.
You also have to consider more minute details. For example, do you want to live in a good neighborhood, a new developing block, or something totally off the grid? Take note of the square footage, too, for better comparison. You should also consider whether the land is level or sloped. All of these details will impact your building cost and timeframe.
Then, it would help if you planned the entire thing to a tee. The more you spend on the groundwork before, the less hassle you’ll have to face later on.
Decide the things that depend on your taste, like the direction of the house, the layout of the rooms, the sort of lighting and ambiance, the number of power points, the position and the size of the windows, etc.
You can also draw inspiration from fantastic designs and present them with your own twist. These can also provide references to your builder and engineer.
Jot them down in a notebook, save YouTube videos, bookmark websites, and start a Pinterest board—as you know, everything is fair in love, war, and making your dreams come true.
2. Budget
You may have planned it all in your head and have an estimated budget, but the pro tip on a budget is always to overestimate and have more on the side. There can be an umpteenth number of things your builder will ask for, something you have yet to hear of.
Renowned as finishing costs, all of these can eat away 15-25% of the budget easily. These include electrical meters, landscaping, fences, decking, letterboxes, etc.
Then, add account site costs, which you’ll have to pay to get your land construction-ready, and planning application fees for permissions on all of the above. So, the best thing is to keep your budget flexible so that if any unforeseen situation comes up, you’ll have an escape route ready at your fingertips.
3. Take Care of Your Construction Standards
To ensure safety and the best possible quality of work, you can opt for builders who use skid steers boomandbucket.com and follow construction standards. Standards not only enforce the best possible working environment but also improve construction by following numerous industry experts’ recommendations.
Maintaining standards goes beyond your property. It provides safety to all workers and enables the company to train them correctly and efficiently.
If you want to know more about standards, go to https://infostore.saiglobal.com/en-au/, and you’ll find more than one reason to employ these standards in your dream home.
4. The Builder
This can be the make-or-break decision for your home, quite literally. You will see each other’s faces for a few upcoming months, so ensure you get someone understanding and on the same wavelength as you. Otherwise, it may get feisty. Start by checking that the builder is licensed and insured. Also, check whether a builder is a member of the HIA (Housing Industry Association).
You should check the builder’s work history for reference and the warranty of their services. If you can’t, ask them before you give the final signature on the contract. You can also consult the Department of Fair Trading to know if there were any previous complaints against the builder of your choice.
You can look at the houses the builder has already built. You’ll get to know about their quality of work and if their style matches the design you want or not. Then, finally comes their quoted price. Again, you may need to find another if it falls well outside your budget.
5. Concessions and Grants
If you’re building a home for the first time, you can apply for a ‘First Home Owner Grant’ (FHOG). However, it depends on the state or territory you live in. This is a pretty substantial amount that can reduce the cost by a considerable margin. Just find out if you’re eligible.
Several states and territories also offer various stamp duty concessions when you purchase your building lot. You should find out about these in detail before finalizing your construction.
6. Finance
Most people need a construction home loan to build their homes. This is much different from a standard home loan. In that case, the lender will only provide the money in installments, not in one go.
The lender is the one who decides how much you’ll need and will allocate funds to the builder in a specific systematic way. These payments are called draws. Every draw gets paid only when a particular stage of the construction is finished. Also, as construction loans are riskier, lenders may ask you to deposit 20% (at least) of the cost upfront.
But there are a couple of ways you can save some dollars. First, look around for the prices on fittings, fixtures, and materials and ask for several quotes for expensive items needed in the construction. You can also save significantly by choosing a construction site that requires less devising, such as removing dirt and rocks, leveling up the ground, etc.
CONCLUSION
A home is something other than something you’d want to make again and again. Instead, you’d love to find peace there. So, you need to calculate every step wisely and immaculately. These 6 steps are good points to start, but there will be more challenges along the way. But when you step into your dream home for the first time, you’ll feel that place is worth fighting for.
