Building your own house? It is crucial for the design of your house to be perfected before the construction starts. Building a house often costs you hundreds of thousands of pounds, and any modifications in the post-construction phase can easily add tens of thousands more to the final price tag. To help you avoid that and make the best design possible, here we share some factors you should consider in the design phase.
First of all, you should ask yourself what you expect from your house and how much space you need. It’s also essential to choose the right construction materials to guarantee your future home’s long-term safety and comfort. Additionally, consider designing your home with environmentally-friendly solutions in mind.
Next, you should think about the garage and whether there is any point in building it. Perhaps it would be enough to build a carport? Finally, decide if your garden should have a sprinkler system or not. Read on and sleep well, knowing that you have the key bases covered!
Do You Need That Much Space?
Once you have decided to build your own home, it’s time to think about the size of the house. Many people start by planning a huge home with lots of empty space and then realize that they can’t actually fill that. The result is a lot of wasted money and space in your house.
Consider the needs of your family. If you don’t plan to have children in the future, or only a single kid at most, you don’t need a six-bedroom house. A three or four-bedroom house is more than enough for the three of you. You should think about your less immediate family too. For all one knows, your parents may move in with you at some point in the future, or you will have to host your in-laws. In that case, a bigger house makes more sense.
Also, consider your hobbies and your line of work. Maybe you’re an accomplished woodworker and need a separate workshop equipped with a 5×10 CNC router? Or perhaps you own a lot of art pieces and need a separate gallery room for them? If you have anything that requires a lot of space, consider building it into your house project.
What Materials Should You Use?
The choice of construction materials is usually a matter of budget. Some materials are more expensive than others, but they also last longer, require less maintenance, and result in a more comfortable residence to live in.
For example, steel is a great material for framing your house, but it’s also quite expensive. It doesn’t rot and protects your house from pests like termites or carpenter ants. Building a wooden frame is cheaper, but you might have to regularly treat it to prevent degradation. This costs money and time.
Wood is one option when it comes to windows and doors – if you are looking for the former, you can, for example, take a look at the OptiLook windows.
If you live in a hot area, it’s a good idea to choose windows with low-emissivity glass because it will reflect the sun’s heat back. This is especially important if you have a lot of panoramic windows that let in a lot of sunlight.
Don’t Forget About Insulation!
Insulation is essential both in terms of comfort and economy. A well-insulated house feels warmer in winter and cooler in summer, so you will use your HVAC system less often and thus save money on energy bills. Good insulation can also reduce the amount of noise coming from outside, making your home a more pleasant place to live in.
There are different types of insulation, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, fiberglass has excellent heat-related properties but is flammable, so it doesn’t make a good choice for an area exposed to fires or sparks (such as near a fireplace).
Another popular material is cellulose insulation – it’s safe and environmentally friendly, but it doesn’t work that well if there’s any moisture present around it (for example, if a pipe in the wall leaks).
Should You Include a Garage?
Garages are very useful for keeping cars safe and out of poor weather, or for using for storage purposes. However, building a garage isn’t always needed or even advisable. In some cases, having a garage may actually be a bad choice. Garages are not cheap to build – especially if they’re attached to your house – so consider whether you really need one before deciding to include it in your design plans.
There are alternative storage solutions that don’t cost as much as building a garage, such as a carport, which will protect your car from moderate weather conditions without costing too much money.
If you decide that you still want to build a garage, remember that the bigger it is, the more expensive it will be to construct and maintain over time. Also, make sure that there’s enough space around your garage to allow cars to move freely within the garage itself and get in and out of it easily (you don’t want your car stuck inside because there wasn’t enough space).
Should You Get Sprinklers?
Before you start building your house, consider if there is a need for sprinklers in your garden. Installing an automatic irrigation system will eliminate the need for you to water your plants manually every day or two when there isn’t enough rain.
Automatic sprinklers are very convenient, but they’re also quite expensive to mount and use and can also result in high water bills, so think about whether you really need them before adding them to your design plans.
If you prefer something else, there are other options for watering your garden. Rain barrels can be placed around your property and capture rainwater that can then be used later on to water plants through gravity drip irrigation systems. Finally, you could simply set up hoses in certain areas of your garden where water needs to be supplied regularly (for example, next to trees or flower beds).
Conclusion
Building a house is an excellent opportunity to create the home you have always dreamed of. However, to avoid disappointment or extra costs, you have to carefully think about your needs and requirements before starting construction.
By taking all these factors into account, you will be able to create the perfect home for you and your family – good luck!
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