There’s almost no bigger project than building the home of your dream and finally moving in. The excitement is just enough to push you to blindly making the wrong choices, whether choosing a contractor, purchasing quality materials, and whatnot. That’s why I have created this page for every new homeowner to know and avoid these 10 biggest design mistakes you’re more than likely to make. Let’s dive right in.
Not Hiring A Professional Architect From The Start
Most people believe all they have to do is show their contractor a photograph or two of the “beautiful house down the street” that they are looking to replicate. It’s only at the odd time when the project is completed or nearly that they figured out what that home interior looks like and that they do not like it. To avoid this and anything similar, hire a professional designer to produce the complete and well-detailed drawings of the house, from exterior to interior.
Keeping Questions When You Should Ask Them
Being new to this kind of project can make you give all the authority to your engineers with the belief that “they are experts and they do know what they are doing”. But the thing is, it’s your home and you should be questioning whatever is not clear to you in every stage of the project. Always remember that there are no dumb questions and you should be asking as much as you need to.
Going For The Lowest Bid
Of course, you should never spend more where you can spend less without hurting your project. But most new homeowners like to feel lucky only to end up making the wrong choices. Always remember that the most cost-effective materials may not be of the best quality. Likewise, the contractor or engineer that charges the least may not render the best services. The best thing to do is a background check on your contractor and a quality check on each of the “super cost-effective” materials you have an eye for.
Pretending To Understand A Design When You Don’t
This may sound repetitive but the stage where you get to analyze or study the design of the residential home you’re looking for is a very delicate one. This is because there’s no going back once you chose a design and your engineers already started working on it. So, it’s better to come out plain and let your builders know you don’t understand the aspect of your design that seems odd to you. It doesn’t hurt.
Failing To Get Everyone On The Same Page With You
Except it’s a home for your private life without a family or anyone you envision to be living with you in it, it’s important to talk over the design, concept, schemes, dimensions, layouts, and everything about the building with other residents. Discuss with the kids how they want their rooms, and likewise with your partner. Finally, let the landscaping architecture and final outlook be decided by all.