There’s so much room for error that getting it right is a daunting challenge. Most homeowners will make some mistakes while building their home. You cannot pre-empt everything but what you can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. There are some conventional and a few unconventional ways of overcoming the overwhelming challenge of building a home.
• The most common mistake people make is having a very conservative or a very lenient budget. Both extremes are wrong. Have too little a budget and you will overshoot it by miles. Have a very lenient budget and you will lose money. Always be realistic about your finances. Know the actual costs of the building materials, find the best prices for the different types of materials you would need, research vendors or suppliers so you can get a good deal and find the best contractor who would build your house. Consult your contractor to know the ins and outs of the industry. The experienced contractors are best placed to suggest you the best materials and they should get you the best prices.
• Do not think you can build your own house. Even architects limit themselves to just designing their homes. Even builders don’t usually build their own homes and even if they use contractors they know and are hands-on clients, they tend to stay away from the technicalities and the actual work.
• Do not be an unsure homeowner. Either intervene and be on the site or be completely hands-off. The best advice? -Let the contractors do their job. Once you have approved a plan, the design adheres to the building codes and you have sanctioned a budget, let the contractors do their job. Review their work but do not intervene. Even if you find mistakes in the interim, hold the contractor responsible but do not try to fix things yourself.
• Do not be in haste. Many homeowners think that time is money. Indeed, you may pay the contractors more for a few extra days. But hurrying and rushing through the project would cost you tens of thousands in the near future.
