For custom-built homes and do-it-yourself home construction projects, there are few factors that have more influence on construction completion than the homeowner. You have the power to keep your projects on track and the quality of work you want. Anyone who chooses to build their own home can expect to accelerate the pace of their construction project by respecting the following principles and ideas, all designed to finish new home building projects on time.
Have a Backup Contractor
The person who chooses to build their own home can’t do so without assuming certain risks. This is true, even if their only risk turns out to be lost time at work. No one acting as their own contractor can ever be certain they won’t run into problems they can’t solve without help. Self-builders should be advised to arrange a professional builder to step in to help them complete a job if they are confronted with unmanageable problems.
Managing Administrative Issues
Building a home requires obtaining a stack of licenses, certifications, and approvals from the local building department and other regulatory officials. No do-it-yourself builder should break ground until after they are 100 percent certain they have all of the approvals and administrative requirements needed for new construction.
These approvals should include all site plans, zoning permits as well as the construction financing they need to get the project done. While at it, there is never a good reason not to apply for a pre-approval of a mortgage loan. For veterans, looking into low VA rates or VA streamlined refinance options can help save a bundle as well.
Don’t Ignore Modular Designs
Modular construction is an alternative to stick-built homes that require onsite contractors to frame them. Modular designs involve assembling prefabricated sections (modules) that have been created in a factory and delivered to the construction site where they can be quickly put up on a slab. Modular design allow the home builder to put up the exterior frame of a new home, including its roof in a single day.
It is important for all self-builders to keep in mind they will be living for many years beneath the very roof that they are building. It is up to you to be decisive when making the decisions that go into planning the functional aspects of your home and make sure everything is completed on time and within your schedule.
About: Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.