Designing your own home can be a satisfying and rewarding experience if you manage to do it right. There is no reason why you shouldn’t try it if you want it. However, the journey of creating your own house won’t be easy. It will involve a lot of planning and learning. We shall be looking at some of the considerations you have to make as well pitfalls to avoid to make the process easier for you.
Don’t Ignore the Professionals
There is no one better placed to design your dream home other than yourself. You understand your family best, their needs, their aspirations, and future plans. An architect may be a professional, but when it comes to the important small details that introduce the personal touch to your family, they might not get it. However, they are still very important as they understand the technical details much more than you. The key here is to always seek advice from an architect in case you do not understand anything. They will break down the technical details for you. Talk to a representative from Paradise Developments as they can refer you to Paradise Designs consultants to guide you through the home design process. Remember that people all over the world have been designing their own houses for generations.
Planning
The first step in designing your dream home, you first have to do a lot of planning to avoid costly mistakes further down the process. The planning stage is the most important one of all. During the planning stage, you’ll establish your budget, needs, house features, future plans, time the project will take, and the schedule.
You Don’t Have to Use Fancy Software
Remember, you are not an architect or an engineer. Don’t fall into the temptation of paying for fancy software. Just start simple. A pencil and a piece of paper will be enough initially. Just put your ideas down in the form of rough sketches and keep improving on them. It is an excellent time to involve all your family as you get to understand their needs and the features they want in the house. Actually, many people draw rough sketches and give it to a professional to bring the design to life with all the technical details.
How to Design a Floor Plan
A floor plan is the foundation of your design. Once you get the house floor plan correct, the rest will be easy. A floor plan is the diagram of your house viewed from above. Floor plans are essential when building as they will have all the measurements. A correctly done floor plan will ensure that people living in the home enjoy it and move around with ease. There are numerous software and online tools that help with creating a floor plan. Most of these will even render the plan in 3D for better visualization.
Design for the Future, not the Present
A house is an expensive asset to acquire. If you plan to design and build it yourself, you must plan for the future. Your dream home now may be a nightmare to live in a couple of years down the line. A couple with no children but planning to start a family should design and build the home with the children in mind. There are other considerations to make for the future including, aging parents, relatives, work from home, amenities that may be needed in the future such as children playing areas, etc., once you outline what future needs may be, you will be an as strong position to design your dream home that will be functional for a long time.
Location
There are several considerations to make here. If you already have acquired the land to build your home, you need to be aware of factors such as size, orientation, and topography. These will heavily influence your design. Failure to consider them will be an expensive mistake. The orientation of the house is particularly important. You may end up with a hot home in the summer month and a freezing one in the winter months due to poor orientation. Or one with poor natural lighting. Living room and bedroom windows should have the best views of the surrounding landscape.
Another point to consider here is the building approval rules and procedure. What types of houses are allowed in the area, the approval procedure, inspections, fees, and any special conditions. House designs and buildings are strictly regulated to ensure safety and compliance to set rules. This is something you can research yourself or consult a professional for advice.
Budget
Budget is the most important consideration of all the ones we shall discuss. You have probably heard of horror stories of people who designed their dream home only to go way above their budget and run into debt. It is a common occurrence for those people who design and build their own homes. It is typically tied to inadequate planning. To avoid this, list the features that you’d want in your dream home and then prioritize them according to your budget. Stick to your budget strictly. Remember, you can always add something later on.
Functional Spaces
In as much as houses serve an aesthetic appeal, they first need to be functional to the people living there. Since you understand your family best, assess each one of their needs, and make the house functional as possible. For instance, an open plan kitchen may be suited to families who prefer gathering in the kitchen to eat and to catch up. If the house is functional and flow between the rooms is smooth, then everything else will fall in place.
If you ever wondered how to design your own house, I hope the tips I have shared will help you start the process. Creating your own house is something many people dream about but never get to do it. It is possible to design and even build your own home. Some people are doing it with great success. Even if you choose to go through this route, always consult the professionals at every stage and in case of any doubts and for recommendations.