FOUR STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE YOU DESIGN – INTRODUCTION

We all think we know what we want in a new house, but do we really know? Many people just start from nothing more than a list of rooms with a guess at their sizes but can end up with plans that create more challenges than benefits, might not work as well as hoped, and a house that might not be as affordable as they’d hope.

However, there is research and contemplation that can be done and information to be collected BEFORE you design your house to make sure you actually get the dream house you want.

There are four steps you need to take before you start your design. We’ll discuss each of these steps in separate articles, but a summary of each is provided below.

THE FOUR STEPS

For the first step we’ll discuss how to figure out what you need. This will involve taking a detailed look at your current home and furnishings to know what all you really need to account for in your new house, and any new items you’ll need to accommodate in your home. From this information you’ll determine the target size of your house.

For the second step we’ll discuss what you want. What you want is more about contemplation and dreaming so that you can get a more detailed sense of what your dream home means to you and what it looks like.

The third step will be about selecting a property (assuming you don’t yet have the land for your new home). Since property size can vary from small to large and zoning requirements can limit the size of what you can build on a given property, you’ll need to know what you want on the property besides your house to determine the size of land you’ll need.

Lastly, the fourth step will be to create a project budget that can account not just for construction costs but items such as the funds you have available, non-construction costs such as professional fees, moving costs, and other miscellaneous expenditures, and finally comparing these costs against what you can afford.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Take your first step by reading the article “Four Steps to Take Before Your Design – Step 1: Determine What You Need“.

Top photo of tiles by Brett Jordan on Unsplash.

Feature photo of stairs by Debby Urken on Unsplash.