Building A Custom Home – What You Need To Know
One of the most common questions builders get asked is whether it’s better to build a custom-designed house or stick to the set-plan designs readily provided by most building companies. To best answer this question, we have taken some time to put together this handy custom house-building guide. Take a look below for tips on designing your own home, the costs involved, and a few of the benefits of building a custom home.
Custom Home Design In 3 Easy Steps
Designing your own home is an exciting time – you can finally have everything just as it suits you! However, before you get carried away, it is a good idea to spend some time working through all of the details to ensure you create a space tailored to the way you and your family wish to live, both now and in the future.
1. Where To Start
Here is a bit of an insider tip for you – don’t overlook existing house plans as a useful home-design tool. Even though you may not want to choose a set-plan design, they make an excellent starting point for anyone thinking about designing their own home. Looking at existing plans from as many building companies as you can will give you an immense amount of information, ideas, inspiration and design concepts – all for free!
Set plans are perfect for discovering tips and tricks for:
- Best use of space
- Innovation, particularly around storage and space-saving
- Room sizing and layout
- Utility placement
- Bathroom and kitchen functionality
2. Follow Through With Our Custom House Design Checklist
Once you’ve had a good look at as many house plans as you can, you might find there are a few concepts or ideas that stand out. This insight will help you better understand what you want (sometimes by knowing what you don’t want) and how to go about getting it! Try working your way through this handy home design checklist to help you stay on track and keep the momentum going.
- Set Your Priorities. Creating a list of must-haves will help ensure the end result is what you want and avoid the possibility of losing sight of the main goals while making your way through the design process. It is important to refer back to this priority list throughout the entire design process, making revisions, additions and adjustments as elements such as budget and legalities become better known.
- Design For The Future. Whatever your age or stage in life, you should always think ahead to what you might want/need in a home in the future. Just because you don’t have children now doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider the implications of them joining the family in the future, or the same applies if you have an older family member that may need somewhere to live in their later years.
- Decide On The House Size. Start with including everything you want/need; there is always going to be a bit of a trade-off with this one as the higher the square meterage, the higher the overall cost. But, if you begin at the top and work your way back to affordable, you can make sure the priority design concepts remain and decide where compromises are best made.
- Research The Legalities. Are there any local council restrictions on the possible size of your home? Boundary or height restrictions? Are there any developer requirements for shape, style, or appearance? What build features are generally required in your area as per the NZ Building Code, such as more extensive foundation preparation, Geotech reports, high wind resistance products etc?
- Delve Into The Logistics. We are talking layout here – how many bedrooms do you need? How many levels do you want? Are there any specific features on the priority list that need to be incorporated? How much space do you really need for two people? Five People? Where do you want the kitchen in relation to the living areas?
- Don’t Forget The Externals. While not directly linked to the design of your house, one common mistake many people make is to forget all about designing the home to fit the section. Do you need to leave room for the boat? The shed? The dog? Onsite parking? A turnaround area? Gardens? Landscaping features? Remember, this is about building a home, not just a house.
- Love The Lifestyle. Now is an excellent time to think about your design and style preferences. This includes thinking about colours, products, environmentally friendly aspects and all of the small things that sometimes get forgotten when building a house. Are there any special out-of-the-norm features you want to include? Personal touches? One-of-a-kind products?
3. Finding The Right Builder!
Some builders specialise in custom home builds, some specialise in hill builds, while others focus more on renovations and repairs. Choosing the right builder can make or break your new home project, so choose wisely!
While it may come down to trusting your gut or simply getting a recommendation from a friend, family member, or colleague, there are a few other things you can do to make sure you find the right builder, these are:
- Get Multiple Quotes. Getting more than one quote will mean you are able to compare pricing and understand a bit better what you are paying for and why. Make sure you are comparing apples with apples though as some building companies will have more inclusions in their quotes such as heating appliances, and different quality materials, fixtures and fittings.
- Look Out For Hidden Costs. Hidden costs can appear out of nowhere through the course of a build. As New Home Consultants, Architects, Draftsmen and Councils get involved they may have different ideas about what you can and can’t do – these finer details can end up blowing out the budget and the expected time frames. Be mindful of exactly what you are getting for your money.
- Check Credentials. Taking a look at their accreditation or qualifications is a good place to start, most builders in New Zealand will either be affiliated with the Registered Master Builders Association or NZ Certified Builders Association industry organisations. Reading some reviews online is also a great idea, have a look on Facebook and other industry review sites to see what the general consensus is, or get in touch with some of their past clients.
- Experience Matters! Choosing a local builder who has many years of experience is always the best option. More experienced construction companies have knowledgeable staff and a wealth of professionals at their disposal, including architects, quantity surveyors, and tradies who, along with doing a great job, can spot issues before they become a problem, helping to avoid possible complications.
Is Building A Custom Home More Expensive?
How much custom homes cost to build is one of the most common questions many people face when considering building from custom plans. The truth is, while set plan costs are often predetermined or within a predetermined range, custom builds are more difficult for builders to cost upfront as there are a lot of unknowns.
However, once all of the design decisions and planning is done, they will still be able to provide you with a full cost breakdown and pretty specific budget. In fact, it is always best practice to settle on the price before any building work has begun to avoid misunderstandings or budget blowouts.
What’s The Most Expensive Part Of Building A House?
When building your custom home, one of the key areas to get your head around is understanding what the money is getting spent on. This will not only help you identify cost-saving measures but also get a better idea of the specifics of the build, which leads to better decision making. Here is a quick rundown of the top 5 costs you will encounter when building a custom house to give you some idea of the more significant costs involved.
- Framing. It may surprise you to know the most expensive part of building a house is the framing. The bigger the square meterage of the house, the more expensive it will be to frame up. The type of framing used can also impact cost depending on the current market value; in NZ, the most common materials used for framing are timber and steel. Labour is also a factor in the cost of the framing.
- Foundations. The key element for the price of foundations is the type of foundations required. This will be determined by the location of the build, the geotechnical assessment of the ground stability and local contractor fees. A concrete slab foundation is the simplest and cheapest type of foundation used here in NZ; more difficult build sites such as hillside builds will have additional foundation requirements, raising the cost of the build.
- Roofing. The size of the roof and the type of material used will determine the costs involved. In NZ, the most common forms of roofing are tile (concrete/clay and metal) and longrun iron, both of these options have their pros and cons and associated upfront and install costs. Metal roofing tends to come in significantly cheaper than tiles largely due to easy installation.
- Plumbing And Electrical. These two jobs affect the cost of the build for three reasons: the work must be carried out by qualified professionals, the work is complex, and they take time. For example, if your electrician or plumber does not show up for several days or has difficulty sourcing the fittings you require, it can hold up the entire build.
Is Building A Custom Home Worth It?
Building a custom home is not that different from building off set plans; it just involves a little bit of extra planning and preparation ahead of time. Choosing to design your own house and build a custom home is often the perfect option for buyers who want to build their forever home with a floor plan fit for the specific needs of the family.
While some may find the extra costs involved are a bit much, others will see the longer-term gains in getting exactly what you want now, rather than having to buy and sell multiple times in the future to meet the changing needs of the family.
From the floorplan through to the landscaping – there will be no limitations (other than your budget, of course!) on what you want and how you want it done. Custom home builders will help you plan every element of your home, but you are in control!
Want a truly unique home tailored to your lifestyle? JAR Builders specialises in seeing your construction project through all the way from concept and design to construction and fit-out. Call us today to begin the custom design and build process.