5 major steps to start building your dream house

As a kid, we used to tell our own stories of living in our dream houses someday. There were times that we bragged about living in a castle, in a 6-storey building with a refrigerator full of candies, and we may even add a nipa hut under a mango tree and a swimming pool. Our imagination and creativity back then has always left us an impact on the choices that we make every day. After years of hard work, you find herself today looking for walkthroughs to finally start your dream home.

Just as we thought that building a home is as easy as we dream of it, we are clueless of where to begin the whole process with. “What do I really want?” “Whom should I seek for help?” “How much should I save or apply for loan?” Probably, you are loaded with all these questions. That’s why you’re here. Building a home is a journey of self-discovery, series of trial and error, and a quest of accomplishing a huge step in life.

These whereabouts lead us to educating ourselves. We are doubtful of being practical for we thought it may hinder us from the success of your plans, and vice versa. I know you are still puzzled with everything that you look forward to, so here are 5 Major Steps to Start Building a Dream Home or
Business Establishments, let us reap the fruit of your labour!

1. Know your Goals

Figure out what you really want. Do you prefer a bungalow for a more intimate home with your future family? Do you consider living in mansion where you can drink your wine in a bath tub all day? Whatever you decide, look for inspiration. Browse through architectural magazines, stalk your celebrity idols on Instagram, save pins from Pinterest, and surf the internet for ideas.

Your plans should be realistic and accurate. If you are now certain of what type of home that you want, evaluate yourself. Define your needs, wants and must haves. Consider simplicity and luxury, space saving items, pieces of furniture you’d like to add to your rooms, and the mood you would like to set in your home. Are you a minimalist? A maximalist? A toy collector? A bookworm? Get inspiration from your hobbies. This is will help you to decide whether your idea is worth building or not.

Make a list of pros and cons. It will make you recognize more vivid details on your plan. Remember that each item on your list should be grouped according to its categories. In this way, you will be able to track your expenses and have a proper allocation of funds for the “line items.”

 2. Budget

It is very tricky to come up with the exact construction cost to build a house. Each
construction varies on materials that will be used and the type of house that would be built. It is best to give your budget outright or house design fees and processing fees for building permit so that the architect or construction firm can come up to a plan and design that would fit your budget.

You can give your architect the detailed specifications on how you want your home to look and feel like, including number of floor levels, number of rooms, desired space and size, and of course, design. Look for the best loan options and begin with what you can afford. The costs depend on how big your house is. In the Philippines, the cost of constructing a house ranges from PHP20,000 to PHP 30,000 per square meter.

Some expenses that you might want to consider are:
- Lot purchase including taxes and legal fees
- Permits, approvals, and inspections
- Utility connections like power, water, sewer, gas and communications
- Frameworks including floors, walls, and roof
- Service costs including insurance, payments builders’ fees and storage 
Consider the importance of building plans to save money. Keep in mind that planning saves money and the best and most-cost effective plan is to look for the right people who would help you estimate the costs and handle your budget.

A perfect location for both house and business depend on a person’s preferences and the goal of building it. While most houses were built within a city for a more centralized lifestyle, living in a rural community provides a cheaper more peaceful surrounding. A truly great neighborhood has a few key factors: accessibility, appearance, and amenities – which all should be considered when choosing your location.
Before deciding, have your checklist on what to consider such as:
- Is it prone to flooding
- Is it within a subdivision or a gated community
- How is the water supply?
- Are there informal settlements in the area?
- Are there neighbors conducting any business that can affect the peacefulness of the place?
- Is it near to convenient stores?
- Does it have an easy access to roads and/or public transportation?
- Does it have a low crime rate?
- Are there schools and hospitals nearby?
Finally, research the area of your desired location. Walk through the neighborhood few times a day so you could look around and spot possible situations that you may encounter or that may affect the value of your home. If you are still troubled, get an expert’s advice before building.

4. Team

Hiring the perfect team to build your dream home is the key to achieve what you have envisioned. Now that you are done researching, getting inspiration, ticking of your checklists, estimating the costs and expenses, choosing the best location, created your preferred designs, it is the time to pass all your specifications to trained professionals.
Who works together for a team?
- architect
- engineer
- contractor
- house plan designer,
- builder,
- sub-contractors
- material suppliers
- land financial institute
- landscape architect
- interior designer
- and many more professional creatives who serve as a guide towards choosing the best for your home
What should I consider in choosing the people who would work for me?
- Make sure they are experienced
- Check their previous projects
- Conduct an interview
- Visit their social media handle
- Have a meeting
- Settle for a good offer for construction

If you are having a trouble choosing between hiring a construction firm or hire architects and engineers individually, remember that the company you will choose to build your home is a key decision. This firm will be responsible for every phase and stages of design and construction of your dream home. They will select and manage all of the remaining works needed. Experienced builders can provide cost analysis and suggest possible alternatives.

5. Plan

You have now made your own plans, accomplished permits, secured your budget, and chose a team; the only thing left to do is to build your dream house! However, mistakes and mishaps might occur during the span of construction and can be avoided. If this happens, remember that you should stay calm and keep your trust on your decisions. In the middle of the process, you might come up to a new idea and discover and innovation. Stick to your plans – every new decision will bring you to newer expenses.

Expect delays and setbacks because even the weather can restrict your timeline. Some situations can lead to misunderstandings between you and the team or can exist in the team if the instructions that you give is unclear. Learn to communicate. The trained professionals that you are working with are knowledgeable and are great listeners.

Attend meetings, conduct daily or a weekly visit on the site, and send your team a message online to keep track of the progress. In this way, you will able to record the transaction, look at the invoices, and manage the costs. Construction, renovation, and remodeling is a complex task. Look forward to the day that construction is completed and the time that you will move to your new home from your hard-earned money.

Whether you stick on your childhood dream and built a castle, a 6-storey building with a refrigerator full of candies, or may even added a nipa hut under a mango tree and a swimming pool. All of this happened because of you. Enjoy your home, grow your newly established business, and live the life you always dreamed of!