5 Good Ideas to Plan Your New Home

If you’re like most people building a new home, you’ve already looked at many house plans or have an idea of how you want your custom home built.  Once you have decided on building your own home, ask your Realtor or general contractor to look around for a house you may want.  In person, a home can look very different.  Here are some general tips when planning your new home:

   

1)     Try to get a Lot that is in a desirable area – Why?  You either want to try to get a return on your investment (eventually) or you want a desirable school, hospital, location or all of these.

2)     Consult your neighbors and realtor; they may have good information on your location.  For example, Information provided in a condo or house situation could help you find out if there could be a HOA (Home Owners Association) increase proposed. 

3)     Try to Stick to the design aesthetic of the neighborhood; the HOA may require this.  If you plan to stick out like a sore thumb, be prepared for any future consequences.   One of these aspects may include difficulty in selling your new home with your unique qualities.

4)     Download a good application to plan your rooms.  These can be great on tablets, allowing you to put your furniture where you want it before any heavy lifting is involved or especially if you plan on doing some decorating yourself.

5)     Find inspiration online.  There are more places to get ideas for your house online than ever before.   Once you find your inspiration, ask your home builder or architect they can most likely give you a similar if not exact look of the home you find online.

Following this advice may just help you build the perfect new home or business you always wanted.  Always know what budget you have in mind, explain this to your general contractor or architect.   It doesn’t hurt to plan ahead or allow for some overages on your budget.  Your general contractor may offer design services which can really help both on your exterior and interior building.

Questions to Consider Before Buying a Lot for your Custom Home

Listed are a few general things to consider when buying a lot.  In the St. Louis area one can find a good lot at a decent price.  One might look in the St. Charles or O’Fallon area of the metro.  Be sure to pass these questions along to your real estate agent, the seller and experts in each field. 

All things considered, a new custom home built well can last for generations.  A custom home gives you a chance to pick out what will be constructed and where you will break ground.  Every area has a reason to stay for decades and can be a good investment.  Most plan on staying in their new house a long time so time is not an issue, but doing your due diligence is always good.

·        Location, Location, Location.  Does the area have a good location you can plan your future?  Are the school districts good or what you expect? Are there any nuisance noises nearby? (Highways etc.)  Are you within an acceptable distance from hospital or fire station?  Some may not apply to you now, but think a few years down the road.  This can also affect the value of the custom home.  These are all good questions and can depend on your location.

·        Has a licensed contractor deemed your location “buildable”?  Having access to power, water and your cities central sewer system are most likely important to a land buyer.  Are these still valid in around 3 years; was the PERC test (Percolation test) performed on the soil? How long will the PERC test be valid?

·        What rights will you have on this land?  Make sure you will have clear title of the land.  Make sure there are no Liens, easements, right of way, or any other restrictions. Also it’s important to know if it is part of a HOA (Home Owner association) or any local laws.  Any local laws or building restrictions, including endangered species laws (or violations of any kind) may deem your plan a bust.   Know all the laws before you build or find someone who does.

·        What mineral rights, safe drinkable water or other will the owner of the new plot of land have?

·        What Access will you or others have to your new lot?  Will builders be able to access your site?

·        Will the Zoning allow your future House or Structure(s)? 

·        Is the size of the lot big enough for your home or buildings?

·        Is your lot located near or in a Flood Zone?  Flooding in any area near your property can be hazardous; make sure if you decided on an area to have an escape route.  Flood insurance is also important to consider.

·        Will any clean-up be needed from the previous owner?  This could include anything from toxic chemicals to any toxins that may be required to clean-up before the build.  If the land is purchased, these costs can become the buyer’s responsibility.  Find out what the costs are before purchasing any land.

These may seem like some daunting questions.  You, your realtor, or lender may have more questions which should be addressed by a professional in that field.  A well-built custom home is worth asking these questions and can save you down the road from questions you or your future renovator may have.  A good expert, in each area, will be able to answer these inquiries or know another expert who will.  It’s not a bad idea to jot down a few answers to these questions and who answered them.