The complete beginners guide to planning your new build

Are you in the planning stage of building a new home? Do you feel stuck and not know where to start? Building a new home can be overwhelming and stressful. By taking it step-by-step and following the advice in this guide, hopefully you can feel a little more at ease about the process.

Building your home can be the most rewarding adventure in your adult life.  It can be a way to get the home of your dreams on your ideal piece of property.  Being able to design the ideal home for your family and put your personal touches on every last detail makes for a home you love to come home to every day for years to come.

My husband and I are in the planning stage for our fourth home build.  We have learned so much through each building experience and are so thrilled to be able to share some of our knowledge with others!

How to get started with planning your build

Step One: Determine your budget

• Have a good knowledge of what your budget will be
  • Work with a trusted banker to help you if needed
  • If your budget is dependent on selling a current home, talk with a reputable real estate agent to get an idea of how much they think your house will sell for.  Be sure to factor in any fees and taxes that will be taken out of your profit.

Step two: Find your property (if you don’t have it yet)

Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when looking for property!

• Define the area you are looking for
• Have a clear idea of any specific requirements you have
  • Lot size
  • Lot features- Sloped, flat, treed, etc.
  • Utilities in already?  Or are you willing to do the work to get that done?  Make sure to do your homework on the feasibility of getting all utilities.  Enlist the help of a land professional if needed.
• Work with a trusted real estate professional to help you find exactly what you’re looking for
• Sometimes what you are looking for is not currently on the market. Do some research and ask around.  Occasionally lot owners are actually interested in selling but just have not gotten to the point of selling.

When we were searching for our new property to build on we weren’t finding what we wanted listed on the market.  My husband took it upon himself to search online to find info about vacant land in the area we were interested in.  He used www.zillow.com to look up lot lines and link to tax parcel information.  It took a bit of digging and a lot of persistence, but we were able to find contact information for the owners.  We sent them a letter asking if they would be interested in selling and got no response.  After contacting them by phone and explaining our honest interest in their property, they agreed to sell it to us!!  After offering them a fair market offer, we had the contract written up by a local real estate attorney.  Sometimes doing a little work and digging up information can pay off big time!

Step three: decide on the site layout

Once you have your property, you need to assess the land and decide how you want to lay things out. 

• How do you want your house situated?
  • Think of sunlight and what views you want to maximize
• Where is the driveway access going to be? 
• What area do you want for yard or other structures?
  • Think about the sunlight for the yard and what you want to use it for- garden, etc.
• Are there setback requirements or any lot restrictions for house placement?
  • Well or septic setbacks, easements, etc.
• Does your neighborhood have any covenants or restrictions for height, size, etc.

step four: house plans

This is my favorite part!  It may be the stressful part for some people though if house design isn’t something you’re familiar with though.  Here are my tips to simplify the process.

• Decide on the total size of house you want
  • Make sure to know your budget and know local cost per square foot to build to make sure you design a house that fits your budget.
• Know your must-haves
  • How many bedrooms and bathrooms, and where do you want those located in the house?
  • Home office?
  • Open concept or separate living and dining areas?
  • Pantry and closet space?
  • Mudroom with lockers?

These are some of our must-haves that we are sticking to after building a few houses and knowing what is important to us and our family’s lifestyle.

• Search online for plans that meet your needs and wants
  • The endless supply of online house plans can get overwhelming. We have found Architectural Designs to be a great source for the Modern Farmhouse style we were searching for.
• Decide if you need to work with a professional architect

If you’re unable to find a plan that fits your needs or wants online or you prefer to design your own custom home then a professional architect is the way to go.  We are so fortunate to have my father who has been an architect and general contractor for over 30 years.  He has not only the architectural skills, but also the practical construction knowledge to help with designing buildings that are practical to build.

He helped us design our second home we built.  We showed him pictures of the look we were going for, along with a general layout of what we wanted and he executed it perfectly.

step five: hire a builder or DIY?

It is likely that you already know by this point if you’re going to hire a builder or DIY it.  There is also the option of hiring a consultant to help you through the process if you choose to be your own general contractor but just need some guidance.  

• Hiring a builder- This is the best option if you don’t have building experience or the time to devote to doing it yourself.  For great information on this process check out the post by Jenn of “My Modern Farmhouse” https://my-modern-farmhouse.com/2019/02/22/how-to-successfully-survive-your-new-home-build/
• Owner builder- Being your own general contractor can be a good option if you have the knowledge, experience and time to devote.  It can be a huge cost savings.  The sweat equity earned can be well worth the blood, sweat and tears you put into it.  We have learned this first hand!
• Hiring a consultant- If you’re willing to put in a good amount of time and effort to the project but needing some guidance this could be a good option.  A consultant can help you by using their contacts for subcontractors and suppliers.  This can help speed along the process and save you money in the long run.

Tips for Success in planning your build:

• Tip #1- create inspiration boards on pinterest or houzz

• tip #2- find people to follow on social media who inspire you and have similar projects to your style

  • Be sure to follow me on Instagram @sunsetfarmnw 

• tip #3- be sure to find time to relax and enjoy the process!

  • Don’t get too wrapped up in the craziness of building your house that you forget to enjoy it.  Make sure to still make time for fun or relaxing activities as well.  

• tip #4- don’t forget to document the process

  • Building a house is a such an exciting milestone in life.  Make sure to document the journey.  It will be fun to look back on later!

Common Questions About building a house

Question 1- is it cheaper to build a house than it is to buy? 

This is a question my husband and I have gotten a lot over the years.  It is good to do your research first and know your local real estate market.  The answer to this depends on several factors:

• Is the housing market slow and the cost to buy a home relatively low at the time?
• Is the price for land high or low?
• Is it a booming time for building and the cost of labor and materials at a premium?
• Are you going to build it yourself or hire a professional?  It has always cheaper for us to build our own home than to buy one.

Question 2- is building a house hard on a relationship?

This is another question we have gotten frequently.  We actually work very well together and have gotten along very well through the processes of building homes.  Here is what has helped us: 

• Have some give and take in the decision making process.
• Decide in the beginning what roles each person will have.
• Make date time out of going to pick out materials or meet with suppliers and enjoy the process together.
• Have patience with each other- remember that you are both under stress!

The Last Thing You Need to Know about building your home

• • Keep your eye on the big picture!  Prepare as well as you can for a busy and sometimes stressful event.  Know that it will all work out in the end and you will have the home of your dreams to live in after it’s all over.  Just don’t forget to relax and enjoy the journey.
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