Living the American dream is what we are all shooting for. A big house, fancy car and a loving family. But, if you’ve looked at homes in your neighborhood for sale you’ve probably noticed that none of them are your dream home. And if one happens to be just as you imagined, it’s probably way out of your price range.
What’s a guy to do in this situation? I say build your dream home. So, how much does it cost to build a house? Well, that depends. There are many factors that will determine the final cost of your home.
How big will your dream home be? Many online home design calculators use a cost per square foot to determine your building costs. While this may give you a good ballpark figure to start with, there are many other aspects to consider. For example, will you be using high-end materials like marble or wood flooring? Do you want radiant heating, instant hot water or a master suite? All of these features will add to your final price tag.
After you buy plans but before start building, you will need to get permits from your local building department. The building department will look over your dream home plans to verify that the building meets all local codes such as property setbacks, emergency egress, structural requirements, etc. Even though in most states, homes do not need to be designed by a licensed architect, the house plans must meet certain requirements. While you can learn how to draw basic plans online, it would be helpful to hire a professional to guide you through the process.
One of the most popular ways to get a high-quality set of house plans is from online stores that sell already complete plans and specifications. Although you won’t be designing a house from scratch, you can look through thousands of plans to find the one that you love. In fact, choosing a set of plans online instead of having new ones design could save you some serious cash.
Next, you’ll need to enlist the help of a highly qualified contractor to build your dream home. They will give you a bid to build your home based on the plans and specifications. Unfortunately, the price they quote you won’t be the actual cost to build your home. Once they start construction they will likely run into problems or obstacles that they didn’t anticipate. When this happens they will send you a bill to fix the problem or purchase additional materials.
Before you start spending money to build a new home, remember to set aside money in a contingency fund for any unexpected changes. Even though I would love to tell you that everything will go as you planned, more than likely expensive mistakes will pop up that you will not be prepared for. The best way to get your dream home is to plan for the worst and expect the best.
Recommended reading about financing: How much house can I afford?