There’s nothing quite like building your own home – you’ve thought about it for weeks, months, maybe even years and now finally your dream is coming true! Unlike building a pre-designed home, with custom homes every decision is uniquely yours. Attention to detail and thoughtful decision making will be critical to making sure your home is built on time and on budget.
Here are five mistakes to avoid:
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Buying a block of land too quickly
You may have found your dream block of land, but can you build your dream home on it? Do you know what Council restrictions apply to the block, or are there any specific building covenants which apply? Have you had a soil test performed to determine the nature of the soil – if it’s rocky ground, it will add to the costs of excavating. Before you buy, find out what it will cost to prep the site. Beachside Construction can assist with this – we stay up to date with land sales on the Sunshine Coast and in some cases may have already built in your estate previously.
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Design before budget
You’ve been dreaming about this home for a long time, so it’s only natural to have a strong vision in your mind of how your home will look, feel and function. But how much will your vision cost? At Beachside Construction, we can help guide you on your expectations. When we develop a quotation, we develop a rough sketched plan which we circulate to our sub-contractors and suppliers who in turn provide us with a fixed quote for their work. These quotes are then compiled along with realistic sum allowances to provide you with an exact construction cost.
We choose this approach as it eliminates unexpected costs down the track, and allows us to be as transparent as possible.
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Trying to fit a home design on a block that’s not appropriate
Remember that your home will need to be designed to suit the block. So, depending on the block, you may have to tweak your vision. For example, an acreage home isn’t going to work very well on a steep-sloped site. This is why the Beachside Construction initial on-site meeting is so important – it gives us a far better understanding of the site contours, the surrounding environment, home orientation, the best views and the soil quality.
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Choosing a builder without doing your homework
The Sunshine Coast is spoilt for choice when it comes to find a builder for your home. But finding a builder with a great reputation for quality can be a little more difficult. Remember that every builder is different, including their standards in quality and their selection of tradespeople and suppliers.
You’re building your forever home, so make sure you select a builder with a reputation for quality, who engages quality trades. You can also search your builder’s QBCC number to find out more.
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Don’t wait until construction has started to make changes
Changing your mind during the home-building process isn’t too much of a drama, but we like to help you avoid it. The farther into the process you go, the more expensive—and time consuming— it can become. Each change you make has the potential to create a chain reaction. Use your time in the design phase (when everything is still on paper) to make important decisions. If you’re unsure, ask your builder for help understanding the correct process for making specifications and selections.
Beachside Construction have built an enviable reputation as superior quality custom home builders on the Sunshine Coast. Our carefully developed process ensures your custom home building experience is as seamless and stress-free as possible. If you’re looking to build a custom home design on the Sunshine Coast, make sure you give Tonya or Paul from Beachside Construction a call!