What to Consider When Building a Home?
Home is the most important place for everyone, where you want to feel good and safe on a daily basis. If you are planning to build your own home, you should first carefully think through the important points to consider when building a home.
Budget – what are your financial possibilities?
Today, it is common to purchase real estate with a bank loan, and to obtain one you should contact the bank's customer manager, who will help you review whether and under what conditions it would be possible to get a loan. Each loan applicant's possibilities are reviewed personally. You must account for a long-term obligation, which will affect your lifestyle for years to come. It would be sensible to get offers from several banks to make the best choice for yourself. In addition to banks, several other companies also issue loans, but you should expect higher interest rates from them.
Location – surroundings, nearby services, transport?
Most people have dealt with real estate and know how important its location is. When making a choice, you should consider both your current and future lifestyle. Whether to prefer a convenient city center environment with all services or rather a quieter and more private area far from the city, where daily transport is important.
Plot size – a large or small garden, privacy or proximity to neighbors?
When choosing a plot, you should consider a lifestyle that suits you and planned outbuildings. If you enjoy being outdoors and working in the garden and value privacy, then a larger land area would be suitable. There also needs to be enough space if you plan to build an outbuilding, such as a greenhouse or outdoor kitchen. Then you should also account for more time spent on maintaining the surroundings. If you don't particularly enjoy garden work and nearby neighbors don't bother you, then it would be sensible to settle for a smaller plot.
House functionality – for a certain period or for a lifetime?
We live in a rapidly changing society and it would be sensible to consider whether your new home will be one life stage or for many years. What a young family needs no longer applies to a retiree. It would be sensible to think through the necessity of all rooms. For example, how important is a room for accommodating guests? Likely, as children grow up, some rooms will become empty. You should account for the fact that someday your built home may become too large, and then it would be sensible to exchange it for a smaller one. At the same time, there is also the possibility of sharing your home with your children if it is a suitable option for everyone.
Building architectural solution – classic or modern?
Different types of buildings have been fashionable at different times – whether to prefer a classic gabled roof house, a modern box-shaped house, or some in-between option? Much also depends on the number of floors and size of the building. Recently, it has been preferred to build single-story smaller and economical houses. Today it is possible to choose to build a house with a ready-made project, which is more favorable in terms of price. If the existing project is not suitable, then in cooperation with an architect it is possible to find the best solution from foundation to roof, and the architect can also recommend suitable building materials. Stone houses are more valued today compared to wooden houses. It is also worth thinking about facade finishing that would be as maintenance-free and durable as possible. The choice of roof material is also important, depending on the roof slope and house style.
Builder – build yourself or have it built?
During the current active construction period, it is quite difficult to find a trustworthy builder. Building is a responsible and complex process that must be documented continuously. Before construction, you must request a building permit from the local municipality based on the building project, and after the house is completed, an occupation permit. According to the new building code, the owner of a building can build for themselves if they possess the skills and knowledge necessary to do the work and are able to comply with the requirements arising from the building code. It would be sensible to undertake building with the help of a construction specialist who has the appropriate qualifications and experience and who is also responsible for the work performed. You should definitely research the background of the construction company and their completed work in advance. Today you can get quite a lot of information via the internet and from various registries.
Heating system and energy efficiency – affordability or convenience?
In our climate, an effective heating system that provides an efficient and economical solution is important. There are various options and much depends on your budget. If you prefer cheaper stove heating or local central heating, you should account for greater personal effort. More convenient, but more expensive to install is ground source heat, which requires a larger land area. Houses with ground source heating are currently the most highly valued compared to other heating solutions. So-called combined heating systems are also common, which consist of several types of heating and complement each other – for example, air source heat, fireplace, stove and electric heating. Since 2020, newly built houses must meet A-energy class requirements. For this, you need to find an appropriate specialist who can prepare the corresponding project.
Interior design – yourself or with a specialist's help?
You should think about interior design already during the construction process. If you have the time and skills to design your home from start to finish, you should think everything through very carefully and choose appropriate colors and quality materials so that you are satisfied with the result later.
It would be sensible to involve a specialist who is well-versed in a wide selection of materials and available products. It is very important to plan the lighting solution, which affects the installation of the electrical system. You should think through key words to follow in interior design – whether classic or modern style, whether warm or cool tones, whether artificial or natural materials, etc. With a professional interior designer, you will find a suitable solution more quickly.
If all the circumstances have been carefully considered beforehand and specialists in their field have been involved in the construction process, then it is possible to live for years in a home where it is good and safe to be.
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Source: Domus Kinnisvara
