When starting the process of building your dream home with Blowing Rock home builders, it is easy to get swept up in the excitement of finally turning your dream home into a reality. You’ve thought about every aspect of your home, and you’ve gone over everything over and over in your head, down to the smallest details. But, in all of the excitement of planning what you want, have you taken the time to think about the things that you don’t want or need in your home?
Poor planning and small budgets can lead to wayward, inconvenient, and sometimes disastrous mistakes. Consider your current and future lifestyles. Is your family going to be expanding? Are your children going to be leaving the nest and getting married to start their own families? Do you often have overnight guests? Be sure to take the time to do your research and talk to professionals to ensure that you are getting the best home for you. Poor design choices can make your home uncomfortable, so meeting with architects, engineers, and builders who are all trained in helping you make effective decisions will be well worth your time. Professionals will help guide you on areas where you can save a few dollars, and areas where it is essential that you do not cut corners. If you are preparing to build your dream home, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 things to consider when building a home to ensure that your new house works best for you and your family.
1. Pay attention to your HVAC system.
The HVAC system is an important component of any home. Failure to plan here can result in moisture and mold growth, which can lead to bigger problems. Also, you should take the time to consider the appropriate size of your units. Units that are too small will not perform adequately, meaning that they won’t cool and heat your new home efficiently. Conversely, units that are too large for your home will utilize too much energy, costing you more money.
2. Space planning.
Space design and planning are important aspects of designing a home that is functional and attractive, while meeting all of your needs. Most homeowners need ample storage, but it is important to think about where to place storage that doesn’t affect the overall living spaces of the home. If you don’t need the storage space, then don’t build one. An example of this is a coat closet in the foyer. If you live in a colder climate that requires coats or jackets the majority of the time, having a coat closet would be a good idea to include in your plans. If you don’t have a use for a coat closet, then don’t include one!
3. Overall planning.
When designing the layout of your home, think about the long-term while taking your lifestyle and habits into consideration. Are you planning on staying in the home for the foreseeable future, or is this home just an investment that you’ll turn around and sell in a couple of years? What safety features may you need to accommodate for young children? Think ahead to the long term to see where you plan on being, and what you will need from your home to maintain your lifestyle.
4. Lighting choices.
Ask any homeowner and they will tell you: Light fixtures and outlets should be in abundance! Windows should also be utilized and present in every room. Let natural light be the main source of lighting in every room as much as possible.
5. Under-utilized rooms.
For some homeowners, the thought of having a dedicated space to be used as a playroom, game room, home gym, or multipurpose room is appealing. When considering a room with a dedicated purpose, build a room that will actually get used. In reality, many of these multipurpose rooms end up being used as a storage room, or a dumping ground for items that don’t have a place to go, or items that never get used. If you plan on building a bonus room, be sure to build a room that can transition from one purpose to another. A craft room that only gets used occasionally isn’t the best use of space, but a craft room that doubles as a guest room is a better use of the space.
6. Laundry room placement.
While this might not be a big concern for some people, for others, the location of the laundry room can be a huge deal breaker. To some home owners, the idea of having the laundry room in the basement is absurd and won’t work with their lifestyle, while for others, having the laundry room in the basement where it is out of sight is ideal. Find a location in your home where the laundry room will work best for you and your family.
7. Bedroom locations.
Ideally, bedrooms should be located as far away from the noise and traffic of the main living areas as possible. By locating bedrooms away from the main living areas, you will provide extra privacy and solitude from the rest of the family and any visitors that may be over. It is advisable to keep the master bedroom away from the central living areas as well. It is also a good idea to have bedrooms located away from the garage in the event that family members are coming or going while you are sleeping or resting.
8. Kitchen placement.
Because the kitchen is the heart of many homes, it is a good idea to have the kitchen located near a garage or back entrance, as well as the dining and living areas. Because kitchens tend to receive a lot of traffic, it is a good idea to divert the traffic from constantly walking through the main living areas.
9. Garage location.
The ideal location for a garage is located on the main level of the home, near the kitchen or mudroom. For those families that have a lot of people coming and going, it helps to have the garage located near the kitchen or mudroom to contain the dirt tracked into two areas that are easy to clean and maintain.
10. Deciding what you need.
When it comes to designing and building the home that is right for you and your family, don’t let professionals try to talk you into or out of something that you need or want for your family. Professionals can make suggestions, but ultimately, they don’t know your family as well as you do.
When you are ready to build the perfect home for your family, Fairbanks Homebuilders are a team of Blowing Rock home builders that has experience in customer satisfaction, all while listening to the needs and wants of you and your family. Trust your dream home to the experts at Fairbanks Homebuilders!
