If I Could Do It All Again…
Building a cottage is something that you do once or twice in a lifetime and as is so often true in these situations; the homeowner develops wisdom that will probably never be used again. If only they shared what they learned…
So I have put together a list of the top five things to consider when embarking on a custom home or building project…
- The amount of time you spend on planning. Leave plenty of time to plan and think through the project before you begin construction. That includes exterior and interior finishes and landscaping. You don’t want to make these decisions while work crews are waiting for a decision. It can be an expensive ways to make a bad choice and you could be stuck with that lime green toilet for a long time. You need to have clarity around process, budgets, timing in order to sleep at night.
- Make sure the design process is clear and time has been spent reviewing the design of your space. In this day and age you should be walking through a three-dimensional model many times to assess and really feel the essence of the space. Switching a wall location or room size is significantly cheaper at this point then doing it during the construction phase.
- Understand the permitting process. Your job can be taken off the rails in very quickly if you try to bend the rules. Know the rules.
- Think real hard on “bringing Uncle Bob” or your favourite plumber to the project. The Builders value is in not only in the design and workmanship but also in the co ordination of the many different tasks that need to be scheduled/ rescheduled etc. Your plumber may save you money in the short term but the cost will be accountability.
- Be careful in selecting your builder but when you do, you need to trust his judgment and expertise. He has done this many times before and sometime circumventing his advice can be very costly. If you cannot trust him, find another builder.
If I could do it all again…
