The task of building a home is very challenging and also very expensive. Besides having to deal with numerous legal entities, people also might have to seek financing, discuss ideas with architects, negotiate terms with contractors, etc. This is all very time-consuming and that’s an investment you definitely need to make if you want a nice house. However, some of the spending can be severely reduced both short and long-term if you just use some tips and tricks that we’re going to disclose here. Have a look at 6 useful tips to save money in house construction!
No. 1 – Always keep tabs on processes & costs (Excel)
If you have a document where you keep your estimates and real-life expenditures, you can immediately spot the areas where you’re over the budget. Yes, this is slightly time-intensive, but an app like MS Excel will do the math for you while you only need to make the decisions.
No. 2 – Ask architect recommendations for contractors
Architects devise a project for the home. They are usually in good terms with at least some contractors. If you ask an architect or a bureau of architects that created the project for your home, for a recommendation, they can likely get in touch with a particular company or individual contractor to get you a better timeline or a better deal. Besides, this is much quicker than going through the ‘Yellow pages’.
No. 3 – Use more premium materials
Alright, this isn’t going to reduce initial costs of the project, but bear with us, in the long run – you’ll definitely need less frequent repairs and/or renovations.
And we’re also not talking about diamond incrusted steps or a marble statue as decoration, we’re talking about using better pain, higher quality concrete, better wood for the decking, flooring, etc. For example, instead of regular lumber, you could opt for Japanese charred timber. It has a distinct and more premium finish and texture, can be applied both for interior and exterior decoration and has waterproof, pest-proof and fireproof qualities. If you want to know more, hop on to Degmeda.
No. 4 – Keep control of material purchasing
Contractors can bill you endlessly, trust us. However, you can greatly reduce the expenditures by negotiating to buy materials on your own. This way you avoid ‘preference buying’, ‘excess buying’ and all the other stuff which isn’t necessarily bad but does exponentially increase the final cost of the job.
No. 5 – Plan ahead
Before going on a spending spree, make sure you know how much exactly of anything you’re going to need. If you’re in the US, use this calculator to have a rough cost estimate laid out before you.
No. 6 – Make sure that your accommodation is accounted for
You definitely don’t want to move into a house that has no internet wires, thermostats laid out, etc. All accommodating home systems should be installed before you move in, and not afterwards. This is an enormous save.
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