BUILDING YOUR FIRST HOME

Your home is one of the greatest investments you will make. Although the thought of having it build and imagining how each room will look can be exciting, the process of building it requires a lot of time and resources. Here are a few tips that you can consider before you plan to build your own home.  

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Envision your future home

Sit down as a family and list down how you want your future home to be. You may start with what activities do you plan on doing in your home. From this you can have an idea of what rooms you need and how big they should be.

You can also list down who are the people who will live in your home. If you are newlywed couples, are you expecting a baby in the near future? Then you might need a baby-friendly home. For extended families, you might need additional rooms for the grandparents and other family members. Your home should be well-designed in order to cater to your growing family lifestyle.

TIP: When you plan, consider how your family might grow in the next 5 years or more. 

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When do you plan to move-in

 An average sized two-story house with 3 bedrooms can be done in one year. This includes the planning, permit application, and construction. If you have a target date in mind, you can set a schedule on when you should be starting the project and create a timeline from there.

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TIP: Consider the season of the year when you are constructing. Better to construct during the dry season months of December to May if possible.

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Prepare you budget wisely

The range of construction cost varies according to the type of house you are building. A rough estimate would normally be on a cost-per square meter rate which you can inquire with your architect. But for a more realistic costing, ask your contractor to make a quotation based on blueprint drawings and technical documents prepared by your architect. From there you can set your construction budget.

TIP: Some additional items you need to allot budget for are:

- Professional fees (architect, engineers, consultants)

- Permit fees (Building Permit, Occupancy Permit, Homeowners Construction bond)

- Application fees/deposits to utility services (electricity, water, internet)

- Furniture, appliances, and home accessories

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Always consult with professionals

These tips can be a good starting guide when you are planning on building your home. But if you are seriously considering to start building your home it is always advisable to first consult an architect so you can be guided through the exciting journey of building your first home.

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TIP: The Architect's design team consist of the architect, engineers, and allied professionals that will handle the architectural, structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical designs. So when you hire an Architect, you are basically hiring a group of professionals led by the Architect.