Building a new home can be overwhelming. From choosing a plot of land to selecting every fixture, paint color, and design choice, building from the ground up is a lot of work. If you decide the building a new home is the best route for you, prepare yourself ahead of time so the process doesn’t make you lose your sanity.

Every year, 1 million new houses are built. Keep reading for 8 tips for building a house while not going crazy.

8 Tips for Building a House

Building a house is a big commitment, both time and money. it’s a several-months-long process, so do your best to maintain your sanity throughout the process with these tips.

1. Know What You’re Getting Into

Understand how much time it will actually take. The design part of the house will go pretty quickly, but once the building starts, you will need to be making a lot of decisions. The building process is like a part-time job, and some weeks, it will feel more like a full-time job.

Making sure everything is staying on track, making decisions on the fly, and communicating with your contractor and others will keep you busy. If you have a lot of other things going on, you might want to reconsider building and wait for a time where you aren’t so busy.

You might choose a builder that has homes already designed and you customize them or you might hire an architect and design the home yourself.

2. Plan As Much as Possible Before Breaking Ground

One way to reduce some of the time you spend on the build when the actual building begins is to plan as much as possible ahead of time. Before you even break ground, plan as much as you can. This will keep everything moving, as your builders won’t be stalled on their progress as they wait for you to make a decision.

Make design decisions, choose finishes and fixtures, and big things, such as cabinets, before the building even begins.

Planning ahead will also help with your budget, as it gives you more time to research and shop around for the best options at the lowest cost.

3. Hire the Right People

You will be spending a lot of time with the people designing and building your house. Make sure you like them and connect with them. Do your homework, read reviews, ask for recommendations, and check their references.

If a builder takes a long time to respond to your phone calls or emails from the beginning, he’ll probably be like that once you start building. If someone doesn’t understand your vision for the home or tries to push you into choices that you don’t want, that’s not ideal either.

You are trusting these professionals with a great deal of money, so make sure you are hiring the right people for the job.

4. Expect that There Will be Mistakes

There will be mistakes along the way. Some will be yours and some will be the builder. If you recognize that mistakes will happen, but are checking in with the building process often, they can be taken care of quickly in most cases.

Sometimes you’ll make choices that don’t end up being what you really want. Sometimes you’ll be able to fix these, sometimes not. Going with the flow and realizing that it’s impossible to build a perfect house will help keep you sane.

5. Communicate Everything

Don’t assume your architect, designer, builder, or subcontractors understand what you want. Make sure everyone is clear, be very direct in your communication, and use drawings or illustrations to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Good communication will go a long way in reducing the number of mistakes that are made.

6. Trust Your Gut

If you feel strongly about a certain design element, but everyone is trying to dissuade you from it, go with your gut. Sure, listen to the professional for most things, but if you want that claw foot tub, you should get it. Your house is something for you to enjoy, so get what you want.

7. Keep Yourself Organized

Keeping yourself organized is also key to minimizing mistakes. If you are ordering any of your own appliances or materials, you’ll want to keep all of your quotes, receipts, and warranties.

Keep every piece of official (and unofficial) communication related to the build. Get yourself a binder with dividers to keep everything organized. Such a large, expensive project will go much more smoothly if you are organized.

8. Overestimate Your Costs

By estimating your costs a bit high, you will help make sure you don’t go over budget. It’s easy to spend thousands over budget on upgrades, so be aware of how much all of your upgrades costs and don’t get into a situation where your mortgage is huge.

You might find that you even have some money left over for furnishings for your new home.

The Bottom Line

Building a house is a great option for people who can’t find what they are looking for on the housing market. If you know what you’re getting into and plan ahead, you might actually find the that the process is fun.

It might be the most fun you never want to have again, but fun nonetheless! These tips for building a house will help you manage the process and maintain your sanity.

Check out our blog for more tips and tricks on the home building and design process.