5 Money-saving Tips for Homeowners Building a New Home

Are you planning on building your own home rather than buying? As long as you aren't overly extravagant, this can be a great way to get the home of your dreams without having to spend a fortune. But, you must go about it in the right way. Many new home builders end up going well over their budgets, because they don't know how to build on a budget. There are several ways that you can build a quality home on a budget. Check out the following tips.

Use Stock Building Plans

While you may have specific ideas about what you are looking for in a home, when you have a home designed, it is going to cost thousands more than it would if you used a stock plan that has already been created. Start searching through the various plans (you can find them online, in building magazines, and from building supplies centres), and find one that meets all of your needs.

Be Careful about Depth

Unless you absolutely need a huge house, it is best to keep it smaller, particularly the depth. When there is a lot of depth, you need to have more roof trusses, and it may be that they will need to be designed specifically for the home. This is going to increase the cost significantly. Instead of building deeper, build wider or taller, which will require fewer trusses.

Use Low-maintenance Building Materials

Choose building materials that don't require a lot of maintenance. For instance, a metal roof is a great investment, because it will last for decades and won't need much maintenance at all. The initial investment will pay for itself over time. Or, look into vinyl siding rather than wood shingles, because it doesn't need to be re-stained every few years.

Be Willing to Make Concessions

Be willing to use less expensive substitutions for some of your building materials. For instance, you may want to have beautiful hardwood floors, but they may not be in the budget. You can get pretty much the same look with laminate click flooring. It is a lot less expensive, and much easier to install. If you decide you still want hardwood later when it is more affordable, you can always have a new floor installed on top of the old one.

Use Salvaged Materials

You can get a lot of great building materials from demolition sites, and you can save a lot of money. In fact, often you can get salvaged materials for free if you are willing to go in and get them, and then haul them away yourself. Look for such items as doors, bricks, barn wood, etc. that you can use to add to the appearance of your new home.

For more tips or assistance, consult with home builders like Seapointe Homes.