Three Questions to Ask Before Building Your Home

Two story homes

Did you know that, according to the Telegraph, up to 13,000 Britons built their own homes, just three years ago, or in 2010, and up to 33% revealed they would build custom homes if they could afford it? Since then, first home owners and first time home builders in the U.S. have taken up the trend. Custom luxury home builders open up a number of options, and careful planning will reap rewards and treasured memories for years to come. What are some of the things to think about before you build a new home?

How Long Do You Plan to Live There?

As a first home owner, builder, and/or buyer, it may seem a little early to think about how long you will be living there. The best time to ask yourself these questions, however, is well before designing and building. Carefully consider questions like, how long will I be living in this home? Do I plan to raise children here? Do I have young adults who are likely to leave the nest soon? Will I grow old in this home? The answers to these questions will help you more accurately design floor plans, choose dimensions, and even help you select additions tailored specifically to your needs. If you plan to grow old in your home, for example, you may want to consider building a single story home. Other things to consider are ramps, guardrails, and amenities like walk-in tubs.

Where Will You Be Building?

Despite what many ambitious home builders may believe, city, town, and state can be less important than a single lot, or exact locations. For example, if you are building one of your first homes and resale value is a consideration, choosing from land nearby golf courses, public pools, and tennis courts will increase the value of your future home. Practically, home owners need to think about drainage. Water should flow away from your home. A spot with good drainage will save you the trouble of flooding, rusty pipes, and mold.

Do You Qualify for Assistance Programs?

A startling number of Americans want to build or buy homes, but mistakenly believe that they do not have the funds to do it. What many U.S. men and women do not realize, however, is that the government, charities, and more, sponsor programs to make building, or buying, a new home more affordable. For example, the programs NeighborhoodLIFT and CityLIFT, founded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and NeighborhoodWorks, donated up to $170 million to new homeowners in 2012 alone.

There are a lot of things to take into consideration when building a new home. Whether you are a first home owner, or a first time home builder, make sure you know the reasons you are building, the best to live, and explore government and charity-sponsored funding options. More.