Thinking about building your dream home, but don’t really know where to start? There are many mistakes to avoid when building a new home in Omaha. Of course you’ll be sure to check references and look at other homes the builder has built. That’s a given and something everyone would know to do without prior home building experience. If this is your first time building a new home you might feel overwhelmed and end up overlooking some obvious and not so obvious issues that could turn into big mistakes. Building a new home is time consuming, it costs a large amount of money, though arguably less than buying a used home in many cases, and if you don’t know where to start it can be overwhelming. This guide can help you avoid the bigger mistakes that many home owners have faced.
Top mistakes to avoid when building a new home
- Poor Planning – Planning is everything and your builder should be asking you how you and your family live in your home so he can design a home that is just right for you. Important things to consider are the size of your family – will it grow in the future? Do you like to spend your time at home or are you out most nights? Will you have pets in the new home? Do you plan on aging in place? How long until retirement? These are just some of the important questions you and your builder should discuss as you plan out your new home.
- Closed Floor Plan – What used to be a maze of living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry and mud room has turned into a main level that is easy to navigate, offers more space, and is better designed. Open floor plans have been trending for many years and it doesn’t look to change anytime soon. Still, many people prefer to have rooms that can be shut off from the rest of the house like an office or craft room. The choice is yours so let your builder know what you want.
- Master Bedroom in the Wrong Location – Choosing where to place the master bedroom is important if you’re planning on aging in place – you may want it on the main level to reduce stair climbing in later years. If you’re younger, you may want the bedroom as far away from the noise of the house – noise generated by teenagers. Depending on the style of floor plan you choose, the location of the bedroom is extremely important.
- Laundry in the Basement – Where you place your laundry room can have a big impact on how you manage your home. If you put it in the basement, you’ll be walking up and down stairs a lot. On the first floor you’re going to hear the machines while eating a meal or watching TV. The trend has been to put the laundry room on the same level as the bedrooms. This placement reduces the need to climb up and down the stair with baskets of laundry. Put the laundry room in a location that is convenient yet away from the main entertaining areas.
- Bonus Rooms – Who doesn’t want a fitness room or a craft room? No one, but if those rooms never get used you’ve wasted space and money. Additionally, unused rooms end up collecting all the stuff you don’t know what to do with but don’t want to throw away or donate. Don’t build a specialized room unless you know you’re going to utilize it.
- Electrical and Low Voltage – You can never have too many outlets so make sure you have enough in your home so you never need to use another extension cord. The same goes for in home wifi, and cable outlets. Install a system that can grow with you as tech evolves.
The bottom line is you want to have great communication with your new home builder. You can avoid many of the mistakes listed above simply be being an attentive and proactive homeowner. Let your builder know what you want and don’t let them talk you into something you don’t want or don’t need.
