5 Things to Consider When Building a Home

5 Things to Consider When Building a Home

Last July we moved into a new house, you can see it here. It was so fun picking out our cabinets, colors, tile, and hardwood. We really didn’t argue about anything, so that was great, and overall I’m really pleased with the way it turned out.

There are a couple things I would change though, and I thought I’d give you a heads up so you can make the best choice for your new home!

5 Things to Consider When Building a Home

1- Flooring– Definitely upgrade your carpet. Most of our house has dark hardwood floors, but our bedrooms have carpet. I didn’t think they would get much traffic, so we thought we’d skimp on the carpet. Now we’re regretting it. While the carpet we chose was really soft when we bought it, now it’s already looking worn and old in our bedroom. It makes me sad that we didn’t bite the bullet and invest a little more in our initial purchase. In case you’re wondering, I LOVE my hardwood floors. Yes they are dark and YES they show dusty footprints, but once we get grass I think it will be a lot better, and I love the way the warm up the room. So many people warned me NOT to get dark hardwood, but I didn’t listen to them because I knew I really really wanted them, and I’m so glad I went with my gut.

2- Cabinets– I chose white. I must be a glutton for punishment. These are a LOT harder to maintain than my cherry cabinets were in my old home. I wouldn’t say I regret it, but if you hate cleaning and wiping down the cupboards once a week, I wouldn’t get white. Every little drip shows. I do; however, love the way they look, especially with my dark floors. Also, make sure you’re getting heavy duty wood on your cabinets. They will get a lot of wear and tear, and hopefully they’ll be around for a couple decades, so invest in a good quality wood that won’t chip or wear easily.

3- Yard Work– We bought a half an acre of land for our house. I have always wanted a huge yard for my kids to run in but I didn’t think about how much it would cost to fence it and make it look beautiful. We got a quote for $30,000 to have our yard finished. OUCH! That’s without a fence! Luckily my husband is handy and we’re doing it ourselves for a LOT less than that. Future posts to come on how to DIY to save money.

4- Neighborhood– Don’t build your dream home in a location that is going to decrease the value of your home. Research the neighborhood, neighbors, schools, and the road your future house will be on. Also, check on internet and phone service! We hardly have any phone service at our home, and we’re hoping that will be improved soon when more people move into our neighborhood, but if you’re working from home you want to make sure you have the connections you’ll need!

5- Upgrades- Make sure you upgrade the things that will be impossible to change later on. For example; we made sure to raise the ceilings in our basement to 9’ rather than keep the standard 8’ ceilings. I’m not saying you should definitely upgrade this specific thing, but it’s not going to be something you could easily do later on. It doesn’t matter what it is, just make sure you think about the future. Hopefully, this gives you something to think about. Good luck in your home building adventures!