Did you all know that we are in the process of building a new home??? It's so exciting but quite stressful at the same time (send wine). Regardless, I am so excited to share this process with you all. We have the most beautiful and peaceful wooded lot and are hoping to break ground in the next month. YAYYYY!!!
Here's a sneak peek at our kitchen! I'm thinking of going all white, but would love your ideas as well. Light & bright is definitely my style!
I am no pro as we are just getting started, but here are a few tips I've learned thus far:
Plan Your Budget
Just like when you buy a home, building a home is no different - you need to come up with a budget. The only difference with building a home from scratch is that hiccups will more than likely come up along the way...and you also need to plan for extra expenses! You can't just assume that everything will be cool if you can come up with your down payment. There are so many extra expenses with a new home that you may not even think about when you're renting or considering a resale home. Here are just a few things that you will possibly need to buy with a new build: shutters or blinds, appliances, garage door opener, ceiling fans, and more.
The point here really is that you can't decide to buy a new home just based on the initial costs like the monthly payment, down payment, and taxes and insurance. You'll need to take all of the extra costs into account when you're making a decision as well.
Need Help Saving? Use These Creative Ways!
House sit, pet sit, or offer to do other chores for people in your current neighborhood. Can you walk dogs? Can you cut grass? What about paint walls? If you have a skill set, put it to use. Pull out your gymnast skills, or offer to tutor kids during at-home learning. There are so many creative ways to make extra money that can be put towards your building expenses. Don’t have the time? No worries! There is a company in Buckhead that can help called Chapes-JPL. Chapes-JPL was established in 1980 as an alternative to banks and traditional pawnbrokers. They provide low-interest loans on gold, diamonds, jewelry, watches, and other valuables. They also purchase them outright and offer other options such as a business loan in Atlanta, Georgia. They service over 18,000 customers nationwide and have built up their reputation on the principals of trust & security, experience, fast cash, discretion and confidentiality, and low rates. Find out how much you can get for the valuables you do not use today!
Choose Your Land and Location
It’s all about location, right? Location is so very important when buying and/or building because if you are living there, you obviously want everywhere that you frequent to be convenient. Prices definitely are higher where the location is better, so that is something to consider and figure out when it comes to your budget, wants, and needs. Consider it all and work with the professionals, like your real estate agent and/or builder to help you find the perfect spot for your family.
Hire The Right People
I really can’t stress this enough. Especially if you have no previous experience building - double check that you are hiring the true professionals. This is the single most important decision you will make because you will be working so closely with your builder/architect throughout the process and your overall building experience is largely determined by your relationship with them. Do your homework before you make your decision. Then, do it again. Interview and meet with lots of builders and ask for referrals. It’s also smart to ask for names and numbers of the last three people they worked for to get an accurate view of how people felt about their building experience with that builder. Look for clues that tell you what they will be like to work with. How quickly do they respond to your questions? Are their answers in-depth? Also look for someone you connect with. Like I said, you will be working closely with these people and are trusting them to help with one of the biggest financial commitments of your life. Some seem great on paper, but you might have a hard time connecting with them. Take your time making the decision about who to hire and do your homework!
Your Personal Attitude Determines How It All Goes
Anyone who has built a home knows that the first thing that you will probably come across are endless horror stories about the building process. What I've realized throughout this process is that the way you mentally approach the build will determine a lot about how positively or negatively you might feel about it. The building process isn't perfect and there are a lot of stressors along the way. There are so many crews that come in, things get damaged, sometimes they do bad work, sometimes things do not turn out as you picture them, but sometimes things also go perfectly! You have to learn to roll with the punches. If you're OCD and get frustrated easily with mistakes that seem like they should be a total no-brainer, building might be a little stressful for you. But, you have a choice to let it stress you out. If you're a little more relaxed and patient, communicate regularly with the builder, and realize that the hand-done work isn't going to always be perfect on the first go around – you'll probably really enjoy it. I hope this is helpful! Please keep checking back to follow along on our building journey.
xoxo,
