Let's say you've just been hired at an executive firm and you've decided that rather than being like your work rival and buying one of those nice new condos, you want to put your exorbitant salary to work for your family's future by building yourself a dream home. It's an exciting process but it's also a lot of work. You should do as much research as possible ahead of time to make sure your plans are carried out swiftly and smoothly.
A good start in this process would be to read though our series of articles on designing your dream home. In these articles we'll cover topics like hot trends in home plans as outlined by professional home designers, how to choose a contractor you can trust, and what housing features are likely to give you the best resale value in years to come.
Designing a home is both a labor of love and a business collaboration. Solution after solution may occur to a contractor or designer to a problem you would have have knocked your head against for months, so it's important not to get so caught up in the creative process that you forget to let some professionals onto the project. They have years of experience and invaluable advice and skills to offer a prospective home builder, so unless you're a qualified draftsperson, carpenter, electrician, plumber, interior designer, and professional home inspector (see here), all at the same time, it's unlikely you'll be able to do better on your own.
Choosing the right parcel of land on which to build your dream home is just as important as hiring the right people to help you. No one wants to build a sprawling deck on a hilltop only to find themselves with a view of an manufacturing plant instead of the green valley that was there when they bought their land. Real estate agents can apprise you of potential changes in zoning laws that may affect you as well as if there are any potential buyers for the land parcels nearby and what these buyers plan to do with them.
When you design your house, it's also important not to get so carried away in fulfilling your every housing fantasy so that you shoot yourself or your family in the foot for the future. For instance, spiral staircases may look gorgeous, but imagine carting your baby and all its associated car seats and diaper bags up and down it every time you leave the house. If you maintain a balance between your desires and what potential homebuyers of the future may be looking for, you'll end up signing the paperwork on an extremely lucrative property deal, will be green with envy over just as you are both ready for retirement and looking for some capital to blow on golf trips and sailboats.
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