The most important part of any project is the foundation upon which it lies. Without a well-thought-out strategy for building the bones of a plan, a venture is bound to crumble.
The same idea applies to a new construction project. The planning stage of building your dream home will likely determine whether the results live up to your expectations or bring about tears from wasted time, money, and energy.
To avoid the woes of an unsuccessful construction project and build the home you’ve been envisioning, follow this expert advice from our team at Onsite Construction!
Good Design Starts with Simple Design
By this, we mean start with what you’ve got. You don’t need the top-of-the-line software to start planning for your custom home. With a pencil and paper, you can brainstorm, sketch your ideas, make lists of fixtures and features. With a sense of playful creativity, grab some colored pencils or markers to inspire your vision for hardwood floors, brick tones, hardware finishes, and paint swatches.
You don’t have to be a fine artist to scribble some ideas on paper. Rough sketches can help your contractors get a sense of what you want for your new space. If you really don’t feel like drawing, grab some scissors, a glue stick, and your looming pile of Architectural Digest and Aspire Magazines and get to chopping to create your own vision board.
Envision Your Future
Do you and your partner plan on having children soon or have parents entering their later years who may need your care? You may need to consider future accommodations for family members, even if that simply means incorporating an extra guest bedroom for visitors.
Apart from sheltering in-need family members, consider your future career goals. Do you plan on operating a business out of your house or working a remote job? Make sure your custom home incorporates flexible rooms or an office for future endeavors. The decisions you make for your new property can have a dramatic impact on how life unfolds, so think about future you.
Work with the Land
If you are in the planning stage for your new home’s construction, chances are you own a lot where the home will be located. If you already know where your custom home will be built, take into account the topography, area, and hallmarks of the property. If your land overlooks a dense forest or a serene bay, you may want to construct the living room in a position that has a stellar view of these features.
You also should consider the landscape of your property, attempt to incorporate your construction in a way that requires as little damage to the environment as possible. A home on a steep slope will require a different building strategy than one on a flat plane.
When designing your new home, integrating the construction with the land may require some creativity, but working around Mother Nature can be deeply rewarding.
Set Priorities for Must-Have Features
Once you have taken our advice to sketch out your vision and have a general idea of the features you would like to incorporate, begin prioritizing your deal-breaker assets. With so many luxuries to choose from, custom home design can quickly surpass your budget. You may have to compromise on certain features and fixtures, so prioritize what you need the most.
You may not have the space for both a luxury shower system and a massive walk-in closet with clean custom cabinetry, so which comes first on your list of must-haves? Those marble countertops are to die for, but a porcelain mosaic backsplash also makes you swoon. Perhaps you want a screened-in porch but keep daydreaming about summer nights by a firepit, and your acreage only permits space for one.
Decide what features are most important to you and your family before starting the construction process, and prepare to be flexible.
Pinned down your priorities and ready to get to work? Call our construction pros at (813) 579-5789 for a FREE consultation!
Think About Function and Flow
As you and your contractor begin brainstorming where various rooms will be located, consider how your family will utilize and move through the space. You may not want noise from the kitchen and living area to spill into the bedrooms or offices, so think about how you will create effective acoustics.
If you have small children, you may want an open floor plan so you can keep an eye on them while cooking dinner. On the other hand, you may want to create a den that feels cozy without feeling claustrophobic.
Consider Sunlight and Energy
It’s no secret that sunlight has a massive impact on mood, productivity, and overall well-being. The effects of a lack of Vitamin D can have a debilitating impact on our minds and bodies, especially during the short days of winter. Consider implementing skylights to maximize the natural light in your space. Even if you don’t feel bummed by gloom and doom, skylights can help you save on energy by warming up your home and reducing the need for artificial light.
While here in Tampa we get plenty of sunlight, it’s crucial to pay attention to the direction your windows face in order to prioritize natural lighting. If you want to wake up to the sunrise, place the bedroom windows on the east side of the home. For a romantic sunset view while you’re cooking dinner, place the kitchen facing west.
The direction you place each room can help you prioritize natural lighting and take advantage of golden hour to romanticize your daily grind. Now that’s dreamy.
While we think it’s best to optimize the sun’s rays, there will be plenty of occasions where you require artificial lighting. Bright task lighting may be ideal in the kitchen or an exercise room while the bedroom may call for dimming sconces for a relaxing vibe.
Customize Your Temple with Onsite Construction
There are a whole lot of factors to consider when designing your new custom home. Following our advice listed above can help streamline the process, making it easier to make your plan a reality and clearly communicate your ideas. It’s important to have a clear vision and be upfront with your construction team so that you don’t have to remodel your custom home later on.
The options and styles for your new home are limitless. At Onsite Construction, we want you to enjoy the process of building a new home as much as we do. With our extensive experience at handling the budgeting, financing, design, engineering, and building phases of a custom home project, we know how to take the stress out of this experience for you.
Ready to pave the path to your dream home? We’ve got the tools to do it! Call us today at (813) 579-5789!
