Designing and building your dream home can be an exciting but also a daunting process. There are a lot of things to consider along that way that will help to ensure that you achieve the outcome that you desire for your new home.

We’ve listed out the steps involved in building your home throughout the whole process.

Set Your Goals, Consider Your Needs and Research

Starting out with a negotiable and non-negotiable wish list, consider the type of house you would like, consider your goals and life stage. Are you considering starting a family at some time in the future, or is an empty nest imminent?

What are you trying to accomplish? More space, less space, open plan living, separate living quarters for the children? Having a goal in mind can help keep you on track when the emotions of choosing a home take over.

You can learn a lot by talking to friends and relatives who have built a home before, housing magazines and websites and of course the Country Living Homes display home where you can see and feel a variety of home styles with varying price points is going to give you the best idea of what it is you’re really looking for.

At this stage it is important to set a budget so that you are not investing your time on looking at things that are way outside your budget.

Find a Block of Land

Size, layout and location of your block are paramount and can have an influence over whether you meet your above goals. Living close to amenities and public transport can improve your quality of life, not to mention save on travel costs. School zones can be another important factor to consider.

The size of your block and its attributes can have a significant impact on the type and style of home you build and have a considerable impact on building costs. A steep slope, an odd shape or narrow width can make your build challenging and costly and should be considered with great depth.

If you’re struggling to find a block of land in the area you’re hoping to build, you also have the option to buy a property and have it demolished so that you can replace it with your dream home. This can be a viable option depending on the quality of the house currently on the land.

Organise Your Finance

A construction loan is required to finance the process when building a property. These types of loans differ from a regular home loan in that the lender won’t release all the funds at once, instead will release the funds in periodic payments to the builder at each stage of your construction.

Find a Builder

Ensuring that you have a trusted builder by your side during the construction process of your new home may well be one of the most important decisions you make in the building process. The relationship with your builder is one that will last over many months and it’s important that you get the choice right from the outset to avoid problems down the road.

There are several considerations for you when choosing a home builder in South Australia:

Credentials

Make sure your builder is adequately licensed and insured. You’ll also want to make sure the builder is a member of the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

Personality

As mentioned above, you’ll be working with your builder for a number of months. Make sure you’re comfortable with them and the way they carry out the building process. Do they convey the level of professionalism that you expect from your builder or are you looking for a more casual approach?

Price

At the end of the day, price point is what is going to be the main deciding factor when deciding what builders are in your shortlist. Do your research and be upfront about your budget with your builder.

Choose your Home Design

This is where all that brainstorming comes into play. It’s important to think ahead about the future version of yourself and what your needs will be so that you can accommodate new life choices.

While looking at display homes, it’s easy to get distracted by the lovely furniture and furnishings, think of the space in a practical sense. Try to picture a blank canvas, will the space work for you? Does it help you achieve your goals?
The kitchen is the heart of the home and an ideal space for entertaining so consider carefully considering the design of this space.

Enjoy Your New Home

All the hard work and waiting has paid off… you can finally enjoy your new home!

You’ll be amazed at how it’s so much more than a collection of bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas, it’s the place you can call home and make uniquely yours. What a feeling!

House and Land Packages

For the people who would prefer all the hard work to be done for them in terms of planning and location, there is always the convenient option of a house and land package.

A brand new home, without the fuss!

Country Living Homes have a wide range of house and land packages available across South Australia in the following locations:

Moonta Bay
Port Germein
Stirling North
Marion Bay
Kadina
Port Augusta West
Coobowie
Port Paterson
Weeroona Island
Parsons Beach
The Dunes, Port Hughes

Contact us today for more information on any of our home designs or house and land packages available throughout South Australia.