It is the dream of many to build a new house from scratch, but few ever have the guts or ambition to act on this dream. One of the reasons for this is that the thought of designing a new home can appear daunting to anyone who does not have a background in architecture and design.
But while it can be a scary proposition, designing a house to your specifications can be a lot of fun, not to mention extremely rewarding. In fact, with a little bit of assistance, there is absolutely no reason why your custom-build will not fulfil your dreams with the right planning.
In this article, we use our years of experience in the building trade to give you some valuable tips to help make sure your design leads to the house that you have in your mind’s eye. Read on to find out more!
1. Set Design Goals
Before you even start making decisions about how your house is going to be, you need to settle on some broader design principles. These principles will guide you as you go forward, helping to make sure that each part of the building fits well within the design to produce the overall look and feel that you are looking for.
Setting design goals is usually a collaborative process that involves taking inspiration for other places. It is advisable to visit other buildings that you like as well as talking to other people who have built from scratch. Another good thing to do is to look through design magazines and keep a scrapbook of features and ideas that you want to incorporate into your design.
2. Plan for Your Future
During the planning process, you should try to project beyond your immediate reality. If you are a young couple, consider that you may one day want to have kids, in which case you will need to make allowances in terms of space. If you are looking for somewhere to retire, you should plan for possible futures in which you may not be as mobile as you perhaps once were.
3. Look to Let Light in
One of the most important things that people look for when buying a house is the amount of light that it allows into the inside. This is probably because houses that do not let light in can feel dark, dingy and depressing.
To make the most of the natural light that your new home will get, you should look to incorporate as many windows in the exterior wall and roof as your budget allows. Be aware of the direction that your house is facing in relation to the sun.
4. Keep It Simple
Designing a new house can be a lot of fun. However, it is easy to fall into the trap when you are exploring the myriad of possibilities to overcomplicate the matter.
Most architects and designers will stress the importance of simplicity in design. A certain degree of ambition is a positive thing, but a design that is too complex often results in a building that looks like it has been thrown together without much care and attention.
Be aware of the risk of running over budget – this commonly happens when plans are complicated and hard to put into action.
5. Educate Yourself
For those people who are keen to take a lead role in drawing up the design, it can be useful to learn the basics of construction and architecture to help you oversee the planning and building implementation with a greater degree of control.
These days, there are some fantastic educational resources available via the internet. You can take a wide variety of courses that will teach the basics of architecture and design whereas there are also some fantastic options to gain a Masters in construction management online as well.
Designing a house should be fun. Once you have purchased a piece of land in a location that works for you, you can really start to imagine how your new home will look. You can play with all the building materials, features and design quirks until you strike upon a plan that you feel really hits all of your requirements and specifications.