Avoid These Common Mistakes When Building
The decision to build a new home is a big one and not something to be taken lightly. You plan to spend many years in your new home and want to be happy with the choices you make during the building process.
We help homeowners avoid common mistakes, ultimately helping them feel confident about their decision to build.
Exaggerated Square Footage
Although planning can be a daunting task, putting in the work upfront will ultimately leave you with a better finished project. Consider your lifestyle now and where it might be in the future. Will your family be growing or will they be leaving home to start families of their own? Even if your home is 2,500 to 3,000 sq. ft., if it is designed properly, this may be all the space you need. Of course, for larger growing families, more square footage or finished basement space may allow for a more comfortable lifestyle. Extra room can also be useful for entertaining or the occasional visitor!
Lack of Storage Space
In addition to planning the overall space of your home, make sure you think about more than living areas, bedroom, and bathroom size. We’ve all heard people say that they don’t have enough storage in their homes, so plan for what type of storage you think your family will need and where it needs to be placed. Whether you envision walk-in closets, a coat closet off the foyer, a large mudroom, or unfinished storage for those bins full of holiday decorations, consider what you don’t have now but definitely want in your new space.
Poor Room Placement
A laundry room close to your bedrooms, a master bedroom away from the busiest and noisiest areas of the house, or a kitchen pantry on the opposite side of where you enter your home — location, location, location is so important. Nobody wants to haul bags of groceries across the entire house or loads of laundry up two flights of stairs before you get to the dressers and closets where they need to be put away. Our floor plans give you many options to choose from while keeping convenience and style in mind.
The Size of the HVAC System
Living in a Wisconsin home gives you the full gamut of weather. From freezing cold, below zero temps in the winter to hot and humid weather in July and August, your HVAC and building envelope will be put through the wringer. Make sure that the size of your system is appropriate for the size of your home: too small and it won’t heat and cool to your standards, but too big could leave you with a higher energy bill. Additional systems like fireplaces and ceiling fans add to the complexity and efficacy of your overall heating and cooling strategy.
Poorly Lit
At Demlang, we see many new homeowners who want their new build to let in an abundance of natural light. Lots of windows allow that great natural light (in addition to great views to the outside). Make sure each room has the number of windows you want and that they are large enough to let that natural light shine through. This can become an issue in lower levels, but just because the space is underground doesn’t mean your builder can’t give you access to great natural light. Start by looking for a lot with partial or full exposure, allowing you to gain access to the outside light in the lower level of your house. Also ensure that each room has an appropriate amount of outlets to plug in lamps or any other electrical units.
Spending Money in the Wrong Places
Let’s face the facts: most people have a limited budget when building. As you prioritize your budget, be sure to consider the important items like energy-efficient windows and a high-quality shingle on your roof first. Those aren’t items you are likely to replace soon, and replacement won’t be cheap or easy. While things like the perfect light fixture or kitchen faucet are important, they are much easier to upgrade down the road.
Remember to use your homebuilder as a resource. If there is something you don’t know or need some guidance on, they will be happy to help you! At Demlang Builders, we build houses across Wisconsin all day, every day and want to ensure our clients are happy with their new homes — with no regrets.
To learn more about building a new home with Demlang, contact us today.
