Building? Budgeting Ideas When You Build Your New House
Budget is another very important factor for your House. Usually your budget will determine the size of the house you can build. In most areas, there is a cost per square foot to build, which can be used as a guideline. It is a good idea to check with a few home builders or contractors to see what their fees are. Another option is being an owner/builder, which will save you a good deal of money. If you are building your new home in a subdivision being an owner/builder may not be an option. You will need to figure out, based on your area, how much a new house will cost to build.
Drawing a map.
Obtain a topographic map that includes your property from the United States Geological Survey, 1-888-ASK-USGS. Scan and enlarge the map or take it to a business service with a copy machine that makes enlargements. Print enlarged copies of the part of the map that shows your property. Use a soft pencil to draw existing roads, streams, springs, buildings, bridges, fences, walls, gardens and fields. Draw tree outlines as they will be when mature. You can shade tree and shrub outlines with a green lead pencil and still be able to see building, path, road, fence lines within.
Water system.
Springs, wells, ponds, streams, gravity, pumps: elect-AC & DC/ram/sling/manual and cisterns.
Utilities overview.
Backup/multiple/redundant systems for water, heating, electricity make for more peaceful sleep, less stress when storms stop local systems.
Always Ask Your Home Builder and/or Local Building Department Before Making a Purchase.
One very important thing to remember when buying a Country Home Design, that they are complete working drawings but may, depending on the area you live in, need to be taken to an engineer or an architect in your area to have their stamp put on it. They would add anything special needed for your area.
The fees to go to an engineer or architect vary widely across the country and are not included in your house plans purchase. Most home plans can be purchased on reproducible vellum or CAD - computer aided drafting (usually but not always AutoCAD). These give you the capability and the right to make any necessary changes, additions, or house plan modifications to the home design. This is often needed if you want to modify the house plans but sometimes field modifications can be made without actually changing the house plan. Please check with your local building department to be sure.
