10 Tips For First-Time Home Builders

It sometimes feels like there are endless things to consider when it comes to building a new home. From superficial details like paint color to bigger concerns like the foundation, it’s easy to get lost in the details. When you choose to build your home in The Village of Kettle Valley, you can rest assured that the first decision, location, is an excellent one. From there, our excellent home builders can walk you through the rest, answering any questions that you may have and taking care of small details so that you can rest easy in your new home.

(Sticks and Stones Design Group)

Though you can feel confident in your choice to live in Kettle Valley, we still have some tips and things for you to consider.

1. Permits, permits, permits!
   Get everything properly inspected and make sure that your builder has secured all necessary building and mechanical permits. Permits are not there to intimidate you or cost you extra money. Permits are there to help you know that your work is up to code and it will be safe for you and your family. It will also help with the resale of your home.

2. Let the air flow
   Proper ventilation is key when planning and building your home because temperature and money go hand in hand together. If your ventilation system is not efficiently installed there will be issues with heating or cooling certain rooms or areas in your home.

3. Invest in insulation
   Make sure everything is properly insulated with the correct type of insulation. There is the spray foam, spray fiberglass, and block insulation. Ask your home building professional to find out which one will be the best for your type of building.

4. Consider spacious hallways
   Build your hallways big enough - most of them should be 3ft or more. Most modern designers have built them at 4ft because it is easy for large furniture to pass through and the spaciousness is attractive.

5. (Floor)Planning is everything
   Plan your furniture arrangements first. For example, If you would like a TV placed on the wall and speakers throughout your space- plan that ahead of time so you can hide the wires nicely in the walls. This will also help you select the best places for plugins, light switches and lighting placement.

6. Take your decor with you
   Whether you are working with your builder, an architect, an interior designer, or you are going it alone, be sure to document all of your decor decisions well. Put together a box that includes samples of all of your decor choices, from cabinetry and handles to paint colours and flooring and take it with you everywhere. When you spot that great vintage lamp at a garage sale, you will be glad to have your comparison pieces with you on-site.

7. Plan for life
   Many homeowners build a home for their current living situation and don’t consider the uses of their home in the future. If you are planning to have a family, consider how many children you plan to have. What if you need to care for an ailing parent? What if your children need more space as they get older or have many friends over? If you plan to live in your home into your golden years, consider a floorplan that keeps your main living spaces on a single floor so that you don’t have to navigate stairs.
   
   
   (HomeDIT.com)

8. No such thing as too much storage
   Utilise your space to the fullest- ensure your designs have no wasted space. If there are little nooks or spaces available under stairways, put a closet or cabinets in there for extra storage. Make sure that your garage has plenty of room to store items as well as your car and consider additional spaces like keeping linens in a laundry room.

9. Be nice!
   While every homeowner has heard their share of nightmare stories about builders and contractors, the reverse is also true. Communicate clearly with your builder and do your best to be a great homeowner. You should feel free to ask questions and visit the build site, but remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your contractor will expect you to feel stress at some point, but if you are nice you will likely have a better experience over all.

10. Think about resale value
    While we really hope that your decision to build a home in Kettle Valley will be a long lasting one, things happen and circumstances change. At some point, whether it’s 2 years down the road or 20, you will need to look at selling your home. If you come to a crossroads in decision making, think about what other potential home buyers may want. Maybe that fourth bedroom does need to be a bit bigger instead of putting in a sauna...

A great builder, like the ones who build the beautiful homes in the Village of Kettle Valley, will be able to walk you through all of these tips and will ask you tough questions that will help you get the home that you need and dream of.