Building your dream home is one of the biggest investments you can make. It’s the place we spend most of our time and we create memories that last a lifetime. When building your dream home, it’s important to make sure of the following: the site, budget constraints, building timeline, local authority requirements and choosing the right builder. Let’s dive into the first important factor that you need to consider:
1. Site
The site is the location you will be building your dream home. The erf you will be constructing the house has many factors that will influence the design as well as affect the placement of the design. Some of these factors are slope, orientation and services. The slope is the gradient that is evident on the erf. A site is never 100% level and will have a slope that should be taken into account before you build. Having as little of a slope as possible on the site will be beneficial for your project and will make building easier and more cost-effective. Orientation is the position you place the building on the site. Where is your site located? Are there any important views to consider? Do you have neighbours and how will your house affect them and vice versa? Orientating the dwelling correctly towards the sun is also very important. In South Africa, you would want to orientate the living spaces to the North and the kitchen, garage and other service areas to the South. Services are the water and sewage connection on your site. Is the site serviced? You will need to know where these services are located so that you can link the dwelling with the municipal water and sewer connection.
2. Budget
Every project needs a budget. Building your dream house is one of the biggest investments you can make. So how do you determine what the house will cost to construct? We’ve made a bill of quantities available for you to purchase with your council drawings. A bill of quantities is a shopping list that the builder can use to determine the cost of the project. The budget can quickly be determined by the size times the building rate per meter square. So for example, if the dwelling is 200m2 and your builder can build the house for R10 000 per m2 then the budget is R2 000 000.
Knowing what you can afford before buying a plan is extremely important as this will help you determine the size of the house.
3. Timeline
When are you planning to move into your dream home? Before you can organise the moving company to pick up your things you will need to consider the following. You will have to submit the plans to council. With our pre-scrutinized plans, this part of the process is shortened and as soon as the local authority has approved the plans you can start building. While the plans circulate at the municipality, you can use the time productively. You can use the bill of quantities offered on the site to get more than one quotation for the building work, you can shop for floor and wall finishes and select all the sanitary ware. Remember we offer the digital format of the plans and this will very useful for you to give to other sub-contractors like the kitchen designer or the cabinet makers. Approving plans at council can vary depending on your area and your local authority’s requirements. Therefore allow at least 3 months for the approval time at council and 6 – 8 months to construct the building. This is only a rough estimate and will change depending on your building team.
4. Local Authority
The local authority is the governing body in your area. Each municipality has a building department that oversees plans submitted to it and approved building work before construction starts. It’s important to note that building without an approved building plan is a criminal offence. Before you start your building project, pop in at your local authority and speak to a municipal officer about their process and what you will need to be aware of before you commence your building endeavour. We have over 40 years experience working with council and gaining approval for building work. All of our plans have been designed and scrutinized by a team of qualified architectural professionals and therefore we can guarantee peace of mind. Remember that additional restrictions may be applicable to your site like the zoning, building lines and design guidelines. It’s important to do thorough research on what will be applicable to your project.
5. Builder
The contractor is crucial in making plans a three-dimensional reality. It’s important to approach more than one contractor to price the project so that you know you get the best value for your money. Ask friends and family members who they have used in the past and ask the contractor for referrals you can contact. Visit the homes he has built and ask the clients how their experience was using this specific builder. Consider having a good contract between you and the builder and make sure that you have used the bill of quantities provided in the costing process.
In conclusion, building your dream home is a wonderful experience. Make use of our tips before you start and remember we’re only an email away if you have any queries.
