New Home Building Tips for First Time Home Buyers

There is so much excitement and thought that goes into building your new home.  Not only do you need to figure out the financial aspects of owning a home, but you need to decide on what type/style of home as well.  Here are a few things to think about as a first time home buyer.

Home layout

  Before meeting with someone about building your new home, having a general idea about the home is always suggested.  How many bedrooms/bathrooms, 2-story or single story home, about how many square feet, these are all good questions to have answered prior to your first meeting.

It is also smart to think about the overall layout and flow of your home.  Now-a-days majority of homes are built with an open concept.  Your family room flows into your kitchen, and rooms are not as closed off as they use to be.  Majority of younger families want an open concept home, one that allows for plenty of room to entertain guests and room for a  growing family.

Storage is another key component when designing the overall layout of your home, especially if you have kids.  You will always want that extra space to put away Christmas decor, store your kids toys that they have out grown but you can’t seem to part with, or just that extra place to store whatever.

Drop Zone/ Mudroom

This area in the home is vital when you have kids.  A place to take your shoes off, a place to hang your coats, backpacks, purse, a cubbie designated specifically for each kid, these are all perks of having a drop zone in your home.  Even without kids, drop zones are great to have to store dog treats and supplies, place outdoor flags, and other miscellaneous items.  Drop zones help to keep you organized and hopefully prevent book bags from being thrown across the kitchen table.

Extended living spaces

Do you plan to expand your family at some point in the future?  Do you think you might have an elderly parent come to live with you one day?  These are all good reasons to build a home with extended living spaces that can be finished at a later date.  Building a home with a finished basement or finished 3rd floor will increase the overall cost of the home significantly.  If money  is a concern, then don’t finish these spaces, wait until you really need that space and can afford to have someone finish it for you at a later date.  You can’t add a basement later on, but you can finish one. Just something to keep in mind when designing your new home.

There are so many things to think about when building a home, and hopefully these 3 tips will help spark some new thought into the overall design of your home.