You probably think the title of this article is a bit ‘over the top’, especially if you have zero building experience; truth be told, we have YouTube to thank for this. There are literally thousands of ‘how to build a house’ videos online and they are free to watch. It doesn’t matter whether you are here in NZ, in Asia or Europe, you can gain all the knowledge you need to construct a small house from scratch.
The plot of land
Either an empty plot, or an old property for a knock-down and rebuild, your plot of land should be surveyed and the plans for the structure can be put together by a local architect and submitted to the local authority for planning approval. You might be best contacting a retired architect who has time on his hands, which would save a little money.
The design stage
It is a unique opportunity to design your own living space, therefore, time should be spent looking at various styles and materials. Only you know your lifestyle and your new property should be designed around your needs, with the assistance of a qualified architect. Look at new and emerging technology that you could incorporate into the design and let the architect make some suggestions.
The building contractor
Assuming you are not planning to do all the work yourself, you will need a local builder with experience building residences to order. They would typically have a dozen design templates, although they are more than capable of developing your design ideas and together, you can work out a schedule and agree on staggered payments. One thing you should insist on is a comprehensive service that covers everything, with an all-inclusive quote that they will honour.
Find a local building materials supplier
You can find a range of electrical flush boxes at Built Boards that are flush to the walls; Google can help you find the best building supplies company and you can open an account and have the materials delivered for free. The builder should be inviting you to inspect the site at regular intervals, prior to making a stage payment., which is standard practice in the construction industry.
Land deeds and titles
We recommend using a local real estate lawyer to ensure the lad title deeds are as they should be; surveys should have been carried out prior to the build and the lawyer will oversee the actual land purchase and building regulations that must be met.
Solar energy
As you would expect, the NZ government will offer financial incentives to homeowners that make the switch to clean, renewable energy. The cost of solar panels has dropped considerably in the past few years, making it a more attractive proposition; talk to your local builder and see what he has to say. Do you really want to be totally energy dependant on the huge corporations that like to hike their prices?
More and more people are looking to design their own home and we hope this article goes some way to helping you build the house of your dreams.
Comments are closed.