It might seem like an overwhelming undertaking, creating your dream home, and it isn’t without it challenges that’s for sure, but it can be done. More importantly, it can be done without costing you the absolute earth and without sending you to an early grave with the pure stress of it all.
How, you ask?
Well, it takes a pinch of planning, a cup of commitment and a fair amount of flexibility, plus a little pitching in from the professionals. As well as some good, old fashioned elbow grease of course; but surely a bit of hard work is a small price to pay for living the American dream?
Be financially secure
Before you even think about trying to secure your dream home, you should first try and eliminate any debt that you might have. If you are applying for a mortgage or another means of financial assistance, then the less debt you have, the better your credit score will be and the more money you can borrow towards your dream home.
You should also have some money set aside for emergencies; there is no point using every cent you have to use as a deposit and then being left high and dry if a particularly large bill comes in or if your boiler breaks down. Try to keep at least 3 months wages for any unforeseen circumstances.
Finally, you should be realistic about what you can afford; you may have been dreaming of a six bedroom home with a swimming pool since you were a little girl but if you and your partner do not earn enough to cover the mortgage, fixed expenses and your day to day living costs of this type of home, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Be aspirational
Once you have worked out what your budget is, you can start to think about your personal vision for your dream home. Don’t afraid to be aspirational; it is not called your dream home for nothing. If you have always wanted a country-style home (and why would you not?), then make this dream a reality.
However, remember that although you can be headstrong when it comes to your overall vision, it is important to try and be flexible when it comes to the specific details of your home. It is highly unlikely that you will find a home that ticks every single one of your boxes; you may need to compromise on location, or the number of bedrooms, for example. Do not let a rigid list of requirements come between you and your dream home.
Be brave
If you truly have your heart set on a one-of-a-kind property that visualizes itself to you only in your dreams, why not think about designing and building your home from scratch? There are many advantages to hiring the services of custom home builders including;
- Being able to design your home’s floor plan and layout to match your family’s needs
- Being able to choose the exact materials that you want featured in your home
- Having your exact vision realized by trusted professionals
- Being able to utilize the latest innovations and smart technologies
Creating your dream home can a daunting prospect but try to remember that you don’t have to have all the features that you want for the rest of your life completed all at once.
You and your family will grow and change over the years and a house will have to adapt to these changes. Instead, focus on what you want and need from your dream home for the next 5-10 years and make any modifications as and when you need them.
