Where To Begin When Planning Your New Home

Planning to build a new home is an exciting experience that involves a lot of decisions.

Doing your prep work and thinking about what’s important to you is a great way to begin and help keep your focus through the planning process. Here are a few important tips to get your planning underway today.

Future thinking

Believe it or not the first step to planning your new home has nothing to do with the house, but rather the people that live in it.

Before thinking about what kind of home you want, take the time to sit down with your family and think about what your life might look like over the next decade. Are you planning to grow your family? Will your older kids be leaving home? Will elderly parents be moving in with you?

Accounting for your future needs in the initial design and planning process can save you money down the track and keep you in your new home for longer.

It’s also worth considering how long you might be looking to spend in your home. Will it be your ‘forever home’, or are you looking for a home to suit your needs for just the next decade or so?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you determine what kind of house will best suit your needs.

Back to basics

Now, time to start thinking about the bricks and mortar. As with any big decision, start with the basics and ask yourself some simple questions.

How many bedrooms do you want in your home? Do you want a single or double storey? Is a garage a non-negotiable? Taking pen to paper and writing a list of your “must-haves” as well as “wish list” elements will help hone your thinking.

You never know, there may well be some negotiation required within the family as to what is most important, so getting on the same page is a crucial step.

Budget

It’s easy to get caught in the thrill of the moment when making decisions. So take the time to sit back and think about where you’d like to invest your money.

Are high-end kitchen appliances or a grand staircase more important than the thickness of your carpet? Deciding which elements you are and aren’t willing to compromise on will ensure you end up with a home that you love – all while staying on budget.

Take in your surroundings

Take the time to look at your current home or apartment and consider what features of the space you like and would like to incorporate into your new home.

Does an eat in kitchen make meal times easy? Is a parent’s retreat keeping you sane?

Take note of anything in your current home that is driving you mad. You might not always know what you want, but knowing what you don’t want can help narrow your thinking.

Shop the look

There’s no better way to inspire yourself than taking a trip to your nearest HomeWorld village to touch and see a range of display homes. Talk directly to builders about design options to suit your needs and even take photos of the rooms you love to recreate in your own home.

It’s that easy to get the ball rolling!

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