THE TOP TEN RULES FOR BUILDING YOUR DREAM HOUSE
I know who you are. You’re the one who has been collecting magazine clippings for years – or, let’s face it, you’ve probably been “pinning” inspiring pictures on your dream home design Pinterest board. You have been budgeting and saving money so you can execute every detail – from the grain on your new floors to the precise shade of ‘greige’ you’d like in your study. (And greige is a word you learned about in your tedious home design studies. You just about have a PhD in it now.) Everything is in place – all of your preparations have been made, and you’re ready to start building your dream house. To help you along the way, here are some essential home construction tips to ensure your vision becomes a reality.

Wait, wait, wait, not so fast. In order avoid the financial and mental struggles that often come hand-in-hand with home renovations, you need to understand the importance hiring your dream team when creating your family home so you don’t fall into “The Money Pit” situation.

Consider these pitfalls to avoid and rules to adhere to when you are about to embark on that journey of building:
“The holy trilogy:” contractor, architect, and interior designer. You need to do your homework and carefully select these crucial members of your team. Ask your friends and family members for references and always ask for pictures of their work. If you have an interior designerthat you love and trust, he or she will have suggestions for contractors and architects for you.Ensure cohesiveness of your team and like-minded approaches, which will give you ease and a nice flow for your project. Make sure everyone is on the same page and understands your vision.
Make your mistakes on paper not in the field. You may feel eager to dive right into your project, but planning is key. By taking the time to properly plan in order to develop a strategy, you will save yourself time, money, and frustration as you skip over major errors that occur without proper planning.
Avoid costly change orders and delay-, plan and review, plan and review, repeat!
Maintain balance in style, materials, and attitude. Speak up and be clear about your vision, but also trust your design team- they are professionals with years of experience. A strong designer will be able to execute your vision better than you ever thought possible.
Make ALL decisions INCLUDING paint colors BEFORE your break ground. You may think you can figure these details out on-the-fly, but these particulars take more time and consideration than you think!
Happy dream team = happy client!
Be realistic about budgets- reduce square footage before you skimp on finishes that your will use and touch every day.
Trust the decision you made in assembling the dream team. You may begin getting cold feet or wake up panicked in the middle of the night when you’re undergoing major renovations. Take a breather and relax. You already assembled the perfect team. Breathe. Go back to sleep.
Do not micromanage. You will get in your own way and damage the progress and integrity of the project by micromanaging your team.
The ultimate message is to plan, plan, plan. All of the time and preparation you put in prior to starting your project will pay off in the end.
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