Step by Step Process of Building a House

A house isn't just a structure of concrete and mortar. It is a place where we find peace and rest after a long day's work. We all dream of owning a house some day and a lot of planning and saving goes in, building it. However, building a house is a complex and time consuming task. Following a step by step process of building one's house is the best way to minimize the hassles, that may arise in the process, and be well prepared for any unwarranted crisis that may crop up.

Steps of Building a House

1. Plan your Finances
   Money is an important factor in deciding the design, size and layout of your house. Deciding on your budget is a great way to begin. Judge if your budget is suitable for the design and size of your house. If not, see if you could apply for a home loan or a mortgage. You could also consider modifying your building plan to suit your budget.
2. Choose a Lot
   Choosing a lot is the next important step. However, some go for drawing up a house plan as the second stage. Although both the approaches have their own merits, the fact remains that a house plan can be altered according to the landscape, but changing the landscape to suit the plan is not possible. Thus the merits lie in choosing the lot before deciding on the plan. In addition to this, the builder or the architect that you hire needs to evaluate factors like soil condition, drainage and the building code of the area before any construction work can be started.
3. Choose the Right Professionals
   After you have decided on your budget and lot, it's time to choose the right professionals to build your house. That would include the builder, the surveyor and the architect. Once you chose the builder, it is usually that he chooses the rest of the team. However, you could hire the architect of your choice as well.
4. The House Plan
   While deciding on a plan for your house, it is useful that you consider your needs and lifestyle. If you plan to work from home, having a workplace is important. Are you one who loves the sun and fresh breeze? Then a house with wide windows and patios would be prefect for you. You could opt for a stock plan from a catalog, that has plans for houses or you could get a customized plan for your house. For the latter you will however require a licensed architect.
5. Decide on the Building Material
   Building materials commonly used for constructing a house, vary from lumber to concrete, plaster of Paris, aluminium and glass. If you are lucky you may get a list of building materials along with your house plan. If not, then try to select materials that are locally available, as it would also prove more congenial to the local climate.
6. Draw a Contract
   After you have finalized the lot, plan and the team that would build your house, draw up a contract with the builders and the architects. The contract includes all the agreements (like the start and the completion date, labor cost and any other charges and warranties involved in the process), drawn between you and the professionals that you have hired.
7. Apply for the Permit
   Finally you should apply for a permit to build your house and though getting it takes time, it always helps to get prepared to start construction of the house. For example, you could apply to the electric company to provide you temporary electricity to run the appliance required to build your house.

Despite all the steps you follow, there is always the unpredictable weather. Again sometimes your electrician might not turn up or may be the developer would want to make some changes to your plan that you wouldn't like. Such hurdles might always come, but it always helps to plan beforehand and to be prepared to handle all situations that may come up while constructing your home.