Choosing the Right House Plan
Choosing The Right House Plan
Everybody would like to live in a mansion or
a sprawling ranch but there are many factors
to consider when choosing a house plan. There
are also a few pitfalls that can be avoided by
doing your homework and making the right choices.
Before you commit to buying a stock or custom
house plan, you should know how much of a house
you can afford to build. A good place to get
this information would be the bank that you might
use to get your loan from.
Once you know what your budget is, you can determine
how much house you can afford and pick a house plan
that fits that budget. One way to accomplish this is
to call several homebuilding contractors in your area.
Ask them what the building costs per square foot are.
Not all contractors are willing to volunteer this
information, but you will find enough of them that
are willing to help at the prospect of gaining a customer.
With this information you will be able to determine
the square footage of a house plan you can afford.
If your budget is $200,000 and the cost per square
foot is $100, then a 2,000 square foot home is in
your budget($200,000/$100= 2,000).
Another consideration is the size of the lot you
intend on building your home. You don't want to
invest in a blueprint for a house that won't fit
on your lot. Check with your
municipality or county
on the distances you must have between the building
and the lot lines. Most have rules on how much
backyard you must have and how much your house must
be set back from the street or building line.
Some towns and subdivisions also have what are
called covenants. These are rules that dictate
what you can and cannot build. Some of these
covenants might include the minimum square footage
house you can build, brick or frame construction,
minimum roof pitch, and types of building materials
you are allowed to use.
These are some of the important things you must
consider. Building a new home the biggest investment
you'll ever make. Doing a little homework will keep
you from getting an unwanted surprise and wasting time
and money on a plan you can't use.
(c) 2005 Mike Merisko www.sawkerfs.com
About the Author
Mike Merisko has been a carpenter for 26 years. Most of those years
were spent in the homebuilding and remodeling industries. He was also in business as a carpentry and general contractor. While that is his forte, he also has experience in bridge building, commercial construction, and exhibit building which is how he earns his living these days. You can browse through articles by him and others at his website.
www.sawkerfs.com
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