Building a dream home

A home is a dwelling-place where an individual or a family sleep, eat and do other personal things. It can be a permanent or semi-permanent residence that in the form of a house, apartment, a unit in other building or a portable shelter.  Nothing beats the feeling of going home to our family eating good food and relaxing.

When I got married, one of the things I wanted to have is a place we can call our own home. I, my daughter and my husband have been living with my in-laws for almost eight years now. I'm not entirely content where I live at the moment because the space we have is not enough for our growing family. I always wanted to have our place where my daughter doesn't need to share a room with us. Because she will be a grown woman soon, I want her to have a separate room so she could have her privacy and space.

If I have the money, my dream home would have a beautiful pantry with a raised panel, one big master bedroom, two extra bedroom and two bathrooms. I also wanted to have a wraparound porch where I could entertain family and friends or just relax after a long day of work. And since my husband loves motorbike, our dream home should also have a garage.

But aside from money, building a home is not easy as 1, 2, and 3. It could be time-consuming and complicated. That's why you'll need to do some research and have a proper plan.

Here are some of the essential steps involved in creating a home.

Save money

The first step in achieving your dream home is to have a sum of money. You can never build a house without money. Make sure to save for the expenses in creating and obtaining your dream home. A dream won't become a reality if you don't do something to have what you want.

Establish a budget

Create a budget with the details that includes everything needed to be able to come up with how much will be the costs of the project. Consult an architect or a civil engineer for the costing of your dream home.

Find a good spot

In building a dream home, the location plays an integral part in what we are looking for and how we wanted to live. You have to know whether the area is suited for your family's safety and need. How is the water supply? Is the neighborhood prone to flooding?

Get an insurance

In US real estate industry, home insurance covers the protection of the home itself and belongings kept inside the property. Home insurance helps pay the repair of your home or replace your belongings if they are damaged by menaces, such as fire or theft.  While in the UK, there is a home warranty which is insurance before you build a home from scratch. It is a comprehensive developer’s warranty that covers the cost of a wide range of structural defects and materials that can be extremely costly when rebuilding or rectifying work to a property

Assemble your team

Building a home can't be done with just money and materials. You may also need to look for professional people who can help you build your home. The contractor and the architect are the most important people in your team. Getting the right contractor will help lessen the burden of monitoring the construction while the architect will help you achieve the kind of design you want for your home.

Prepare building essentials

After you finalized the design of your home, you need have your blueprint which will serve as a guide for the builders. Before you start building you need to get a building permit from your community and other permits requirements in your area. The contract with the building contractor should also be signed and ready.

Enjoy your new home

After months of your hard work and spending hard-earned money, building your dream home, you're finally able to occupy it. 

For more tips or inspiration, don’t forget you can also visit the Self Build Portal.

Enjoy your stay.

With dedication, perseverance, and determination, anything is possible.