Three tips for building the home of your dreams

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Building a home of one's own is both challenging and exciting. After overcoming the initial obstacles of purchasing a suitable plot of land and obtaining planning permission, most people are, understandably, very eager to get to work on designing the home of their dreams. However, the choices you make at this stage will have an enormous impact on the end result you achieve, and as such, it's important to take your time and think carefully before making any final decisions. Here are three tips to help you create your dream house.

Find the right roofing

Roofing is one area in which it is vital not to scrimp; this is especially true if you intend to build in a region with a volatile climate. A well-made roof will protect your home from even the harshest of elements for years to come. Metal roofing is a popular choice, and offers many advantages over other materials.

Facilities Net explains that even the most basic metal roofing, made from galvanised steel, will last over four decades. The site also notes that this type of roofing is more eco-friendly than other varieties, as it can be designed using recycled materials and - when painted with a reflective coating and installed with insulation - can deliver significant savings on heating bills. It's best to speak directly to your local metal roofing contractors to find out which particular type of metal and coating is most suitable for your building project.

Choosing a layout - practicality over image

When it comes to planning the internal design of your new home, it's crucial to consider whether certain architectural features - however beautiful they might be - actually fit in with your lifestyle and your budget. Functionality should take precedence over aesthetics; for instance, you might love the look of enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, which allow lots of light into the space, but this type of feature could make it harder to keep your home warm, and thus lead to much higher energy bills during the winter months.

Pick the perfect frame system

The type of frame system you select will impact not only the cost of your construction project, but also the time it takes to build your home. According to Self Build, timber frames are a better choice if you have a tight deadline to meet, as these can be ready in as little as a week. The site also adds that timber frames, which don't have internal load-bearing walls, allow for more choice when it comes to designing the interior layout. Conversely, as this site explains, masonry frame systems tend to be low maintenance, have superior sound and thermal insulation, and are more resistant to mould and fire than their timber counterparts. As such, this type of structure may be a better option if you are concerned with long-term energy savings and avoiding future maintenance work.  

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27 April 2016

Finding the Best Contractors for the Job

Welcome to my blog, my name is Blake and from now on, I will be writing a series of blogs which will deal with the process of finding and working with contractors when constructing a new building. I am not a construction specialist but last summer I gained a lot of experience in this area when I hired a team of 32 contractors to build a holiday home. When hiring contractors, it is important that you understand how to communicate with them and their ways of working. Below are a series of blogs which will help you to find the best contractors.