How to plan and design your dream home

AFTER years depriving yourself of the finer things in life, you’ve finally saved enough money for a down payment on a mortgage and your vision of a new home is set to become a reality.

But before your excitement and enthusiasm get the better of you, take the time to sit down and put a practical set of goals together. Being hasty now may cause you to regret your impatience later on when the house is built and it is too late to change anything. Instead of laying down the bricks, take the time now to lay down a well-thought out plan that will help you to become the proud owner of the house you’ve always dreamed of.

Devise a budget

You may have secured a mortgage, but that is the beginning of your financial journey, not the end of it. Just how do you plan to spend the money? Think of all the costs that are not immediately apparent: stamp duty, legal fees and local authority fees all need to be factored in, as well as the more obvious costs of materials, construction labour and the architect. As with a lot of projects, unforeseen costs are likely to arise, so earmark a certain portion of your funds for ‘what if ’ scenarios. It will give you a little more breathing space and peace of mind.

Design your house on paper

It all boils down to knowing what you want. Even if your design begins as a piece of scrawl on a napkin, keep working on it and refining it until you are sure of what it is about a house that makes you happy. Remember that you’ll be living here, probably until the end of your days, so be realistic but be specific too. Bear in mind that our physical needs will change as we grow older, so the design of the house will need to reflect this. When you’ve finally pinned down the design, it’s time to visit the architect to draw up the formal plan.

Work with your architect

A good architect will take your plans, listen to you carefully and as far as possible, design the house that you are looking to build. However, they are also paid to look at the practical side of constructing a building and can advise on health and safety issues as well as the feasibility of your design from an engineering point of view. Most importantly, architects can coordinate and oversee the construction of your home to ensure that it complies with building standards and practices. Architects each have their own particular design style, so before you hire one, do your research to see if their creative vision is in tandem with yours. For a list of qualified architects, visit The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland’s website at www.riai.ie.

Keep organised and keep cool

Taking on the project of building your home from scratch is a long-term proposition and one that can cause a lot of stress due to the emotional attachment you have to the outcome. The trick is to stay organised because there will be a lot of different parties involved in each phase of the journey. Keep all your paperwork together and have it filed in a way that makes sense to you and where you can locate important documents at the drop of a hat. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that, once you’ve hired the architect and the builders, you can wash your hands of any responsibility. This is your money, your dream and your home and it is you who ultimately drives the success of the project.