Stay organised while building a home

STAYING organised during your build does not just help you keep your desk clean — it will save your sanity.

From communication with your contractor to finding your dream cabinets, the construction process means you are constantly checking and re-checking information.

By putting a system in place, you will easily be able to locate what you need when you need it.

Organisation does not have to be complicated.

Below are tips to help you stay organised while you build.

Delineate between wants and needs

The first step for an organised build is making sure you know the difference between wants and needs. With all of the inspiration, trends, materials and ideas available, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. The fastest way to gain control of your build is to know where you stand on wants and needs.

Take the time to write a list of five to ten must-haves. These should be items that your home needs for you to be happy with the end result. Then, do the same with a few nice-to-haves: things that you would like, but will not make or break the experience.

Create a build binder (or board)

Building a home is an exercise in collaboration. You will be working with a myriad of professionals, from interior designers to concrete workers. A build binder helps you stay organised and on track no matter who or where you are meeting.

A build binder is simple: just use tabs to organise your home into different categories. One way is to split your home into different rooms. Or, if you find it easier, go by categories, such as cabinetry, flooring, countertops, paint and so on.

Organise receipts and documents

There is no shortage of receipts and docs during the build process. You will have land contracts and build contracts, material receipts and floorplan printouts. If you do not stay organised, you will not be able to easily refer to them as needed.

While you should always keep important home document hard copies in one place, you will need mobile versions, too. If you do not want to find yourself lugging a file cabinet to every build meeting, use your phone as an organisational tool. Create a folder in your phone’s photo album for home documents and snap a picture anytime you receive something important.

You will have easy access to all of your contracts, receipts and other important docs on the fly.

Create email folders

While the building of your home happens on your lot, the logistics will happen in your email inbox. Do not lose important communication among your work and junk emails.

Create a space for home-specific mail. You can easily create custom folders within your inbox.

If you use Gmail, for instance, you will click “Settings,” then “Labels” and “Create New.”

You can then name your new label anything you want and use that new label to file important messages.

Or you could create an entirely new email address for your build and create folders for the different categories.

Carry a home kit

If there is anything you should know about building a home, it is that a meeting can spring up anytime, any place. Whether you are visiting your home site, dropping by the cabinetry showroom or running into your contractor in the grocery store, you might find yourself making decisions on the fly.

That is why you should stash a home kit in your car at all times. It does not need to be fancy, but should include:

◆ A tape measure

◆ A notebook

◆ A pencil

◆ Your build binder

◆ A pair of shoes you do not mind getting dirty

Wondering if a light fixture will work in your home?

Grab your tape measure! Think you might have found the perfect shade of blue for your front door? Scribble it down. Schedule an impromptu walkthrough?

Throw on your shoes and take a look. With a home kit, you are never caught without the tools you need to keep the build moving. freshome.