What are some house design tips to reduce building costs?

So here we’ve provided some tips for during the initial design phase that can help your project come in on budget… a win-win for everyone!

1. It is important when designing your home not to get caught up in the moment and the clouds and add things that are beyond your allowance.. for example, a bespoke kitchen, free-standing bath, high ceilings etc. Obviously the simpler you can keep the design the less it will cost to build. A standard rectangle design is more cost-effective to build as compared to a home that has a lot of angles and cut-outs in design. Any extra changes to your roofline as compared to a rectangular design add cost with corners in the facia, gutter, roofing etc.

2. Another trap a lot of budding new home builders/buyers fall into is to use cheaper building materials which in turn could save you money but ultimately fail and need to be replaced. Another important fact to consider is the products used to increase energy efficiency which will result in savings that hypothetically can be taken off the build costs and if you design it north facing will be an added save if in colder climates.

3. Engage a builder early to discuss some of the design aspects of your build, lines on a plan are simply done but that part of the build could be impossible to do or cost a lot of money. Discussing with an experienced builder is very important in two ways, it could save you money and you will be able to also ascertain if the builder is reputable and honest, and has a product offering worth considering.

4. If you are a DIY enthusiast and have certain building skills (no matter how limited they are) study your design to see what you may be able to do yourself. Also, consider your circle of friends and relatives and see if they have a certain skill set that you could use – e.g. laying carpet, painting etc. Also, it pays to be scrupulous with material purchases- a dollar saved is a dollar gained!!

5. Last but certainly not least it is important in your design to carefully think of your block of land, where are your service connections, water, power, storm water etc, to minimise costs to connect your design to these vital points. For example, if you can keep your kitchen, bathroom, laundry etc close together in your design it can be saved in plumbing costs. Your block also may have registered fire risk or be close to breaking surf, so this is important to discuss how this could impact your design, will your windows need to be fire rated, and will your cladding needs to be treated to prevent rust.

There is a lot to consider, but we’ve got a very experienced team here to help you out.

Call our offices at 6 Integrity Drv, Westbury 7303 and get your building project started!