As you begin to conceptualize the master plan of your new home, one of the first things you have to do is figure out how much of a house you can afford to build, including the cost of the land and the landscaping.
The Financing Your Home section will help you figure out how much of a mortgage a lender will allow.
The program that you develop will be somewhat of a wish list and reality may force deletions or modifications. This realization will probably occur when you try to zero in on an affordable square footage for your new home.
The size of the home you build is the most important factor in determining the cost. You can determine the average cost per square foot for new homes in your area by calling the local chapter of the National Association of Home Builders. Multiply the square footage of the home that you wish to build by the average cost per square foot to determine a general cost.
If you find yourself staring at a grand total that is far beyond your budget, you'll have to scale down the design or choose a new one. If it's close to your budget, you can probably adjust some of the options, extras and finish materials to make sure you stay within budget. Developing a budget and calculating costs will take a bit of time and research, but it is a step that you cannot ignore.
Make a list of your priorities. How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want? Do you need a family room and living room? Do you want a separate dining room or is a large eat-in-kitchen area more practical for your lifestyle? Will you need a study or home office or library? How big of a garage will you need? Do you plan on finishing a basement for a playroom?
If budget is a concern, and let’s face it, for most of us it is, there are many ways you can build your house to include expansion possibilities at a later time. Consider building a smaller house and include a patio with a foundation suitable for future expansion or look for a one-story plan that includes expansion space on the second floor, or attic. There are also many finishing elements that can be accomplished later when your budget allows.
The House Designers has handpicked the most popular home designs from our collections to offer you the best house plans in America. We also offer you the ability to contact the designer of your home directly to help you in any way possible with making one of the biggest decisions of your life.
