Make an end to make a beginning

Budget is one of the top concerns (if not number one) I hear from readers going through the building process.  I imagine you’ve heard people say, ‘I went SO over budget; it’s impossible to stay on budget.’ Guess what?! This doesn’t have to be your story too! There actually ARE ways to stay on budget when building a house!

Below I share 8 easy ways to keep your home build budget in check! My husband and I *barely* went over budget when building our house, and I know our methods can help you stick to your budget too!

1. IF YOUR BUDGET IS TIGHT, LET YOUR TOP PRIORITY BE YOUR GUIDE

If your budget is tight, go with the elements of your future home that are most important to you! This is exactly how I handled the battle of taste vs. budget! I wanted a finished basement (like RIGHT AWAY) but I had to wait a couple of years to finish it because having custom trim work on the main level was MORE important to me!

Some other examples …

If you have a large family and need more square footage, focus your budget on the size of your home rather than the level of finishes. That is, opt for stock cabinets, laminate counters, inexpensive carpet, low-end appliances, etc. You can always upgrade finishes in the future … but it is much harder and more costly to add square footage after your build.

If you are more interested in custom details in your home (e.g. window seats, crown molding, high-end appliances, custom cabinets, etc.), then focus your budget on the finishes rather than square footage.

2.  IF YOU GO OVER BUDGET IN ONE AREA, GO UNDER IN ANOTHER AREA

Here’s a truth bomb … it’s difficult to stay on budget because your allowances (e.g. appliances) will be ridiculously low. I mean, RIDICULOUSLY low! I don’t remember exact numbers, but our appliance allowance was enough to cover maybe two appliances. Ugh! Needless to say, we went over budget in this area!

However, we were able to offset going over our appliance budget by doing more basic (yet still custom) drawers in our kids’ bathrooms. I would have loved fancy five-panel drawers, but we needed to save money so we went with basic flat drawers in the secondary bathrooms.

3. BE REALISTIC ABOUT (ALL) COSTS YOU WILL INCUR

Be realistic about all costs you will incur throughout the building (and moving in) process.

Obviously, you have construction costs, land purchase, and builder/architect fees … but there are so many other expenses you need to factor in. Make sure to work with the best professionals from Massachusetts roofing and siding.

These expenses include legal fees, permit and financing costs, moving fees, and the fun stuff … window coverings, furniture/décor, and landscaping. It’s important to keep ALL of this in mind when creating a REALISTIC budget!

4. BE HONEST (with yourself AND your builder) ABOUT THE FINISHES YOU WANT

Everyone says YOU’LL GO OVER BUDGET [when building a home] … and I agree to some extent. HOWEVER, I was able to stay VERY close to budget because I was extremely clear with my builder about the caliber of finishes I wanted BEFORE he priced our custom home.

If you are 100% honest and upfront with your builder about EXACTLY what you want BEFORE he or she prices the house, then he/she can give you an accurate quote.

You just need to be very clear about the level of finishes you want (e.g. custom trim work throughout your home). If high-end Subzero appliances are important to you, make sure your builder adds a realistic (and high!) appliance allowance to your bid!

The people who say ‘I was 50% over budget’ likely had many change orders and ‘upgraded’ their home WHILE they were building (as opposed to knowing how nice of a home they wanted before they started).

5. CHOOSE AS MANY FINISHES AS POSSIBLE BEFORE CONSTRUCTION STARTS

It is best to have design choices decided BEFORE construction starts. Prepare a plan and stick to it! This is important because you purchase the building materials at the price quoted at the BEGINNING of construction.

During my home build, we paid the price we were quoted for materials regardless of any price increases during the build. We paid more than our quoted price ONLY IF we had a change order and chose a different (more expensive) product. Does that make sense? 

Some builders will have you (the consumer) absorb any material price increases during construction. Example … if you are quoted $5 per square foot for a particular wood flooring product and the product cost jumps to $7 per square foot, some builders will have you pay the increase. Boom … you just went over budget! So choose (and order) your finishes BEFORE there are any price increases!