All you need to know while designing your dream house

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A New and Modern Villa: Wester Coates Villa, ZONE Architects ZONE Architects Modern houses
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A home is an expression of your deepest aspirations and your truest self. It is where you can be yourself, do what you want, and enjoy your personal freedom completely. So wouldn’t it be fitting to take matters into your own hands and design your own dream home – the one that motivates you to face life’s daily challenges and puts a happy roof over your head and those of your loved ones? While many of us rely on an architect or builder to design our house, we forget the actual dream we have for our abode. And this dream involves personally taking care of every detail, so that our home becomes a practical and stylish paradise that we hope for. Because, let’s face it, at the end of the day, we are the ones who are going to be living in that home.

So here we will discuss how you can start from scratch and go about the entire house building process in a methodical manner. We understand that every individual has distinct needs, preferences and views about what is important or desirable in a dream abode. But the general tips talked about here, will hopefully be able to guide one and all in the right direction.

Look for inspiration

With internet access and lots of architectural and home decor magazines close at hand, inspiration truly is all around you. So concentrate on the basics first, and decide on a look and layout that you like. Do your research thoroughly since ideas for building a dream home are aplenty. Carefully peruse Homify ideabooks and create your own with the pictures that stole your heart! Use these pictures as a vision board of sorts to decide what your home will look like, and slowly you will find that the pieces of your imagination are falling into place. Colour, theme, layout and other architectural details that have appealed to you, will swing into action and help you start with the designing of your dream home. For instance, you can obtain inspiration from this gorgeous rustic style ranch house designed by Uptic Studios, architects from United States.

Assess the potential of your present home

If you are already living in a home that you own or have inherited, then it is time to take a long and hard look at it. What are its problems and concerns which make it difficult for you to live there? And more importantly, what can you do about these issues? Think of what needs to be improved, what needs to be changed and what you can still work with. Delve deep into your resources; speak with carpenters, plumbers and even architects or contractors to discuss what kind of remodelling or renovating may be required. Also don’t forget to pinpoint on aspects which you like about your current residence and intend to retain. This way, you will have to shell out less money than it would take to build a new home from nothing.

Start sketching your ideas and plans

Whether you are going for an overhaul of an existing structure or planning to raise one from the ground – you will need to sketch it out in order to show exactly what you need, to the team you are working with. Think you cannot make a decent sketch or drawing? Well, the solution is simple. You don’t have to be as good as Picasso to give shape to your ideas. Just draw as best as you can. Perfect the idea and make it come alive with the same clarity which is inside your mind. Amazing ideas will take form and you will end up surprising yourself. You can also use free and easy design tools for sketching which even children can play around with!

Look for professionals and show them your ideas

Once you are done sketching and drawing your ideas, it is time to show them to a professional. Look for professionals like architects or builders and show them your ideas for better insights. They will be able to guide you on the realistic and doable aspects of your plans. A professional insight will also assist you in drafting a smooth master plan which will be easy to execute and have a professional edge to it. This step is also where you figure out the financial nuances of home building. Ask for a budget or a quote and get cracking on the numbers. If you are wondering where and how you can find a professional, you can go through the “Professional” section on Homify. It lists many such experts for both home interiors and exteriors and they can help you out.

It’s time to arrive at a decision

You have now reached a phase where you know what you want and how much it will cost. So do the math and get going with the plans. Set yourself a budget and if you do not have the funds yet, set yourself a deadline to acquire the same for your plans to move forward. Know what route you will be taking and start doing some ground work for loans, and other means that you will be using for financing your dream house project. This is one of the most important steps in the house building journey – this is where you will finalise not only the design and plan of the residence, but also the financial part which is probably your life’s most vital investment venture.

Gear up to build your dream home

Once you have decided what you really want and how you want to go about it, there is just one simple step remaining – going ahead and building your dream home. This is where the actual process starts and all the weeks and months of planning will culminate in the start of the project. Take this step to start the construction process and remember to hold on to your patience. This stage will require lots of attention and lots of time, especially from you. The team behind the actual execution will also need to be handled well and everything will have to be timed properly – from laying the foundation to laying the last brick!

Building a dream home is about taking a major decision that will last you the rest of your life. To design a house is to invest in a great deal of planning and preparation. But it can be accomplished with intelligent research and a bit of trial and error. So bring out the artist in you and make you dream home your very first canvas – create an oasis for you and your family to enjoy for generations to come! Here is another ideabook to inspire you further - Home styles—6 Beautiful ideas!

Which idea from here inspired you the most? Let us know in the comments!

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