Construction companies are becoming more and more aware of the risk associated with moisture build up in a home. They know that if there is enough moisture in a home, the chances of mold developing are heightened, and that can pose serious risks to the homeowner. Companies are creating new items that can help combat these moisture problems. From treated wood and treated insulation, these new items are being used in most new homes today.
A problem that is common with most new homes today, however, is the fact that they are built with only the minimum requirements for each room, with the exception of the master bedroom or the living room. If the minimum requirement for a bedroom measures at 9'3" x 9'4", then chances are well that the bedrooms in a new home will meet those minimum requirements and nothing more. Due to the space in the home being more tight and enclosed, the chances of mold developing are greatly increased. A couple of ways to increase the ventilation throughout the home are by opening up the windows or by using an air conditioner. Moisture cannot accumulate in a home that has very good ventilation and increased airflow.
Bathrooms are among one of the worst rooms for mold, and precautions must always be taken to prevent it from growing in the first place. Building codes require that a bathroom must have at least one form of ventilation in the room, whether it's an exhaust fan or a window. Sometimes, bathrooms are built with both a fan and a window. If that is the case, both of these should be used during and after a shower or bath to ensure all of the moisture has left the room.
If you are a first time homebuyer looking to purchase a newly constructed home, you can ask your agent if the home has been built with treated products that aid in the prevention of moisture build up. Every fixture or feature in your home that is normally prone to moisture, such as the sink, countertop, caulk, and more, could have been treated with anti-microbial additives. Make sure that there is proper ventilation in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room, which are the rooms that are most prone to moisture and mold problems.
Self-build refers to the procedure of creating an individual home of your own starting from scratch, i.e., right from buying a vacant plot of land up to the fully finished house. Self-building does not, however, imply that you mix concrete and lay bricks, etc., yourself. It means that you hire various professionals (e.g. architect, civil/structural engineer, building contractor, labor, electrical contractor, plumbing contractor, etc.) to get your home built under your supervision and in accordance with your requirements.
Self-building your home is the best way to have a home that is custom-built to suit the unique requirements of your family and a home that reflects your vision of a dream house.
Self-building your home offers many benefits over buying a ready-made home. These include:
- A self-build home suits your space and lifestyle requirements perfectly. - A self-build home allows you home ownership at the basic cost price, saving you about 30% of the cost compared to buying a finished home due to (i) the VAT savings made on materials and (ii) saving on profit margin a builder/developer would have taken for building your house. - Self-building your home leaves you with a very satisfying feeling of achievement.
Getting Started It is not a very easy task to execute a self-build home project. Its successful completion requires careful and accurate financial planning and good management skills all throughout the project (which may take several months) in order to ensure constant and timely progress and restrict the expenses to within your budget. Here are a few things you would need to consider before embarking on a self-build home project:
- Locating a suitable plot of land. - Planning your financial budget. - Organizing the finances. - Making your home design plan. - Obtaining permission for your home plan. - Obtaining building regulations approval. - Finding a building contractor, subcontractors (electrical, plumbing, etc.) and material suppliers. - Selecting the flooring. - Selecting electrical/hardware fittings and fixtures, etc.
Finding Land Locating and buying a plot of land is the first step to realizing your dream of having a self-build home. It can eat up some 35% of your total budget. Buying a plot with planning permission can be quite expensive, but is required if you want to start your self-build home project immediately. The Internet can provide a wealth of information on plots for sale. Otherwise, a land agent can also be of great help, but obviously you have to be prepared to part with a hefty commission.
Designing Your House Carefully prepare a draft of your space requirements before you meet the architect and brief him/her. Go through the home plans available on the Internet to get new ideas in order to reach a perfect plan. If you want to try your own hand at designing, use a 3D Architect software package.
Finance Accurate financial planning is the most important step in seeing your self-build home project completed successfully. The bare cost of construction comes to roughly a small charge per square foot for a very basic home. Other costs like the professional fees, survey fees, insurance fees, legal fees, land agent commission, etc., are additional. Once a reasonable figure is arrived at, you need to consider the sources of revenue. In addition to using your savings, you can take finance from a mortgage or a high street lender.
Insurance In a self-build home project it is advisable to get an insurance cover to protect you and your subcontractors/labour against unforeseen risks or accidents, e,g. theft of materials, injuries to workers, fire, storm, flood, damage to neighbours property, etc.
If you pay attention to all these factors, you can realize your dream of being the proud owner of a self-build home.
Both Rachel Yoshida & Derek Both are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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