Controlling Cost in a House – These days, people are looking for more and more ways to minimize costs. This is true for our daily expenditures, and this is also true for major expenditures like building a timber frame house. Building a house is an important step – one that involves a big cash outlay for families and individuals alike. Nevertheless, a house is an investment for the future, and it is the place that people eventually live in for the rest of their lives. This is why when people build timber frame houses, they usually go all out. They make sure that the house is constructed according to the specifications that they want, as much as the budget can allow. In building a timber frame house, cost is still a major consideration. The good news is, when it comes to building a home, there are various measures that can be undertaken in an effort to control cost:
1) Finalize your specifications with your builder beforehand.
One advantage of building a timber frame home is that it is a lot faster than building a traditional one. The only problem is that many homeowners keep changing their minds about various details throughout the building process, and this causes delays. By ensuring that all the details are more or less cast in stone through completing the plans, the construction process will be a lot shorter and overhead costs as well as overall construction cost is reduced. Homeowners may think that these monetary savings are not significant, but as a matter of fact they are. You can even reduce site labor costs to as much as 35%.
2) Ask your contractor how your design can bring about cost savings.
In building a house, there are certain design specifications that can help you control cost. You should ask your contractor because timber frames are usually pre-made, which means they are made in a shop and the contractor just brings the pieces together. In designing your house specifications, it’s best to maximize every square foot and make the building process more efficient. This is why it’s important to collaborate with the architect, the engineer, and the contractor from the very beginning of the building process. Maximizing each square foot through an efficient design can translate to significant cost savings.
3) Make sure you’re well-insulated.
When a timber frame home gets built, it usually comes with SIP’s. Ensure that this insulation is done properly, because proper insulation can actually translate to considerable energy savings when you’re living in the house. Structural insulated panels in particular make saving energy easy. You won’t have to turn on the air-conditioning even in hot weather, because the insulated panels will keep your house cool.
We hope this helps you gain control over some of the cost when building your dream home.