Ever since I was a child I knew exactly what kind of home I wanted. The layout, the furniture, everything was in my head and I could see it so clearly. However, when I got my first home as an adult, it was a dozen rooms short and nowhere near what I wanted. But, a couple of months ago, I finally moved into the house of my dreams. It’s not exactly what I pictured as a child, but it is a lot closer to my vision than anything else. The best part about it is that it was built from scratch, and I’m the one that came up with the design. This is how I did it:
Determine a budget
When thinking about designing your dream home, the one thing you realise very quickly is that the costs pile up. You have to be very realistic about your budget and regulate your wishes accordingly. A few things, like a built-in pool and a walk-in closet the size of my living room, simply couldn’t make it onto the list, but that doesn’t mean that I had to give it all up. I settled for a smaller closet and an above ground pool, which ended up being quite enough for my family. I also made a deal with a single contractor, which meant I paid a lot less than I would have by hiring different people for each part of the construction process.
Make a priority list
As I mentioned, there are many things that I wanted my home to have, but they simply couldn’t be. The experts I hired asked me to provide them with a list of things I wanted, in order of priority. On the top of my list were bedrooms for each member of the family, two bathrooms and a large kitchen. But, I also had other things high on the list, such as an open floor plan for the kitchen and living room, which side of the world I wanted the different rooms to be facing and the style of architecture I wanted. I learned that it’s very important to state more than just which rooms you want, especially if it is being built from scratch, because your idea might not be the same as someone else’s. I also spent hours and hours online looking for references to show the architect that was making the plans. Having visual representations of what you want is the best way to present what you have in mind.
Find a good team
Obviously, I didn’t build the home with my own two hands, and choosing the right team to build my dream home was a very important thing for me. I researched many options until I found someone who shared my vision. Adding on a new space to a house was what I was searching for and new granny flats in Australia were the best solution. I first looked online and asked around, and when I narrowed the list down to a handful, I talked to each of them to see how they work and whether we got along. The architect I was working with completely understood my vision and supported my ideas wherever he could, while still steering me in the right direction. You really don’t want someone who will constantly be agreeing with you, because they know what will work and what won’t – which is why you hired them in the first place. I didn’t even realize that some parts of my home plan didn’t work at all with each other until he pointed it out, but he came up with a new solution, while still consulting me for every decision to see if I agreed. The entire crew was very professional, punctual and did a great job.
After it was all built, the hard part started with the moving and the decorating, but in the end, it was all worth it. Waking up in a home that is simply perfect and exactly the way you imagined it is the best feeling in the world. Of course, it’s never picture perfect – it’s often messy and the neighbors are noisy, but it’s a loving home, and because it was tailor-made for us, everyone has their own corner and plenty of space for all of our activities. In the end, home isn’t the four walls – it’s the atmosphere inside.