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How to build a house without mistakes: 90 tips from developers

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The construction of the house has many features and nuances. Sometimes it seems that there are so many that it is simply impossible to take into account everything. And as you wish, build a house so that you do not regret anything later – do not stumble on uncomfortable stairs, do not suffer when washing uncomfortable windows. To make your frame house as convenient as possible, we have collected for you the warnings of many developers, as well as our customers: they told about their mistakes in order not to make them you. We have designed their mistakes as advice – what you should pay attention to when building a house.

Okay, here we go.

Preparations for the construction phase.

The stage preceding the construction of the house is no less important than the process of its construction, because mistakes made now may affect the comfort of the building and the layout of the site, and it will not be possible to correct them. Avoid many problems and mistakes will help you to avoid the experience of our clients and experienced developers.

What to pay attention to when choosing and buying a land plot?

When buying a land plot through an agency, many customers have faced such problems:

The agency does not always have reliable information about engineering communications connected to your land. It is better to clarify this separately in management companies.

To adapt the foundation of a standard project to your site, it is better to perform geological surveys in advance. This will provide detailed information about the depth of groundwater, soil composition and will help during the construction of the house.

Having talked to your neighbors after selecting a land plot, you can learn a lot of things that will not be told to you in the agency.

If you decide to buy a plot of land through an agency, do not blindly believe everything said. It’s better to find out for yourself.

In addition, the owners of the houses gave some useful advice on choosing a plot for construction:

Buying land on a slope, note that you will have to spend a lot of money for planning and construction of retaining walls. If you are not ready for such expenses, buy a plot of land with a flat terrain.

Buying a plot of land in a club village advantageous that you will not have to deal with cleaning the street and clearing snow on the roadway in the cold season.

You should not think that the land with the construction started will make your life easier. You’ll get these problems: when you choose a project, you’ll have to tie yourself to the existing foundation, if the unfinished structure is in poor condition, it will have to be reinforced, which will entail additional costs.

As soon as you buy a plot, enclose it.

Before starting construction, decide where the concrete will be mixed on the site, where garbage will be stored and removed, and where small waste will be incinerated. This will keep order and protect the land from combustion products and concrete.

Construction costs

  1. Almost all the owners of the houses built agreed that the desire to save would entail even greater costs. Many clients who were building their house without a detailed estimate (based on rough estimates made by a foreman) concluded that it took twice as much money as it was announced. If you still want to save money, you shouldn’t do it at the expense of reducing the cost of engineering at home.

How do you choose a project?

Most owners of private homes unanimously agreed that buying a standard project and its implementation is much more profitable and cheaper than self-construction. As for the choice and purchase of the project of the future home owners give such recommendations:

  1. The project is better to buy from a reputable firm, rather than ask friends or download a free version on the Internet.

  1. Construction of the house begin only after you have on hand all sections of the project.

  1. It is better that the project has a normal height of rooms. Minimum for residential floors – from three meters, and for the basement premises – at least 2.8 m.

  1. It is very convenient if the house project includes dressing rooms, at least a small sauna and a separate washbasin in the garage room.

  1. The interior design of the house should be ordered in advance, not at the time of plastering the walls.
  2. Look at examples of interior decoration of houses in advance. This will help you save money in the future.

  1. Any non-standard building will incur additional costs. So when choosing a project, give preference to standard one- or two-story houses.

  1. If you think it is cheaper to rebuild an old house than to build a new one, then you are very much mistaken. A lot of money will have to be spent on reinforcing and restoring worn-out structures of an old building.

As for the choice of a one- or two-storey house, there is no unanimous opinion. It all depends on the personal preferences of the owners and the size of the family. Such arguments were made in favor of the second floor:

  1. Two-storeyed houses are more beautiful and give an unlimited choice of planning options.

  1. The 2-storey house is more compact, so the cost of foundation and roofing work is less.

  1. Heat loss of such construction is lower than that of one-storey buildings.

  1. Only the second floor windows offer such a beautiful view.

  1. On a small plot of two-storey house will help to save space for a garden, garden or gazebo.

Opponents of the second floor of the house gave such arguments:

  1. Inefficient use of space in the case of the device bedrooms on the second floor.

  1. Many owners of two-storey cottages do not like to walk up the stairs.

  1. Construction of a dormer house is much more profitable and cheaper than the construction of a full second floor.

  1. Optimal size of the house, comfortable for living and heating, – 120 m ². But the garage is not worth saving: for one car is better to make a room size of 8×5 m. So you will easily open the garage doors of the car and can save up to 30% on the device gate (non-standard small will be more expensive).

Do you need a landscape design?

The need for a professional landscape design indicates such feedback from our customers and homeowners:

  1. Competent landing of the house on the site will correctly orientate it around the world, providing good insolation and comfort in all rooms.

  1. At a site planning it is better to provide in advance a lining of all necessary engineering communications.

  1. Landscape planning of the development area will provide for soil drainage, retaining walls where necessary, and flat areas for transport and recreation.

  1. At the stage of planning of the territory it is important to ensure the safety of good greenery, fencing them for the period of construction.

  1. In order to avoid problems with regulatory authorities, the design of the site layout must first be approved by the architectural authorities.

Advice on purchasing materials

Many owners of cottages and villas unanimously agreed that the purchase of inexpensive finishing materials for the house does not guarantee its attractiveness and durability of outdoor decoration. In addition, you should listen to such advice on the choice of materials for construction:

  1. Always require manufacturer’s certificates and guarantees for building materials. In the future, this will help you resolve disputes with suppliers.

  1. It is better to purchase materials well in advance so that in the high season you do not face the lack of the most essential products.

  1. It turns out that mice can also settle in the foam.

  1. It is better not to use slate as a roofing material.

How do you choose a good contractor?

To protect themselves from unscrupulous construction teams and firms, experienced builders recommend to conclude a contract and specify in it a list of all works, terms, payment and penalties in case of failure to comply with the terms of the contract. To this you can add a number of tips on the choice of the customer:

  1. Require qualification certificates, portfolios and recommendations from private teams and construction firms.

  1. If you have the opportunity, purchase construction materials yourself, and pay the workers only for the work done.

  1. Remember to specify cleaning work in your contract with the teams, so that you do not have to do it yourself later.

  1. Do you want to save up to a quarter of the cost of the estimated cost? Then hire a tech service. They’ll make sure your house is built to construction standards.

  1. Photo chronology of the construction process will allow you to monitor the work of the private team.

Erecting a house

Having passed all the difficulties of the preparatory phase, it is equally important to successfully start and finish the construction of the house. The advice of our clients and owners of their own houses, who have gone through all this on their own, will help you.

Foundation work

The foundation is the foundation of the whole building. The durability and integrity of the building depends on its strength and reliability. That is why the work on the construction of the foundation should be trusted only to professionals. Advice of experienced developers in the construction of the foundation:

  1. If you want to save money, do not make a full basement floor. It is better to make a semi-basement or a slab foundation.

  1. To save money and time on the device of holes for the introduction of communications in the house, provide for the laying of pipes under the network in the enclosing structures at the stage of their construction.

  1. Any deviations from the design of the foundation may require you to pay additional costs for the purchase of building materials.

  1. Concrete work to install the porch, terrace and joists should be done immediately after the foundation is erected. This will prevent contamination of other structures with concrete.

Tips for erecting the box

If you build a house with your own hands, you can’t do without leveling, laser level, plumb and two-meter level meter. Only this way you can maintain strict horizontal and verticality of all surfaces. Also when erecting the box, take into account the following:

  1. After installing the floor slabs, do not rush to load them.

  1. There is no need to save money on the purchase of finishing materials for outdoor work.

  1. If you want to save time and money on erecting a box of the house, then choose frame construction. After reading about frame houses (feedback from the owners), you will be able to save twice on the construction of the box.

Roofing work

Many home owners agreed that when choosing a roof configuration, preference should be given to a simpler gable structure. The more joints and fractures on the roof, the more likely it is that the roof will leak and require repair. In addition, such a roof will be more expensive. In addition, please note the following:

  1. Make a roof pie and roof windows at the same time.

  1. When arranging the dormer floor, it is worth thoroughly insulating the roof. The minimum thickness of the thermal insulation material should be 250-300 mm. It is better to use soft roofing rather than metal tiles as a roofing material. Thus, during the rain, the attic floor will not hear the noise from droplets hitting the roofing.

  1. Be sure to use snow stops even on roofs with a slight slope.

Facade finish

As for the recommendations of the house owners on the choice of facade finish, they are as follows:

  1. Plastering “lamb” and light painting of the facade – very beautiful and practical finish. The house is practically not heated, and the beauty does not burn out.

  1. If you decide to use plaster “horizontal bark beetle”, then take into account that garbage and dirt accumulates very quickly in the depressions.

  1. To decorate the facade of the house with flowers or vertical landscaping, you need to provide in advance in the masonry hooks and fasteners for shelves and stands for vases.

Do you need a balcony?

Views of experienced developers on the need for a balcony in a private home:

  1. If you have a small area with a beautiful view from the windows of the second floor, the balcony should be done.

  1. Otherwise, the balcony is absolutely unnecessary, because in summer it is possible to go out to the yard, and in winter it will have to remove snow.

  1. It is not necessary to make a balcony without understanding how you are going to do its waterproofing and insulation to prevent cold bridges.

Staircase design recommendations

  1. Make sure that there is enough space for the stairs during the design phase. Keep in mind that it should not only be comfortable to walk on, but also to carry furniture between floors.

  1. To make the ladder beautiful and reliable, it is better to make it of oak on a metal frame.

  1. The optimum angle of inclination of a ladder in the house makes 30-40 degrees, height of steps 15 sm, and width of step – 30 sm. The most convenient in operation not spiral staircases, and two-marches.

Tips on interior decoration

Former developers recommend all “wet” finishing works inside the house to be carried out in the hot season. Then you are guaranteed natural protection against moisture, fungus and mould. In addition, you should not worry that the central heating will cause the walls to peel off. It is also easy to ensure sufficient ventilation in summer. With regard to the choice of finishing material, we have found such advice:

  1. The finishing of the walls of the children’s room should be wear-resistant, practical and environmentally friendly. It is not necessary to use wallpaper, which children can easily damage.

  1. Not everyone likes painted walls because of the fact that fingerprints appear around the switches very quickly.

  1. It is much more practical and economical to use tiles in the hall and corridors rather than parquet.

  1. Cork flooring on the walls will not give the interior beauty and originality.

  1. A stretched ceiling with a “starry sky” effect is not the best ceiling covering. It is quickly tired of all family members, and regular replacement of bulbs requires time and money.

Window openings.

Tips on the choice of windows, their size and location in the house can be summarized in a few points:

  1. Stands on window openings are a very convenient thing. In summer they provide good protection from heat, and in winter they give warmth and comfort.

  1. You should not make very high windows. In this case, the window sill will turn out to be low, which will limit you in the choice of radiator heating (non-standard models are more expensive), and also make it easier for children to access the window.

  1. Optimal area of all windows in the room is 1/8 of the floor area. If you make a lot of glazing, even energy-saving double-glazed windows will not save you from cold in winter and heat in summer.

  1. Very well-proven dormer windows. They do not flow, keep warm well, let enough light through.

  1. Above the staircase and in the bathroom, dormer windows help to light the room well and ensure normal ventilation.

Door openings

  1. If you want the entrance doors to keep warm well, do not make a lot of noise when closing and are not too heavy, put wooden doors. Metal doors with MDF lining are very impractical and inconvenient. Their lining can wear out in two years.

  1. For convenience, it is better to place the light switch near the door handle rather than near the hinges, so that you don’t have to turn on the light first and then reach for the door handle to open the door.

  1. When selecting door handles, give preference to those that do not have sharp, protruding parts.

Do you need a fireplace?

Most owners of houses with fireplaces do not regret that they have included it in the project, because it is so nice to sit by a warm fireplace and watch the dancing flames on cold winter evenings. As for the design features, the owners give the following recommendations:

  1. At a construction of a fireplace it is better to provide possibility to close it with a glass door. So, if you wish, you can either enjoy the fire and sit by the fireplace with the door open, or close it and be calm that neither children nor guests can accidentally get hurt.

  1. Fireplace furnace with a fan and proper wiring allow you not only to enjoy the fire, but also to heat part of the house. Although if the house is small and the wiring of ducts is made according to all the rules, there is no need for a fan.

Installation of electric networks

Distribution of electrical networks and sockets should be planned taking into account the purpose of the room and future furniture, so that then you do not have to tear down a new finish and add networks and sockets. Advice of experienced developers on the laying of electrical networks are as follows:

  1. So you can power down the whole house, install switches and automatic machines outside the house. Otherwise, even after you turn off the power, one piece of wire going to the meter will be live.

  1. It is better to use copper wires with good voltage reserves.

  1. Run the wiring in advance to light the facade of the house and the area. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to hide the wires on the house later.

  1. During construction, be sure to make ducts in between floors to pass the wiring, as well as holes in the partitions between the rooms of one floor.

  1. When laying wires do not forget to provide a network for intercom, boiler temperature sensors, alarm, TV, LAN, extractor hoods in the kitchen and bathrooms.

  1. It is better to make chandeliers in high rooms lowering. So they are more comfortable and safe to wash.

  1. When choosing lighting fixtures, give preference to those that have conventional ammunition (E 27 and 14). With other sockets, you will not be able to change the power and use energy-saving devices. Conventional sockets are also better in terms of reliability and durability.

Tips for engineering and technical stuffing of the house and the site

  1. Even at the design stage it is necessary to provide warm floors in those rooms where it is especially necessary, as well as air conditioning system of the whole house.

  1. It is better to lay engineering communications in the strobes before finishing the walls.

  1. If severe winters occur in your area, install a backup solid fuel boiler.

  1. In places where pipes and chimneys pass through slabs, sleeves must be installed.

  1. To ensure that the exterior finish of the house is not damaged when installing communications for outdoor lighting of the building and the area of the site, install these networks before starting the facade work.

  1. It is better to construct a well on the plot before the house is constructed.

Perhaps not all the advice you need, and with some recommendations we do not agree in principle. In any case, your home is the embodiment of your dreams and your ideas about comfort and coziness. That’s why you should go to the process of its construction with a lot of knowledge. Learn better on someone else’s mistakes than their own, so we hope the experience of experienced developers, our clients and owners of private houses will help you build the house of your dreams.