Whether it is building the home from the ground up or adding to an existing structure, selecting the right contractor for the job is imperative to the outcome. Be sure to investigate their artistry and contact references or previous clients to see if they were completely happy with the service they received.
“While this can be a very fulfilling experience with many benefits, there are a few things that need consideration before undertaking a project like this,” says Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa.
He shares insight on six points to consider before making the decision to build a home from scratch:
“A major factor to consider when wanting to build is the stand itself. Ideally, the stand should be easily accessible, as well as being the right size and shape to fulfil your needs. It is best to select a stand that will be easy to build on to avoid the cost of excavating and levelling the ground,” says Goslett.
“Also look at the type of soil on the stand, as clay soil might require the services of an engineering design specialist to ensure that the structures will be stable - this will be a large additional expense.”
Goslett says before purchasing a stand, buyers should check the title deed to ensure that there are no building or zoning restrictions, as this would impact the type of home they would be able to build. It is also vital that the stand is within a proclaimed township so that the home will have all the essential services, such as electricity, sanitation and water.
According to Goslett, transfer of the stand into the buyer’s name will only happen if the stand is on proclaimed land, which means it has been given suburb status.
Often a buyer will have to submit their building plans to the homeowners' association for approval before they can commence with the project.
The cost of the build will be determined by a few elements such as the finishes that the buyer decides to use and the shape of the home. A structure that is square in shape will cost less to build than a home with an intricate and complicated design. “Buyers should meet with several builders to establish an average building rate per square metre. This will help the buyer decide on the type of home they want, how big, and if they can afford to build it,” says Goslett.
“Take the length and breadth of a room and multiply these measurements by each other to get the size of the area in square metres. Do this throughout the home and then add the areas together to get the total size of the floor space. This will be an excellent way to picture the size of home required to meet your needs,” says Goslett. He says the thickness of the walls should be taken into account, as square metre calculations are generally taken from the outside of the exterior walls of the home.
Even with the cost per square metre and size of the home, budgeting can be a bit difficult due to possible unforeseen circumstances that may have an impact on the project cost, such as delays in the schedule. Buyers should make provision for an additional 20% more than the original estimated cost of building the home. There are also other features that are not directly linked to the house to consider in the budget, such as the boundary walls, landscaping, a swimming pool and other such features.
If the stand is in an estate or development, there will normally be a prescribed set of building guidelines that the buyer will have to follow. These guidelines will deal with the style of home, the permissible size of the structures and the materials used, to name a few elements. Often a buyer will have to submit their building plans to the homeowner’s association for approval before they can commence with the project.
Whether it is building the home from the ground up or adding to an existing structure, selecting the right contractor for the job is imperative to the outcome. Be sure to investigate their artistry and contact references or previous clients to see if they were completely happy with the service they received.
“Thorough research may take some time, but going into a building project fully prepared will save both time and money in the long run,” says Goslett.