House Envy. You see something in someone else’s house, on a magazine or on TV, and you are adamant you want it in your house. However, you have a tight budget and it just cannot be done. In an earlier blog we discussed how to make sure when doing your house, to make sure you do it the way you want and more often than not, you only build your self build home once. Unfortunately, however, it may not always be as simple as that. We’d all love floating stairs with glazed balustrades or a zinc façade or a luxurious tiled finish in our open plan kitchen. Sometimes, with all the best will in the world, your budget may dictate what you want and what you can achieve.
In saying all that, there can be ways to work around your desire and compromise. It may be with a different specification, a cheaper alternative or maybe re routing budget from another item to your chosen one. You may have to lose something in one area to compensate for your absolute must in another.
At all times, have realistic expectations. Yes, you may only build a house once, but you also have the debt and financial burden of the house and you need to make sure it doesn’t destroy you. Keep to your limitations, don’t blindly hope it will all work out. If you have a QS on board, discuss options with them and see what can be achieved.
Make your budget fit your needs. If you have a limited budget, but there are specific things you want, then see if they can be worked in. It may take some work between your architect, QS and builder, but discussions and compromise can be achieved to fit your end goal, even on a tight budget.
If there is something you badly want, but no matter how hard you try, it just will not work, then maybe leave it open for a future possibility. For example, if there is a big fancy bath you want, but it just will not fit your budget now, then plumb the bathroom for it, and leave it there with either a cheap alternative for the time being or nothing at all, and once you can afford it, then install it. Future proof as much as you can so that you don’t fully close the door on something you would dearly love. It might not be financially possible now, but who knows what way things will be in 12 or 24 months time.
Shop around. I cant emphasise this enough. Some stores will be cheaper than others. Some builders/subbys too. At all times, be diligent in what you are buying, because usually if it is too good to be true, in construction, that is nearly always the case. If you do shop around, always ensure you are comparing like for like with quality and specification. If one shop/subby are far cheaper than another, find out the reason why. There is no point thinking you have the bargain of the century when it turns out you have paid normal fare for an inferior product.
Try limit your house envy too. When you watch Grand Designs and you see all these lovely houses and great finishes, its hard not to think that you’d love that for yourself. But then their end price is £800,000 and you have €200,000 to do your house. It just sometimes will not work. Always be happy with your own home. At the end of the day, all homes are just bricks and mortar (or timber frame for our ecological friends!) and what really makes a home is the people in it and finishing it out. It’s the way of the world we live in, some people just have more means and money than others, but be happy in your own shoes and with what you have and make the most of things. Your own home is always something to be proud of and something with your own mark on things.
And for all the hardship and pain that a self build can bring, it is your home and once you get in there it will all be worth it. Finish it to the best you can and enjoy the reason you started the process in the first place.