While it’s expensive to construct a house, this doesn’t mean that you have to spend all of your money in the project. Here are tips on how to save on the construction costs:
Go Over the Project
Here you need to call the contractor and go over the construction schedule. When you meet the contractor you should ask him/her to break down all the costs involved. To operate on budget you shouldn’t be shy to ask any question that you don’t understand.
Remember that contractors tend to include other things that you might not be interested in. If you find something that you don’t want, you should ask the contractor to get rid of it immediately.
Negotiate
There is no harm in negotiating with the various stakeholders in the construction process. One of the most important persons that you should negotiate with is the contractor. Here you should ask the contractor to cut the cost that he/she is charging. You should also negotiate with the suppliers of the various materials that you need. To increase the chances of attracting discounts, it’s wise that you buy the materials in bulk.
Source Your Own Materials
It’s possible to find certain materials such as fixtures, cabinets, and door knobs selling at much lower prices. All you need to do is to visit a manufacturing firm and ask them to sell you the materials at lower prices.
To avoid any misunderstanding you should agree with your contractor before you start the project. As rule of thumb ensure that you always consult the contractor before buying any material. This is to ensure that you buy the right product.
Change the Shape of the House
Did you know that the shape of the house greatly affects the cost of construction? A house with many corners and angles tends to require a lot of materials and labor. To reduce the cost you need to sit down with your architect and reduce the number of corners in the house. For ideal results you should go for a house that is rectangular or dome shaped.
Consider Prefab
Prefabricated homes cut your construction costs by a huge margin; therefore, you should highly consider them. All you need to do is to find a contractor who knows how to work with shipping containers. To prevent your house from being demolished it’s wise that you first check if the area building codes allow you to use the containers.