Top Problems Everyone Can Face When Building Their Home

Building a home is not going to be easy, especially for someone who has no idea of how the entire process works! While many issues can be solved easily, homeowners must be prepared for a few problems that everyone faces during the construction process.

Here are top problems everyone can face when building their home:

Not Understanding the Length of Time Needed for the Construction

Homeowners do not always understand why a new home cannot be completely built within a month or less and that can cause some friction between them and the contractor. Of course, there are also multiple delays that can occur during the construction process and those delays can cause problems for everyone. The entire schedule should be approved by everyone involved before the work begins, so that it is understood what will be completed when. Obviously, extra time should be included as well, in case any delays occur.

Incorrect Custom Orders

Homeowners can plan ahead and order custom items early enough, but that doesn’t mean that those items are going to arrive like they should. They may find that the wrong material was used or that it is not the exact size that was ordered. This can set the entire project back days or months, especially if homeowners need to send items back to have them redone. The only other option is accepting the item as is and having the contractor make it work with the current design and plan.

Unexpected Costs

People love it when things go as planned, however, that hardly ever happens when building a house! There is always some unforeseen condition that needs to be fixed before the rest of the work can be completed and this scenario can also include unexpected damage when homeowners are renovating their home. Homeowners and contractors may realize that the soil is bad or that the area is prone to flooding after the budget is set. Those new construction costs need to be covered somehow, either by decreasing the budget in other areas or by the homeowners finding extra money to put towards the project.

Mistakes by the Builder

Mistakes happen all the time, but they can be frustrating to a homeowner, especially if the builder made one as an improvement that the client does not like and didn’t approve. These mistakes should be noticed as soon as possible, which is why walk throughs should be completed on a routine basis. Avoiding a walk through can lead to numerous issues later on, especially if one mistake caused a host of others.

No Contract

No one should ever hire a contractor to do work on their home without having a contract in place, so this should never be an issue. Ideally, both parties will have a copy of this contract, in case the original gets lost. This ensures that everyone knows the terms of the agreement in place and that no one can back out on what they promised in the end. Homeowners should protect their copy of the contract by keeping it in a safe place where it cannot get lost or destroyed.

Design Flaws

It can be difficult for any homeowner to completely see how their new home will look after seeing it on a two-dimensional blueprint, which is why there are often issues once the construction begins. Homeowners should consider this before the work starts and request a 3D model of their new home. These 3D models allow everyone to see what every inch of their home will look like and it is easier to make changes to things that they do not like on the model. Those changes are cheaper in the beginning and get more expensive as things need to get torn down and rebuilt, repainted, or materials need to be replaced.

Not Enough Electrical Outlets

People never really understand exactly how much they use the electrical outlets in their home and how important it is to install a few extras throughout the space. It is much easier to do this when the house is being constructed than to rewire everything afterwards. Homeowners should not forget about the outdoor electrical outlets either, especially if they enjoy putting up holiday lights each year or want to place lights out there for entertaining purposes.

Not Enough Ventilation

Ventilation is important in any home, which is why every homeowner will want to make sure that their contractor is providing enough during the construction process. Ventilation is necessary up in the attic, underneath the roof, as well as in the bathrooms and the kitchen.

These issues are the most common ones when building a house, but every homeowner can avoid them if they keep an open mind, communicate with their contractor, and pay attention to the work that is being completed on a regular basis.

Contributed by GenieBelt - construction software and app for volume home builders.