A widespread housing supply shortage is driving a push towards new builds. Building a new home remains a more affordable option for many home buyers. However, budget blowouts can be common if not properly managed and that can cause concern for would-be homeowners interested in a custom house build.
The team at Latitude Homes is often asked how to save money when building a house. Many people think the key is to reduce spend on expensive fixtures and fittings. While it is important to keep on top of that, there are other, more fundamental ways you can ensure the cost of custom house building is minimised, especially if you’re willing to do some of the building yourself.
Choosing the Right Plan for the Right Site
Establishing your budget begins by determining what type of dwelling is possible with the section you have purchased. Start with looking at the range of pre-costed Latitude Homes standard plans. These well designed plans can save you a lot of time and money. Find out key information prior to purchasing land, such as access to boundaries, consents and utilities. A site that is difficult to access or requires retaining walls can drastically add to the overall cost of a new build.
A good home building company can visit the site, look at the geographical plans and help guide you through all the options to then be able to make the right design choice to fit the section. Opting for a house and land package is a great way of navigating these challenges and ensuring there will be no problems with the site.
Reducing Costs in the Design Phase
Good working drawings are key to keeping a new build within budget. A good place to start is by engaging a reputable home building company who can provide a written quotation based on your chosen house design or upon supply of your plans.
At Latitude Homes, we work with our clients to use different design techniques to reduce costs if the initial plan exceeds their budget. We also then prepare a full set of plans showing your home sited on the block, all elevations and other layouts including electrical requirements.
Saving Money With Flexible Build Options
DIY custom house building can be expensive. But with the right partner, it can be done affordably. At Latitude Homes, we provide different build options ranging from a full build, where we take care of the whole building process, to partial builds where we support you in building your own home
● Kitset homes - We provide the plans and all the major building materials for your home, then you take total charge of the build. We supply everything from frames, trusses and exterior cladding to the plumbing supply including tapware and even the kitchen and kitchen appliances you’ll require - all at a considerably lower cost than if you purchased the individual items yourself.
● Shell only build - A midway point between kitset and a full build, we organise getting the concrete floor laid, the frames and trusses erected and the roof and exterior cladding and windows and doors installed. At this point (the lock-up stage), you take over. We can provide all the remaining materials if you need.
● Shell internal build - We build the shell and supply any materials you need to complete the interior. You then finish the work in your own time such as installing the insulation, interior linings, installing the pre-hung doors then plastering and painting.
These build options are excellent if you are confident in your DIY abilities as you benefit from our bulk-buying building material prices as well as making additional savings from doing the labour yourself.
Custom House Building With Latitude Homes
If you’re interested in finding out more about how to save money when building a house in New Zealand, get in touch with the team at Latitude Homes.
