Keep Calm, Build On

Keep Calm and Build On

     Build a home, they said.  It will be fun, they said.  But what they don’t tell you is that delays and unforeseen issues ALL happen.  And don’t even get me started on Mother Nature.  Now, please don’t think I’m saying this to scare you away from new construction.  In fact, quite the opposite.  My family and I are a little over a week out from calling a brand-new house in Franklinton, North Carolina home sweet home.  This house just happens to be new construction that we decided to build…ourselves!  Instead, I’m telling you because I want to sing it from the rooftops that building your own home is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make.  It forces you to endure situations that are out of your comfort zone.  It arms you with the knowledge of a whole new skill.  It allows you creative freedom (within budget).  Whether you build with a spouse or by yourself, you’re challenged in the ways of interpersonal communication.  And, most importantly, opting for new construction is a true lesson in patience and gratitude.    

     November 2017 rolls around and here we are, working with an architect to design our first home.  While the house ended up being beautiful, you remember that budget thing I mentioned earlier?  Back to the drawing board we go.  We cleared our lot in November 2018.  Then it snowed in early December.  And Mother Nature has a funny sense of humor because I’m pretty sure it rained straight through February.  With everyday of rain I found myself getting more and more irritable.  We thought we would be in the house in March and here we are with only a foundation and a frame.  A few weeks go by and our roof goes on but along with the roof comes an aesthetic mistake and a leak right into the master bedroom.  A wall goes up that isn’t in the plans.  As I express my concerns, I’m told not to worry these are easy fixes.  Throughout everything, one set of subcontractors didn’t show up for over a month and did some shoddy work to boot.  To top it all off I had to make changes to our bath and lighting selections three times.  At one point I started laughing uncontrollably- go ahead and send me straight to the funny farm.

     Again, I’m not sharing our experience with you to send you running far away from new construction.  Enduring the difficult makes you appreciate the good and it makes the end result all the more rewarding.  The more people I talk to who have built, it’s true that these things do, in fact, happen all of the time.  

If you're considering building or buying new construction homes in the Triangle here are a few pointers to save your sanity:

·      Tack on 2 months to the initial time-frame you’re given.  

·      Footings will play tricks on your eyes and the floorplan will appear much smaller than it actually is. 

·      Once the walls go up things really do start to take shape and it is so exciting to see the progress week after week.  Take the time to check on your home at least once a week.  If you’re building from out of town see if a friend, family member, or your real estate agent will send picture updates.

·      Do whatever it takes to relax.  In the moments where it feels like everything is working against you, take a few deep breaths, do yoga, go for a walk, take a bath, listen to loud music, read a book.

·      Try not to direct your frustrations at your spouse.  Before tackling this project, we were warned by friends and family that if we could survive building a house, we could survive anything.  I’m happy to say that despite all of the mishaps, my boyfriend and I only got into one argument.  ONE. 

·      Whether you make all selections yourself, are choosing from a package, or fall somewhere in the middle, tailor as much as you can to fit your aesthetic within your budget.  Don’t let someone steer you in a direction you aren’t in love with.

Life always throws you curveballs and the same holds true for building a home but how you respond all comes down to perspective.  Sure, you can choose to sweat the small stuff but I urge you to remember there is no sense in stressing over the things you cannot control; it only causes heart problems and wrinkles.  Whether it takes 4 months or an entire year, the wonderful thing is that you are moving into a home that is especially yours.