7 tips for building your vacation home plans

That is all. You have found the location of your dreams. Maybe you’re still looking for the blueprints for your vacation home, the blueprints to bring your vision to life. Imagine long weekends, coffee on the porch, water skiing on the lake, downhill snow skiing, walks on the beach, your own kitchen for breakfast. Whatever your goals are for this house, little by little it is about to become a reality.

Oh my God. You are going to build a house. That is a great company! It is exciting and terrifying. Don’t worry, you can do this. She takes a deep breath and follows some ‘been there, did it’ advice.

Tip #1 Find out if there are any special reports that need to be done before you hire someone, preferably before you buy the land. Do you need an environmental report? Is there some kind of obscure bug residing in the area that could delay or prohibit your build process? Even if there are houses next to your lot, check. The county or city where you are building will have all the data. This is a very critical part of the build process. I have friends who have had to spend thousands of dollars and several years just to certify that a moth that breeds there will not be harmed. Some vacation home huh?

Tip #2 Know your employees. The permitting process can be tedious. It is very important that you never yell or reprimand anyone in your building permit approval system. Don’t go to battle. Play well and you might be more able to get away with it. Most employees aren’t paid enough to worry if their deck is denied. But an employee who likes you might be more inclined to pass faster. Building a home is about building a strong network of fans willing to help you on your way.

Tip #3 Buy a home plan that is designed for your specific topography. If the land is flat as far as the eye can see, don’t build a Colorado-style house with a walk-through basement. It won’t work no matter how much you love the floor plan. There are many sites that will allow you to enter your lot specifications so you can choose the right style for your lot.

Tip #4 Find a good budget and then add around $25,000 or more for overage depending on the size of your project. Problems invariably arise that cost extra money, so it’s good to be prepared. And if they don’t, you just came in under budget. Congratulations to you as the minority of home builders.

Tip #5 Find a contractor who likes technology. Little things, like being able to email you a digital photo of your daily build progress, go a long way when you’re not around. See if they can text you questions instead of calling or emailing you (and then adding text messages to your phone). It’s not just for teens and it’s the least stressful way to communicate available.

Tip #6 Examine your contractor. Most cities also have some type of Chamber of Commerce that will give you recommendations for good local contractors. It’s also important to check for negative reports from the Better Business Bureau, but don’t assume you’re a good contractor just because it’s listed as good there; most people don’t know that those listings are paid. Just look for negative marks and avoid that contractor.

Tip #7 Schedule time to work on household issues. Decisions have to be made along the way. Emergencies will most likely arise. Don’t automatically rush to the site. Do as much as you can from home over the phone or the internet. Find blocks of time each week or, as you progress through the build, each day, so you can manage yesterday’s to-do list. If you need to make a decision, put it on the daily list and address it during the allotted time slot; otherwise you will be going around in circles.

Now take a deep breath and start shopping for your vacation home plans. You can get through this process if you understand that vacation won’t start until the job is done. Then you’ll have a lifetime of memories to create in your new vacation home.