Tips For Smart Home Design
When you have decided to build instead of buying your home, the major step after finding the building is to design the abode. It may sound like an easy process but it will need a lot of patience and time. Putting together a design that is a reflection of your taste is not easy; it needs a lot of budget balancing and planning. You will have to spend a lot of time planning on paper before you get down to the real work. Here are a few tips to help you build a smart home.
Start with your homework
At the first step, you need to decide the type of house you want to build. There are different house styles and you can borrow ideas from them. When you notice a home which appeals to you, you need to decide what features catch your eye and try to replicate the same in your home. You need to decide how you can best fit these ideas in your home design and within your budget.
Create a design list
In order to create a criterion for the home design, you need to begin with the basics and get into the details. Start with the number of rooms and bathrooms, the family areas, dining room, kitchen, number of entrances and size of the garage. After this list is done, you need to start planning for every room. Consider the features essential for the room. The number of lights and the placement of fan. The wiring for audio systems, phone connections and other master bathroom features. On the list, write down the retailers you will consider for specific purchases like Modern Fan Outlet for great fans or a lighting expert in your area for energy-efficient lights.
Check local laws about zoning
Zoning laws have an impact on everything from the yard fencing to the house framing and you need to understand the laws in your community so as to save a headache at a later stage.
Budget
When it comes to designing a great home, all of us are tempted to go beyond our budget but you need to fit the planning aspect into your budget and not vice versa. This is more difficult than you think. People set a particular budget for their home and when they start building or decorating, they realize that they will soon go over budget. This leaves them without curtains and sometimes even without furniture. Best way to handle the budget is to maintain a total of all the costs that are a part of your home design. Additionally, you need to have a contingency fund which will help provide for the additional costs in case you overrun the budget.
Design within the available area
You have a limited area and it is unique. You need to keep this in mind when you create a design. You can use the present grades of the plot and make the most of all the space you own. Work with the available land and position the rooms and bathrooms in the most appropriate
manner, away from the street in order to maximize the beauty of this space and maintain privacy at all times.
Maximize available space
When you map out the floor plan, you need to ensure that there is a proper flow in the home. Simplify your life by building a place which is easy to move around and is a reflection of your personal choice. Keep direct access to the kitchen from your garage and design all the plumbing at one place by keeping minimal pipe distance. Place the heating or air conditioning system as centrally as you can as it will provide a better balance in the house. Make sure the hallways, doorways and stairways are wide enough to move the furniture through and ensure that the light switches are conveniently placed. When you focus on these little aspects, you can add a lot of convenience in the house.
Try to beautify all the four aspects of your home design. Remember that the placement of windows will affect both sides of the house. No matter where you live, all sides of the house will be seen and you need to design it in such a manner that you would be proud to let anyone around it. Put small design elements in the yard wherever you can and create a wonderful personal space for yourself and your family to relax and unwind.