| Everybody would like to live in a mansion or a | | | | $100, then a 2,000 square foot home is in your |
| sprawling ranch but there are many factors to | | | | budget($200,000/$100= 2,000). |
| consider when choosing a house plan. There are also | | | | Another consideration is the size of the lot you intend |
| a few pitfalls that can be avoided by doing your | | | | on building your home. You don't want to invest in a |
| homework and making the right choices. | | | | blueprint for a house that won't fit on your lot. Check |
| Before you commit to buying a stock or custom | | | | with your municipality or county on the distances you |
| house plan, you should know how much of a house | | | | must have between the building and the lot lines. Most |
| you can afford to build. A good place to get this | | | | have rules on how much backyard you must have |
| information would be the bank that you might use to | | | | and how much your house must be set back from the |
| get your loan from. | | | | street or building line. |
| Once you know what your budget is, you can | | | | Some towns and subdivisions also have what are |
| determine how much house you can afford and pick a | | | | called covenants. These are rules that dictate what |
| house plan that fits that budget. One way to | | | | you can and cannot build. Some of these covenants |
| accomplish this is to call several homebuilding | | | | might include the minimum square footage house you |
| contractors in your area. Ask them what the building | | | | can build, brick or frame construction, minimum roof |
| costs per square foot are. Not all contractors are | | | | pitch, and types of building materials you are allowed to |
| willing to volunteer this information, but you will find | | | | use. |
| enough of them that are willing to help at the prospect | | | | These are some of the important things you must |
| of gaining a customer. | | | | consider. Building a new home the biggest investment |
| With this information you will be able to determine the | | | | you'll ever make. Doing a little homework will keep you |
| square footage of a house plan you can afford. If your | | | | from getting an unwanted surprise and wasting time |
| budget is $200,000 and the cost per square foot is | | | | and money on a plan you can't use. |