When it comes to constructing a new home, many people make the mistake of jumping right in. With the excitement involved and the prospect of finally constructing your home, many people become overly eager. However, in the long run it's best to take a measured, methodical approach. Below are three critical things you should consider before starting your new project:

Focus on Getting the Structure Right

The wisest investment you can make in your new home is to make sure you get the fabric of the building right, rather than worrying about the interior. The reason for this is that interior design can be easily altered to suit your requirements, whereas the skeleton of your property remains relatively fixed. It's much easier to live with a temporary bathroom than a temporary roof!

Therefore, although you may be keen to get your new home finished, you should spend considerable time planning the outlay of the support structure. Focus on designing a robust structure that will withstand the elements, whilst keeping a close eye on your budget. Due to its longevity, the structure of your home is actually where you can make the most savings.

The best way to approach the planning phase is to forget about the finished product and focus on the structure alone. No, planning a high quality timber frame isn't as exciting as installing a state of the art kitchen; however, would you compromise on your car's mechanics just to get heated seats? The same approach should be taken when it comes to designing your new home.

Simplify the Construction Process

One of the main sticking points many property developers stumble upon is how to manage all of the different tradesmen required to finish the house. Therefore, you should learn more and make this process that much easier on yourself by drastically reducing the number of contractors you employ to work on your house.

One of the best ways to do this is to reduce the number of wet trades required to work on your development. Wet trades includes everything from painters to plasterers – basically any job that involves mixing something with water. However, if you're not going to be using these people, then what is the alternative approach?

Well, one of the best ways it to use as much dry construction as possible. This means that no wet trades are used whatsoever. With dry construction, you can employ one tradesmen (a carpenter) to do the majority of the work themselves. Additionally, if you fancy yourself as a bit of DIY builder, dry construction offers you the best opportunity to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.

When choosing contractors, make sure you're only paying for high quality tradesmen. For example, some bricklayers may be prone to poor workmanship as their product won't be seen in the completed structure. Ensuring you only employ the tradesmen you need, and setting a high standard of work, will make your completed project all the better.

Consider Exposing the Materials

When it comes to constructing your new home, don't be afraid to go against the grain. There are a large number of construction conventions that many property developers follow; however, if everyone followed the rules then there would be no room for innovation. When designing your home, consider taking everything back to first principles and questioning what you already know.

One way to do this is to expose the internal structure of your home, so that the bare materials can be seen from the inside. Indeed, many modern timber buildings are now designed to achieve this; however, timber isn't the only material that can be exposed.

Whether you're working with timber, concrete or steel, look for areas of the house that would benefit from a little exposed material. Most people will hurry to cover these areas up, but revealing the bones of the building can be a great way to boost your home's aesthetics.