In this Forever Home Live, Frances outlines some of the preliminaries to consider when planning your Forever Home, and the timelines to allow for them. There is a lot to plan for in advance of getting your home designed, which is outlined in this episode.

SHOW NOTES

Lifestyle The design of your home should incorporate all aspects of home life that are important to you and your family. Think carefully about current family lifestyle, and how that may change over time. Ensure your interior designer has a good understanding of how you would to live and relax in your home so lifestyle requirements are part of the design and flow naturally.

Access to local amenities Think about access to local amenities when choosing the location for your home. How important are commuting distances to work, access to public transport, schools, shopping, recreation facilities, hospitals, church, open spaces?

Land and your site Selecting the ideal site on which to build your home is an important decision and impacts many aspects of your design and build. Think about the land orientation, size, garden requirements, outdoor living and ultimately how the site needs to serve you.

Timelines How long does it take to build or renovate a house? It's a question often asked by clients before going through the building process. To give you an idea, Frances mentions some of the factors that might affect the building process.

Floor plans and Elevations- Your feedback and any changes have a big impact on timing and having your plans completed.

Planning permit- Getting a planning permit from the local authority can add many months to the design and build process.

Internal Specifications- Engaging an interior designer early on can make the process quicker as they can pull all the materials, fixtures and fittings together in a timely manner. They know where to go to source what you need.

Some delays in any build is to be expected, but many can be managed, and knowing what to expect can mitigate the stress.

Available Services: If you’re thinking about renovating or building your own ‘Forever Home’, Your Forever Home- The First Steps Online Course is the perfect course to ensure you’re planned, prepared and informed, right from the outset, to create a home of your dreams. To join, click the link here.

Related Resources: The Five Building Stages  What you need to know before your build