You’ve decided to build your own home. You’ve found the perfect section and can’t wait to get started! But how should you go about designing the perfect house for yourself, your family, your lifestyle and the future? A home build is generally a long-term commitment, so you should consider your design based on your needs now and into the future. Here are some considerations to help you get started: Fundamental Elements To start with, decide what the basic elements your home should have. How many bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas do you need? Consider what you require now and also in the future:

• Guest rooms for visitors
• Children’s rooms and play areas
• Extra spaces such as Media rooms, home office, home gym, teen or parent retreat
• Elderly parents or multi-generational living arrangements
• Outdoor spaces and/ or swimming pool

Flow of the home Next, consider the individual areas in more detail and how the flow of the home would suit your lifestyle. Again, aim to plan for what you need now and what changes you anticipate for the future:

• Fitting in your current furniture
• Kitchen close to the garage for easy access
• Privacy for certain areas or positioning of the nursery for low noise
• Enough storage spaces for the whole family and built-ins
• Access for the elderly with limited mobility (wider hallways, avoid uneven flooring)
• Isolated bedrooms or have them close together

Needs, Wants, and Budget Once you have your design ideas, you might want to create lists for what is necessary (Must haves) and what would be nice to include (wants). This will help with keeping you on target for your investment point and to determine realistically how much you can spend on the construction, inclusions, and other costs for interior, landscaping, and furnishings. Some costs can be deferred for the future such as installing a swimming pool or a furnishing ‘upgrade’ down the years. However, try to have your home design thoroughly planned out for the future as it can be difficult to alter structurally, such as electrical aspect, easy now, much harder later. For expert advice on designing your dream home, come and chat with us at Hallmark Homes. Our customer focused team understands that building a new home is a big commitment, and strive to help clients like yourself achieve their dream and enjoy the journey at the same time. Talk to us about what your wants and needs and let us work together with you to build a perfect home that you’ll love to live in now and many years into the future. Visit our Showhome LINCOLN for ideas and inspirations, now OPEN from 12-4pm, Thu to Sun at 162 Southfield Drive, Te Whariki, Lincoln. Or view our comprehensive range of customisable Floorplans at: https://www.hallmarkhomes.co.nz/our-plans/