Money-Saving Tips While Building Your Dream Home

Needless to say, a house construction project will cost you money. Building your dream home from scratch or renovating an existing structure will require proper planning and knowing where to get your resources from. If you live in the Chicago area, getting a home contractor Chicago company that respects your dream house’s needs when it comes to functionality, aesthetics and financial aspects make building it more meaningful and valuable to you. Of course, it will also help you save more money in the process. Here are some of the ways that can help you save money while building your dream home.

* Get at least three estimates. It may be time-consuming to shop around for contractors and ask for estimates, but it is also rewarding to know you’ve struck the best possible deal. If you’re serious about saving more money, spare the time comparing cost of jobs and supplies before you give the OK to your chosen contractor. In many instances, rushing only proves to be an expensive mistake and one you wouldn’t want to learn the hard way.

* Source your own materials. Your contractor may have their own suppliers, but you can save more money if you can find your own materials. For instance, a family member or a friend who runs a construction supplies store is willing to give you huge discounts for bulk orders. Most home contractor Chicago companies are willing to work with materials coming outside their own suppliers, so take advantage of discounts and deals whenever you can.

* Get on top of the construction schedule. Even if you have an engineer, architect, foreman and construction workers on site, you are still the boss in the project. It is only reasonable and rightful if you ask for the work schedule and check it from time to time to see if everything is going as planned. Communication is vital in the building process and it should begin before the project starts. It should be clear to you and your contractor what the expectations are. Communication also eliminates wrong assumptions which can also incur unnecessary costs in the future.

* Know what aspects of the construction that you can DIY. This tip is useful if you’re quite handy with the tools and materials in construction. You can opt to paint the walls yourself after the contractors placed the primer. This way, you are able to save labor costs incurred by your contractors’ hourly rate. However, if you’re doubtful of your skills, then it is best to leave the job to the home contractor Chicago company you’ve chosen, or else, you might have to re-hire them anyway to correct the flaws you’ve done yourself.

* Purchase eco-friendly furniture and appliances. After building your home, now comes the decision to purchase the contents inside it. Going green is a widespread advocacy that encourages people to opt for energy-efficiency and sustainability. You can opt for star-rated appliances that help you save a couple of dollars from your electric bill. Water-efficient fixtures in the bathrooms are also wonderful considerations. You can also go for eco-friendly cabinets and furniture in many areas inside the house.

Building a house and saving money while doing so is a simultaneous process, so it is important to be critical and conscious of every decision you make. Your home contractor Chicago company should be open about these decisions, and be able to accommodate your desire to have the home of your dreams without the unnecessary spending.

Tips To Organize An Open House For Your Tulsa Real Estate

If you own a home, Tulsa, OK and you plan to sell it by holding an open house, then there are many steps that you can take to make it very appealing to prospective buyers, who will offer a lucrative price right then and there. Here are some tips to make it successful for the house for sale Tulsa OK.

Always bank on the Internet for an advertisement. Promote your open house online. There are newspapers and other vehicles of advertisement but they are not popular for real estate transactions. Moreover they are expensive. Use the social networking sites like Facebook and other real estate websites like MySpace, Craigslist to reach out to a wide audience. Besides this, you can put up signs in your locality and around the town. Direct signs are one of the successful methods of advertising even today.

Make a welcome gesture to your audience. To do this, you start by arranging proper parking facility. Remove all you cars and vehicles from the parking lot, and make space for the guests. Ask your neighbors and friends not to create congestions by parking near your house. This will create an ample space for people who want to see your home for sale Tulsa, Ok.

Put on the lights so that the visitors can have a look at every nook and cranny of the house. Besides this open up the windows, remove the curtains and drapes and let enough sunlight come in. This will give the buyer an understanding that the house gets enough fresh air and light. Also clean up the house right from cellar to the attic. Make sure that your house looks the very best. Make all the needed repairs. Get the house painted in suitable color. Trim the bushes, mow the lawns. These factors are essential to make the house saleable. If you are too busy to do them yourself, take the help of professional services. A dirty house will never be inviting to buyers.
An arrangement of lunch will also be very useful. People love food. But dont make yourself busy by preparing a heavy lunch. Arrange a light lunch and present it beautifully. If you feel that you are too busy for it, you can take the professional help of a caterer. Hiring a caterer will be expensive, but it is worth as it will let you attend to other things. But ensure that there the items are simple but delicious, that will fill the house with a warm smell and invite the visitors too.
You can also create a slideshow on your laptop with pictures of the landscape around the house. You can add information about the amenities of schools, hospitals, shopping malls, railway stations and airports that are situated near your house for sale Tulsa OK. This is an effective way to showcase the garden and landscaping if you are trying to sell the Tulsa real estate in a time when flowers are not in bloom. Neither the lush green vegetation can be seen around.