Paint colours, carpet, countertops…for many people, choosing the finishes and selections for their new home is either the most fun or the most daunting part of the building process! Finishes make a home truly yours. It comes down to your personal style, and how you want to live in your home. Before selecting your finishes, you need to consider the purpose of your home. Is it a family home, an investment property or maybe a place for retirement? In the end, finishes are like the icing on the cake and they’ll need to complement the environment in which they’ll be used in. For example, a durable, easy to clean carpet would be recommended for a family home with young children. The thought of choosing the perfect home selections and finishes can be intimidating; here are 5 tips that may help your process.
GET ORGANISED:
Remember…it’s your home! Flipping through lifestyle magazines, creating Pinterest boards, saving Houzz albums…we all do it when we’re building or dreaming of our new home. It’s important to gather ideas and organise your vision. These resources are also invaluable for collaborating with your architect, builder and designer. While you’re getting inspired by these resources, don’t get too caught up in emulating the latest trends or crafting Pinterest-worthy rooms. Remember a lot of these rooms are staged and at times not very practical for real life. This is your home, don’t let your vision get blindsided by miss guided opinions. Remember, you’ll be living in this home for many years to come. The finishes you select should be a reflection of you, your style and how you want to live your life. For example; That swing in the kid’s room may look great on Pinterest, but do you want to spend your weekends cleaning footprints off your walls.
PRIOROTISE:
From the biggest items such as floors and countertops to the smallest items such as floor drains and door handles; there are seemingly countless decisions to be made when choosing your finishes and selections. But in reality, you shouldn’t need to worry about the finishes that seem too insignificant. Sure, you may want a say in the colour of your bedroom walls or the type of sink in your bathroom, however if you’ve never cared about a light fixture or faucet handle in your life, why start now? While some people want to have control over each and every item in their new home, for others, certain finishes are simply more important than others. At Merino Homes, we guide our customers through the selections process. We provide options and recommendations for each item. In your quoted specifications, there is already a number of selections made such as tiled in square floor wastes and chrome hinges. This way, you can focus on the elements that are important to you, without worrying about the finer details. We outline finishes and budgets. In this book you will find recommended ranges that are already included in your budget. Merino Homes is a custom home building company, allowing flexibility in our finishes. At times, the selection process may be overwhelming, and we find if there is a recommended range, our clients feel as though there is a safety net of selections, to fall back on.
KEEP IT SIMPLE:
Having too many choices often makes it harder for us to make decisions. Limiting your choices can help make your selection process easier and less stressful. When we’re guiding our clients through the options and selections process, we purposely show them only a limited range of choices that we know they’ll love and all within their price range. Of course, customers are free to choose anything under the sun, but by showing them only a few choices instead of a limitless amount, the selections process is much smoother, more efficient and less stressful. If you are feeling totally lost, sometimes identifying what you don’t like is a good way to start.
TRACK YOUR BUDGET:
Sticking to your set budget is one of the major reasons why it’s important to involve your builder in the selections process from the very beginning. If you find a tile that you like that costs $1 per piece, and another one you love that costs $1.37, you may be willing to spend a little bit of extra money to have the exact tile you want, but not so fast! That price tag doesn’t tell you how much this particular tile will actually cost in your home. There are other factors, such as installation costs that affect the final total. At Merino Homes, we keep our customers updated on the status of their budget throughout the construction. If they want to make a change to a particular finish that will affect the overall total, we stay in constant communication so that there are no unexpected surprises. As a homeowner, you shouldn’t need to become an expert in selecting home finishes in order to make the right choice. You should also keep track of your budget so that you can end up with more of the items that you really want. You may be able to save money in one area, in order to give you flexibility on a hero piece item, that for you is a must have. Creating a balance of trade-offs to achieve the features that are unique to you and your lifestyle.
MINIMISE YOUR DELAY;
Make your selections within a compact timeframe. As tough as decision-making can be, we’ve found that our customers are typically much happier with the outcomes if they make their choices within a few weeks rather than a few months. By limiting the amount of time you give yourself to ponder the choices, you can create a more cohesive vision and theme throughout your house. Your choices will be more consistent when you make all of them in the same frame of mind, instead of letting weeks go by without finalising your plans. Choosing the right finishes and selections for your new home is a fun and exciting time. To keep it from getting too overwhelming, keep these tips in mind and remember to involve your builder every step of the way. Take advantage of expert guidance and recommendations to create your ideal home!