Building a new home can be an incredibly emotionally-demanding time. Navigating decision after decision (each one of which can play a role in whether your home turns out to be ‘perfect’ or not) can be mentally taxing.
Here’s the core of the problem:
It’s Easy To Get Caught Up In What You “Want” (Emotion)
It’s easy to get caught up in the emotion surrounding the process and let it affect how you make your decisions, causing you to get attached to certain ideas or features that may not ultimately be what you’ll want or need in your home long-term.
But It’s Also Easy To Focus Too Much On What You “Need” (Logic)
It’s also possible to go too far the other way by approaching the process with too much rationalising and logic – ending up with a home that ticks all the boxes on paper, but which doesn’t end up feeling like YOUR home.
The Key: Find A Balance
The key is finding the right balance between thinking with your head and heart when you’re planning and building a new home. In fact, managing your mindset is a very important part of the homebuilding process.
There are certain strategies Territory Homes recommend you use when planning and building your home and we’re always on hand to help you work through them.
Planning your new home
As a starting point, get a piece of paper, sit down and write out five things you absolutely can’t live without in your new home. These should be things you want, love, daydream about – but you probably don’t technically ‘need’. They could be as simple as a paint colour you’ve always loved or a luxury benchtop, and as a big as an additional room or pool.
Rate them in order of importance and give particular weighting to things you’ve wanted or loved for the long-term. A new benchtop spotted in a display home last week that’s the height of fashion may well be a valid emotional choice, but it may not be as important as including that media room you’ve wanted all your life.
Next, do the same and write down five things you want your home to have. Make these additional to the standard features you’d expect in every home. You may have young children and know that you really need a bath tub or a separate WC from bathroom. Or you may need a double garage or an extra-large alfresco entertaining space to fit your extended family.
Again, rank them in order of importance. Try and incorporate as many of the features from both lists in your new home design.
When your head and heart conflict
Here’s an example of a ‘head vs. heart’ conflict: You know you really need a fourth bedroom for the family who come to visit regularly. But you’ve always wanted a huge workshop that can fit every toy and tool you could ever hope to own. You can only fit one in – so which should you choose?
Unsurprisingly, many people find this to be a stressful time. Tensions can run high as you analyse your choices faced with the knowledge that, for better or worse, they’re about to become permanent features of your home. You may also find it a time of extra conflict within the family as you weigh up your own individual want and need lists and try and navigate a path to please everyone.
It’s situations like this when talking it through with someone independent is very important. Your Territory Homes consultant is happy to sit down and run through your options to help you make the decision that will work best for you and your family in the long-term.
Managing emotions during the building phase
Hopefully, if you’ve worked on your planning with Territory Homes beforehand, you’ll be relaxed in the knowledge you’ve thought your choices through thoroughly, and you’re about to get a home that ticks as many boxes as possible.
If you do find yourself second-guessing your choices as building kicks off, first of all remind yourself it is normal. No house looks its best in the building phase – a building site can look a long way from the beautiful polished product you’ve been focused on, and that can be terrifying.
You may find yourself re-stepping out the measurements of rooms that look far too small when half-built (don’t worry – this is an optical illusion – you’ll be pleasantly surprised when your home is completed). You may find yourself suddenly second-guessing your choice of fixtures or fittings.
Relax – it’s all normal. Stepping back from site and re-focusing on your plans can be a useful way to remind yourself why you made your choices to begin with.
Above all, remember to talk to your Territory Homes consultant. We’re there to put your mind at ease and, with more than three decades of experience, we’ve helped hundreds of other Territorians navigate the path between big ideas and a beautiful new home.
Want to learn more about planning your new home?
We specialise in helping First Home Owners, Growing Families, Investors, and Downsizers/Retirees design the home of their dreams. Can we help you too? Feel free to browse our new home designs or get in touch to arrange a Free Design Consultation and explore if we may be the new home builder you’re looking for.