Building a new home in New Jersey is not for the faint of heart. This article will help you navigate some of the most important steps in building a new home up to hiring a professionally licensed architect in NJ or another custom home builder who can then guide you through the rest of the process.
So if you’re serious about building your dream home in NJ, keep reading.
Create a Budget For Your Custom Home Project
When it comes to designing your own home, the first thing you should do is create a budget for your project. Creating a budget ahead of time will help you determine the amount of money you can afford to spend on building your home, as well as how much cash will be needed upfront.
Include everything from the land acquisition cost, demolition (if necessary), choosing a builder, materials and supplies, permits, interior finishes, and any other factors relevant to your project. This article has a great breakdown of all the costs you will want to consider before you build a custom home.
The average cost of constructing a new house in New Jersey is between $250-$300 per square foot. This varies considerably depending on many factors, such as where exactly it’s being built within the state. Property values are always changing in metropolitan areas such as New Jersey – so you may want to ask a realtor to help you find the right amount to budget.
Secure The Property
After you’ve found the property or empty lot that you’d like to build your home on, it’s time to secure it.
This involves finding out what the property is worth and how much money you can afford to invest in purchasing it. Once you know this information, make sure that your lender is willing to provide financing for the deal and then go ahead with securing the property.
You’ll need to take into consideration several factors when securing your new home including:
- The price of the land/property
- The size of the land/property
- The location of the land/property
- Zoning regulations
- Building permit requirements
- Utility hookups and inspections
Get Financing For a Construction Loan (If Needed)
The next step is to get a loan. Whether you need a mortgage or some other type of loan, it’s important to understand that there are many different options available to you.
If you’re a first-time buyer of a property solely for the purpose of building a new home, this can be particularly overwhelming — so don’t feel like you have to do everything on your own. A good idea might be to find an experienced broker who can help guide you through this process and answer any questions along the way.
If your credit score is low enough that lenders consider it risky business lending money, you may have trouble getting approved for a mortgage right now.
But keep in mind that things change quickly; if things improve in the future (like if you manage to pay off those debts), then suddenly there could be new lenders interested in working with someone like yourself! It’s also worth checking into whether certain types of loans are more accessible than others: For example, some private lenders may offer “non-conforming” loans which aren’t restricted by Federal Housing Administration guidelines about how much income must go towards housing costs each month (and therefore tend not to require as much paperwork).
Acquiring a piece of land to build the home of your dreams is a big decision. So if you already know who you will be working with to design and build your new home, its worth having them review the property before you make a purchase decision. This way, you can be confident it will be able to achieve the goals you have for your NJ home project.
Know What Building Codes Your Property is Subject To (Municipal, Energy, Zoning)
There are many municipal codes that apply to building a house in New Jersey, including zoning and energy efficiency.
Zoning laws dictate how large your lot can be, whether it’s allowed to have more than one home on it, and how many cars you can park there.
Energy efficiency codes determine the minimum level of insulation required for walls and roofs, which is especially important for homes built in cold climates like ours.
When you don’t follow these guidelines, you’re at risk of being blindsided by regulations that could negatively affect your project due to not planning in advance. Any building professional you hire for your new construction project can guide you on what codes your project will be subject to.
This link is a great resource for learning more about what municipal codes your project may be subject to in New Jersey.
Find an Architect or Custom Home Builder in New Jersey
Finding the right building professional for you is essential for being satisfied with not only the final product but also the process of creating a custom design for your new home.
We recommend finding a local architect in New Jersey you can trust to head your project. While you may think you can skip this by hiring a design-build contracting company or just think its a necessary luxury, a quality architect will make a big difference in the overall design and quality of your home.
Architects are licensed professionals who work closely with you to help shape the design of your new home. They will also help you obtain permits, inspections and other services throughout the building process. They may also be able to assist you with interior designs, if needed.
If you’re on the fence, read this article to discover all the benefits of hiring an architect.
And if you’re all set on hiring an architect and need some help preparing for your initial consultation meeting, check out this article.
Decide on Floor Plans and Home Style
At this point, you hopefully have a solid idea of what building professional you will be working with and have done all the preliminary work in planning your project.
Now we can move on to the fun part of building projects, which is thinking about what style and features you want your new home to have.
There are so many architectural styles we could cover here, but that will have to wait for an entirely different blog post in the future. To get some inspiration, check out our portfolio to learn about some of our favorite styles we’ve worked with in the past.
Overall, we recommend thinking about your own personal style and thinking about how you would like that reflected in your new home.
Once you know the style of home you want to live in, it’s time to think about the overall layout and floor plans.
To do this, think about your existing home and what you like and don’t like about it. This will help you quickly create a list of things you want to have and things you want to avoid. You will also want to consider which size of home works best for your family, and if there are any must-have rooms (such as a garage or private office).
Decide on Green Features
One of the most important factors to consider when constructing a new home is making sure that it’s eco-friendly. The more green features you add to your home, the less energy it will use and the better for the environment. This will benefit the planet as well as your wallet.
Some of the benefits of including sustainable green design concepts in your new home include:
- Green features can help you save money.
- Green features can increase the value of your home.
- Green features can help you get a better interest rate on your mortgage.
- Green features are better for the environment.
JMA Architects is proud to be a LEED Accredited Professional and can help you integrate sustainable design building practices into your new home.
One last thing to consider here is the appliances you plan to purchase for your new home. We recommend energy star appliances to easily save money.
Building a house is expensive and complicated, but it can be done.
When you choose to construct a new home, know that it can take anywhere from two to three years, depending on how long you wait for your permits and how complicated your plans are. The cost of developing a new custom home depends on many factors including size, location, land costs, and the type of materials used.
You will need to find an architect or builder who will help guide you through each step of the process as well as any other professionals such as landscapers or interior designers that may be needed along the way.
You may also need financing such as getting approved for a mortgage loan or line of credit with which the bank loans money against real estate assets like land or property (in this case).
Ready To Build Your New Home in New Jersey?
We hope you found this article helpful in learning about your options for building a home in New Jersey. Even though it can be a complicated process, it doesn’t mean that you should give up on your dream of designing your own home from scratch.
If you are looking for professional help, we are pleased to offer you a free consultation to help you plan your project and see if our architectural office would be a good fit for you.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first steps to make your project a reality!
