Building your own home can be an exciting time for many people. You get to choose your own design and everything in it is your plan. It should fit your needs perfectly. Many people who have done this later admit that they wish they had known some important things which would have led them to do things a little differently. Here are four of those things you will be glad to know before building your home from scratch.

1. Build It According to Code

If you are actually planning on doing much of the work yourself, you still want to be sure to build it according to code in your area. In some places, you will need licensed contractors to do some of the work for you. The primary reason for building to code is so that you can sell it for a profit later on. Besides that, most areas require a residence to be inspected before occupancy is granted. The inspector will only pass it if it meets code.

2. Get Ideas From Others

Unless you have been looking at various house plans for years, you could probably benefit by looking at a number of them just to get some ideas. Also, talk to contractors to find out what changes people wanted as their house was being built. Most likely, they could make several recommendations based on what they know about the area. Friends and relatives can also provide ideas about what they wish their own homes had, or what they might want to do to make them better.

3. Consider Making It Self-Sustaining

In a day when technology is advanced enough to enable you to easily “live off the grid,” you may want to make it happen in your own home. Many new home builders are using this option and save money every month on their energy bill. It also reduces their green footprint. Some people are also considering building their own micro-homes designed by architects. Even one that small can be self-sustaining. CNN reveals how some architects, such as Simon Dale, was able to build his own home for a mere $5,000, using only a chainsaw, a hammer and a chisel.

4. If You Are Older, Build It Accessible

Many times couples will build their home and only think about the present. If the retirement years are not too far away, or if you are planning on spending the rest of your days in the new home, be sure that it can be made easily handicapped accessible. Sometimes, because this is not considered when building it in the first place, modifying it later becomes very expensive, says B. Duerstock at Purdue.

The way homes are being built today is starting to rapidly change. Ideas are rampant, but you need to take time to find them and consider how you might apply some excellent ones into your new home built from scratch.