When we built our first house, after telling people our plans, there were plenty of comments related to the toll it would take on our marriage (of less than 1 year at the time).
“Oh, boy! The true test of a marriage!”
“Well, aren’t you guys brave! Nothing like just jumping in headfirst.”
“Your house might not be the only thing that gets finished by the end”
While people may have been joking, the stress of building a house – especially when you’re doing it yourself – is no laughing matter.
Whether you are acting as your own general contractor or working with a company, building a house is one of the most stressful things you will ever go through in life. No matter the relationship you may find yourself in during this process, building a house is going to test it. There are going to be heated discussions, compromise, and I promise – a few tears along the way. Sounds super appealing, right?
Although I can’t help you avoid the stress altogether, I can provide you with a piece of tried and true advice: stay organized.
Let me say that again. STAY ORGANIZED! This is going to save you countless headaches and frustration. When it’s all said and done, there are literally hundreds of pieces to this puzzle and you want to be able to easily locate each and every single one of them at a moment’s notice if needed.
So, how do I stay organized? These are my top 3 tips.
Tip # 1
Set Up a “House” Folder in your Email
From ordering blueprints and materials to the back and forth with a bank about financing, we’ve done it all, and let me tell ya, the majority of communication is going to happen via email. The emails are going to pile up and there’s nothing more annoying than trying to search through hundreds of emails (even with the search function) from your inbox to your trash in order to find the exact one you’re looking for.
If you are thinking about building a house – create a folder in your email, now and label it House. At the very least, have this one folder that will house *pun intended* any communication you have going forward about the project. If you love a good filing system like I do, create subfolders within the House folder. Some examples could be Contractors, Bank, Municipality, Blue Prints, and Receipts. Get as specific as you want – just make sure it works for you!
For example, any communication with subcontractors (or your general contractor if working with a company) might include quotes, deadlines, and final approvals. Emails with the bank might be with your loan officer, title company, or insurance company. Questions regarding building requirements or permit applications could be in your municipality folder. I have a folder dedicated to all the correspondence between the architect we used and myself, including the PDF files that contain our actual blueprints. Last, but certainly not least, be sure you have an electronic space for all your receipts. These could be digital copies directly from stores (we do this especially with Lowe’s or anything purchased online) or hard copies I scan into digital form. This leads me to my next tip that is practically non-negotiable.
Tip # 2
Save Receipts
If you are financing your new house, you must provide copies of receipts and lien waivers for the material and contractors you work with in order for your funds to be released in what is commonly known as draws. The bank will need you to account for every dollar spent for each draw and you will do this by providing copies of your receipts and/or lien waivers. Lien waivers are forms that your subcontractors sign stating you have paid them all the funds agreed upon in exchange for the material/labor provided. These signed forms prevent a sub from placing a lien on your home down the road.
Even if you’re not dealing with a bank and need to provide proof for your draws, you still want to have lien waivers in place as a form of protection against any fraudulent lawsuits. You’ll also want to save all your receipts so that you can keep track of your spending and stay on budget.
You can do this by saving the paper copies or scanning them (most phones have a scan feature or you can download a free app) and either saving them in an electronic folder or emailing them to yourself and adding them to your House folder. Whether you use a cloud based drive or choose to keep the paper copies, it is important to keep them appropriately labeled for easy accessibility.
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