Having your dream home built from scratch requires a ton of investment. You need to prepare quite a huge amount of money even for just the initial outlay.

Construction companies say though that there are ways for you to save money on a new home construction project. These tips and strategies include the following:

• If granite (an expensive building material) countertops are part of your dream kitchen, if you want to save some money, hold off on the installation of this fixture. You can find less costly countertops that are still attractive and which you can replace in the future, once you’re ready to pay for granite ones.

• Skip on the backsplashes first. Although backsplashes will give your home an extra elegant and lovely touch, your kitchen and bathrooms can still look polished without these quite expensive features.

• Floor finishes are not only expensive but also time-consuming. Keep in mind that you can hold off on floor finishes in low-traffic areas temporarily until you are ready to invest.

• Hold off building bonus rooms. Guest rooms, exercise spaces, and workshops are all great areas or rooms to have in your new home. However, they are not essential to your family’s everyday life. As such, if you want to save some money early on, opt to hold off on these rooms and finish them only when you have the budget.

• Scrimp on your driveway. With new homes, a driveway can be an easy upgrade. Talk to your construction company and if they agree, and if the time of year is right, you can opt to leave a smooth dirt driveway until you are you can shell out money for paving.

• Skip on the deck. Although a deck can be both a functional and aesthetic outdoor feature, you will save a lot of money if you don’t have one built yet. And while you wait for the deck to be built, be sure you always keep the patio door safely locked for children. Until this feature is completed, you can make use of the lower-level patio.

• Lastly, don’t invest in landscaping yet. At the early stage of construction, you don’t have to invest in professional landscaping services yet. This is because landscaping is more of a finishing touch for your home and it is something you can invest in over time. However, if you are keen on starting a beautiful lawn, during the construction project, you can choose greenery that will grow and spread over time to create a filled-out lawn.

Article originally published at Source by Denis K Dresser