Making the Most of a Modest Budget

Here's how to make sure your money goes where it matters most:

Written by Timber Home Living Editors

Everybody has a budget. When you’re designing and building a custom home, like a timber frame, you need to have a target figure to guide you. When your budget is on the smaller side, how do you ensure you’re spending your hard-earned money where it will matter most? Read on for our best suggestions:

Splurge Where It Shines

In modern timber home design, it’s not uncommon to see a combination of construction techniques. For example, the jaw-dropping frame is featured in the central areas but conventional framing is used for the private spaces, like bedrooms. Going this route can let you splurge on a small-but-elaborate timber structure, while saving money elsewhere.

Don’t Over Design

It’s fun to drool over floor plans. But when it’s time to design yours, take a good, long look at how you live before you draft a single stroke. All too often, people think they need certain features that they end up never using–a waste of precious budget dollars. The money you save on your footprint can be reallocated to the things that truly matter, like the timber frame itself.

Invest in Quality Materials

Many custom-home shoppers are willing to splurge on decorative details, but will skimp on important items like windows and doors that make a home energy-efficient. A house that’s drafty in the winter or sweltering in the summer will be a source of annoyance (and cost more money over the life of the home) no matter how beautiful it is.)

Pick Your Gathering Spot

The kitchen/living area is the obvious choice, but incorporating a game room or designing an enclosed sunroom into your plans may be less-expensive spaces to play host.

See also: How to Make the Most of Your Space in a Small Timber Home Design