Starting the path to being in your dream home can be a long one.  It's best to be prepared and know what you want when you start, rather than to pick up pieces along the way. Building a new home can raise a lot of questions too, and it's important to figure out the essentials right away. When it comes to building a house in Florida, what are some of the most pressing questions you should have before breaking ground? Here we will go over the top 3 things you should ask before putting those blueprints into reality.

1. What can you afford?
This is probably one of the most important questions to start the building process. Going over your plans with various contractors and home builders before you decide is critical. You shouldn't go to one and be done unless you know for sure it's exactly what you want. It's a better idea to get quotes and get a feel for the person(s) that will be the ones constructing your dream home. Because remember, you have to live where - they only have to build it. The cost plays a big factor because constructing a new house from the ground up is a lot different than purchasing a pre-built model and setting it on the property. Also, credit scores and loans will come into play here, so it's best to have those things in order before getting started.

2. Where/What can you build?
Since Florida is a pretty wet state thanks to rain, many lakes, and the beaches; it's essential to know about the land you'll be building on. If you have dreams of a large basement, this can be impossible in almost all of Florida. This is because, during construction, it doesn't take long to hit water or in some cases, natural minerals like limestone. The water table is too high to have anything more than a small crawl space in Florida, especially in South Florida. It would create too much moisture and eventually leave you with more repairs to fix than anything.

3. How much time are you allowing?
If your blueprints are large and extravagant, prepare to be waiting some time to have that dream home entirely constructed. As stated before, it's a much different process than to purchase an already built house. You are working from the ground up which means everything will be new and you'll be the first to use it, but it also means it will take a lot more time to make sure everything is perfect and to your liking. Throughout Florida are, various codes and regulations that need to be met that vary from county to county. Wherever you are building, be sure to do your homework as to how long it takes permits and the like to be approved and pushed through. That way you're not in a pickle because the process is a few months past what you thought it would be. This allows you to make sure you're still living in a comfortable state before finally moving into your dream home.

Florida is a beautiful place to build a home and live peacefully. Making sure your priorities are in order before breaking ground will ensure you have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming construction months. Keeping these main questions in the back of your head will put you on that path to making your dream home a reality.

RJ Builders can help you with every aspect of building your home in Florida, contact our team today.