Sometimes the house of your dreams just can't be found on the market. No problem, luckily you can build your own home. If your plans are well thought out and you carefully go through each step of the process, you could be living in an outstanding home you never thought was possible!

The most important aspect of building your own home is deciding on a budget. This will dictate each step of the process all the way through completion and beyond. Don't forget to add land cost to the budget of the entire project. It is also important to not forget Murphy's Law when doing a project this big, building estimates are just that, an estimate. There are numerous reasons that construction costs can increase slightly; be sure to leave a little extra room in your budget for changes to the plan.

The next step is deciding what kind of home you would like to build. Browsing through home and real estate magazines is a good start. The internet is also a great resource to get great ideas about your homes style and function. Once you have a general idea of the type of home you like, you should try to see some similar ones in your area. They don't need to be identical, but you can go down to a model home and see if you like or dislike certain features. Taking pictures of things you like is also a good idea; it can only help your designer draw up a plan exactly like you imagine it.

Purchasing the land is the next big step. You should, of course, have a general idea of what kind of land you want, but don't automatically filter out properties that don't exactly fit your search criteria. Keep in mind how much backyard space you would like, how big the house is you are planning on building, and what you are going to use the land for. For example, do you plan on putting in a swimming pool? How about having animals on your property? Would you like a little privacy from the neighbors, or just a good view?

As soon as you have purchased the land that fits your dream home, the next step is hiring a general contractor to oversee and manage the building of your house. It is a very good idea to call at least a handful of contractors and to have each of them give you an estimate. Make sure you ask their price per square foot, inquire about specifics that you would like on your house that may cost extra, and definitely ask for some references from each builder. Most contractors will be more than happy to show you homes they have built before and the homeowners will often answer any questions or concerns you have about the contractor. This is also a good time to check your budget. Is the home you have imagined going to fit into your budget?

The biggest determining factor of your budget is going to be securing financing. Contacting lenders is the next step towards building your home. Make sure to shop around for the best rates and situation that fits your finances best. By securing a loan you will get the money to go forward and will also have a better idea about how big your budget for the rest of the project will be.

The hard part is now over and the exhilarating part begins. Choosing paint colors, carpeting, and cabinets are just a few of the many exciting options you have when building your own home. You also get to observe the building process in action and see your new home being erected each and everyday. For many people this is fun, because they have put a lot of work into their project and are excited to see it come into fruition.

Building your own home is certainly a lot of work, but the benefits can not be overlooked. Careful planning and patience will go a long way into making sure everything works out just as expected. Believe me, once you move in to your new home you will be thrilled!

I devised this exercise some years ago when I needed to find a new home. I'd just attended a workshop on creating your own reality and was greatly taken with what I'd learned so I carefully noted down everything I wanted in my dream home and then set about trying to find it.

No one was more astonished than I when a few weeks later I was offered a house to rent that not only ticked every box -- when I checked my blueprint I saw I had inadvertently written down 'telephone line' twice, and the house had two telephone lines running to it. This is a powerful exercise!

The technique can be used for a range of possibilities but, for the purposes of the illustration, I've chosen a dream home.

You will need some paper and a pen or pencil and, initially, an hour or so of uninterrupted time. But this is an on-going exercise, something you can keep adding to until you're completely satisfied with the end result.

What's crucial to success is identifying the limiting beliefs most of us hold that we can't have what we want, that we don't deserve it, that it's not possible. That's the hard part -- but help is at hand.

Start by writing 'My Dream Home' in the centre of the page and drawing around it a circle, a heart, whatever takes your fancy. Now you're going to sketch in lines leading out from the centre, like a star burst, and write down all the things you want in your dream home.

You can start by writing down basics like electricity and gas supply, mains sewerage, telephone line, or you can assume those are going to be there anyway. Are you going to own this home or rent it? Write down things like 'freehold' or 'good landlord' and 'affordable rent'. Do you like sleek and modern or something more traditional? Is it important that your home is well insulated, has central heating, double glazed windows? Write that down.

How many bedrooms will it have? And why do you want that number? If you want one as an office or a workroom, could you as easily have a dining room that doubles up? Are you trying to fill your needs for both now and in the longer term? Is this home going to last you forever or are you creating something for now, knowing that as your needs change you'll be able to create another dream home? (You're going to have to answer an awful lot of questions to get clear about what you want, but it's going to be worth it. You can't get what you want until you get clear about what you want.) When you're quite clear about how many bedrooms write it down.

Do you want a separate dining room and kitchen or would you prefer them combined? Write it down. What kind of kitchen do you want? What will it have in it? Washing machine? Tumble dryer? Would you prefer a separate utility room? Write it down. Do you love cooking or are you someone who does the absolute minimum on that front? Will you need lots of equipment or very little? A breakfast bar or the kind of large kitchen table that everyone can sit around?

This is your dream you're creating here and you make up the rules as you go along. If you find yourself thinking 'I'll never be able to afford that,' keep reminding yourself this is a game, this is a dream you're creating ... for now! This is what I mean by letting down your walls of belief. Doing this exercise not only helps you get clear about what you like and what you want, it also helps you get in touch with those beliefs that stop you being who you really are and getting what you really want. The more work you do on this the greater are your chances of success because you're also working on your subconscious, giving it encouraging affirmations, wiping the old negative tapes and replacing them with new, positive ones.

When you get to the point where you've had enough for now, stop. You're doing some really hard work here and you need to acknowledge that. We're generally much better at quantifying physical work than mental effort and it's important not to overdo things at this stage otherwise you'll end up exhausted, especially at the beginning. Put it to one side and come back to it later but try and set aside a brief time each day, or perhaps three times a week, to keep working on your blueprint.

As your vision grows start imagining yourself in your dream home, walking around it, looking at each room. How do you feel? Are you comfortable? Does it reflect who you are, who you'd like to be? What colours predominate? Lush, rich colours or something more subtle? Are there carpets, wooden floors, rugs and runners? Is it full of things, a cosy, family home or is it elegant and minimalist? What do the doors look like, the walls, the lights? If you change your mind about something as your vision develops that's fine. Just change it on your blueprint. It doesn't matter how messy it gets. You can always do a neater version as you get more clarity.

Are there any absolute essentials you couldn't live without? Do you need to be near public transport, within easy reach of the shops, close to people you care for or care about? Would you prefer to be out in the countryside or in the middle of a town? Are you passionate about the sea and dream of living within sight of it? Don't listen to the voice that says 'in your dreams'. Write it down. Is your dream home somewhere hot and sunny, a retirement home abroad, perhaps? Just put yourself in that place, imagine it, smell the scents, see the colours and create your home in the local style.

Is there anyone else to take into consideration, other members of the family, family pets? It's probably easier to do this exercise if you're doing it just for you but I'm assuming your dream home will accommodate what family you have so I guess you might have to make a few compromises. If a husband needs a garden shed to take refuge in, a garage to store assorted paraphernalia, build it into your blueprint. If the kids need somewhere to store their bikes, if the rabbit needs some grass, put it all down. Is there a dog that needs exercising -- do you need to be near to a common area?

Do you want a garden? How big will it be? Who's going to maintain it? Will there be hedges, fences, walls? Are you bothered about being overlooked, about privacy or would you be happy having neighbours you can chat to over the fence? Will there be a vegetable plot or just flowers and shrubs -- what kind? Put it all down.

Something that needs to emerge through doing this exercise is a sense of responsibility for what you're creating -- and that's a tricky one. On the one hand I'm saying 'go for whatever your want' while on the other I'm saying 'you have to take responsibility for what you create'. But there's no point in dreaming up a home like something out of Footballers' Wives if you've got small children which means you'll have to cover up the swimming pool and spend all your time picking up their toys in a vast garden.

It doesn't make sense to want a large garden with a vegetable patch if no one in the family has ever picked up a trowel, or to want an elegant, minimalist home you've seen in a classy magazine when you know you're really untidy and perfectly happy with that. You need to be realistic. This dream home has to be in line with your values and what you want out of life.

With several big residential development projects in Turkey just getting off of the ground, you will surely be able to find a home that’s perfect for you!

Residential housing is becoming more and more difficult to come by these days. As the population grows, affordable housing becomes harder to locate and much more difficult to obtain. Luckily, big residential development projects in Turkey will change all of that.

With houses popping up left and right, you can now be a proud owner of a brand new home. All you need is good home loan or mortgage and you’ll be well on your way to unpacking your bags and settling in for a lifetime!

It would be next to impossible to buy a home outright these days, with home prices skyrocketing. Real estate is a very lucrative business. While this is good for the realtors, it’s not so good for the average person who must work long hours each and every day just to pay their rent!

Big residential development projects in Turkey are now making it so more people can own their own homes. Wouldn’t you like to be one of those lucky people? All you need to do is visit your local mortgage broker or bank loan officer to find out what your options are. Here is a list of some major residential development projects in Turkey. The first column is the name of the project and the second one give the estimated number of residence expected to be finished for the project.

İstanbul Ataşehir Doğu Bölgesi (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 675
İstanbul Ataşehir (Batı) 1. Bölge (KentPlus) 2.044
İstanbul Ataşehir (Batı) 2. Bölge (UpHillCourt) 1.742
İstanbul Ataşehir (Batı) 3. Bölge Konut ve işyeri (myworld) 3.639
İstanbul Ataşehir 1864 Ada 1 parsel Konut ve İşyeri 3.300
İstanbul Ataşehir Konut ve İşyeri (Gelir paylaş. Esasına göre inşaatı ve satışı) 180
İstanbul Avcılar Ispartakule (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 460-62/1 Parsel 1.700
İstanbul Bahçeşehir 3. Bölge (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 800
İstanbul Bahçeşehir 460-62/1 parsel 1.700
İstanbul Bahçeşehir Ispartakule 1.Bölge + tic. Merkz. (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 3.150
İstanbul Bahçeşehir Ispartakule 2.Bölge + tic. Merkz. (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 3.600
İstanbul Bakırköy Kartaltepe (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 194
İstanbul Büyükçekmece M.Sinan (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 660
İstanbul Esenler İkitelli (misstanbul) 1.600
İstanbul Ümraniye Çekmeköy Kemerdere 856 Konut + 3 Adet Okul 856
İzmir Karşıyaka Mavişehir 1. Bölge (Mavişehir) 1.568
İzmir Karşıyaka Mavişehir 2. Bölge (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 700
İzmir Karşıyaka Mavişehir 3. Bölge (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 530
İzmir Karşıyaka Mavişehir 4. Etap 5. Kısım (7 villa+ 56 konut inşaatı) 63
Kırklareli Lüleburgaz + İlköğretim okulu(24), Cami (Emlak Konut G.Y.O. A.Ş.) 804
Tekirdağ Çerkezköy Kapaklı 250

If you have good credit, you can quickly and easily become a part of the big residential development projects in Turkey by buying your own home. You should have little to no trouble finding a lender who is willing to loan you the money to buy a home. However, if you do not have good credit, the road may be a bit tougher for you. But that doesn’t not mean there isn’t a place for you in the development projects in Turkey.

In fact, a mortgage broker may be just the person you need to see if you have bad credit. They have a knack for finding the lenders that are willing to take a chance on you. This way, just about anyone can own a home!

The big residential development projects in Turkey that are going on right now will make it so many people can have a home of their own for the first time. Without the help of mortgages and home loans, both with reasonable interest rates, this wouldn’t be possible.

If you would like to be a proud homeowner, you should really look into buying a home that is a part of the big residential projects in Turkey. This may be the absolute perfect time for you become a part of the home owning sector of the world!

You are finally going to build your dream home. Don't just call a builder. There is work to be done before you make that call.

Building your dream home is a big step. It is a huge investment that should give you dividends for a long time. It should have the amenities you want and MUST make you happy. You worked hard to be able to afford it and you want it YOUR way.

The first step is deciding what features you want in your new home. Include your partner and children in the decision making process. They are going to be sharing in this experience and living with you. This home belongs to everyone. Write down everything you want in this new home. Don't forget the outside and the landscaping features as well.

The next step is deciding what features are absolutely necessary. What features MUST be included in order to make the house livable under current circumstances. But also consider the near future, especially if the family may be expanding: ie: another child, a parent coming to live with the family. Perhaps now is the time to include that 4th bedroom, and extra ½ or ¾ bathroom.

Now you know what you want and also what you need to be comfortable. Now comes the fun! Bundle the family into your car and drive around some of the subdivisions. Choose the area in which you want to build and see just what types of homes are being built. Don't forget, if you don't see a plan you like, you have the options of choosing your own design. Check out the model homes. These are built specifically for public viewing. You will also see houses at various stages of construction. If job site workers are present, ask them if they will allow you to walk through the house. There are safety issues to be considered, but ask to look around.

By viewing these homes, you can start to get a feel of the place, the floor plan, visualize your ideas, and the completed project. Remember, at this point you are still looking, so don't be swayed my high-pressure tactics.

It is now time to determine if the plans and ideas are financially feasible. This project should not be so debt- inducing that the house becomes a burden. Contact several financial institutions regarding the different types of loans available for building a new home. Avail yourself to as much money as possible, without exceeding your financial limits.

In addition, make a list of builders that you would like to consider. Ask friends, relative, get names from signs in the subdivisions. Maybe you know a realtor or two who will give you names. You should be able to come up with at least 5 different companies.

Then investigate each one of the companies.

1. Call the Better Business Bureau. They are a great source. They keep records of contractors and businesses that have had consumer complaints filed against them. They will NOT give you opinions, only facts.

To have a house that one actually design and built according to one’s taste is practically everybody’s dream. Instead of just buying or renting a house that was already made, you would of course want something that you yourself have planned to suit your preferences. However, designing a home could be quite a difficult ordeal. It is quite expensive to hire an architect to draft your plans, and it is also very hard to put what is on your mind on paper. Luckily such a predicament may be a thing of the past with the help of home design software.

Here are some reasons that make home design software so advantageous:

-Home design software could enhance your capacity to make beautiful home designs that are efficient, while matching the limits you have with you budget.

-With home design software you can add your personal touch to every design since you will be the one to make it.

-Home design software has so much more capabilities beyond the usual sketching and drafting.

-Home design software allows you to customize everything instantly from the changing of dimensions to remodeling floor plans, you can even fit in cabinets and furniture without even having to waste paper and pencil.

-Not only can you design your floor plan with home design software, you can also design your landscape as well, allowing you to known what types of plants would best fit your space and how much you need to fill it.

-You can also gain some useful and systematic insight regarding your electrical wiring, and plumbing. The software itself would tell you what types of power, water, cooling, and heating systems you would need.

-With home design software, you are not limited to just viewing boring blue prints on flat paper, you can see 3D views of your dream home, and you can even see the cross sections of your future house.

-Best of all, home design software is so fun to use. Planning your home would be as enjoyable as playing a game on the computer. This would motivate you even more to continue planning.

Things to look for when buying Home Design Software:

1. Features – the software you buy should have features that are beyond just basic floor planning. There should be a wide set of tools such 3D views, infrastructure incorporation, among many others. The software should also allow for great customization and freedom of designing, because after all, it is your house that is being designed.

2. Ease in Usage – the software should be very easy for you to use, whether or not you have a background in architecture. The main reason you are getting the software is that you are not an expert with home designing, and thus the software you buy should have an interface that you can use quickly and intuitively.

3. Ease in Installation – the software you get should also be very easy to install. The program should include the entire designing package. There should be no more need to download other applets save for free updates that might come farther in the future.

4. Functional Help Desk – you can expect the software to be a little more complex and thus you would need some assistance as you use it, thus there should be a functional help documentation included that provides simple and easy-to-follow solutions for your problems.

Designing your dream home with home design software can be fun, exciting, and very efficient. So why not make first step in fulfilling your dreams by planning your house with the wide array of programs now available in the market. Who knows, you might be building the actual house in the real world sooner than you would think.

To own a home that you actually designed and created according to your taste is virtually everybody’s ambition. Rather than just renting or buying a house was designed by someone else, you of course would want a place that you have planned yourself to fit your likes. But designing a house could be a very difficult endeavor. Chances are you do not have a background in architecture and could probably only draw stick figures. How then can you put into paper what you have in mind about the house of your dreams?

Fortunately, this problem may easily be solved by availing of home design services that could make the job so easy and convenient for you.

Here are among the many reasons you should avail of home design services:

-Home design services could boost your ideas and help you create beautiful house designs that you find difficult to translate into an actual plan.

-Home design serves may also work according to you budget so that you do not overspend nor would you be too stingy about your dream home.

-You can still add your personal touches because the home design service would cater to your needs and preferences.

-Home design services would do the actual sketching and drafting job for you, plus many more services that would help you build a home.

-You would not be wasting your paper and pencil because the plans that home design services make are very efficient and cost effective. They would know how best to fit the cabinets and furniture you would want to have in your house.

-Home design services could go beyond the floor plan of your house, they could also help you plan your landscape and other elements included in your dream home.

-You can get sound advice regarding technical matters such as the plumbing and the electrical wiring system of the house because they know a lot of such details. Home design services may even tell you the kinds of cooling, water, heating, and power systems you might need.

-You can ask home design services different materials to visualize your dream house such as blue prints, computer aided graphics, prospective sketches and even scale models.

-It is also better to be able to talk to someone as you plan your dream home. When you avail of home design services, you would be working other human beings and be able to share with them the joys of planning your home.

What to look for when availing of home design services:

1. Service package inclusions – the home design service provider you choose should go beyond just drawing floor plans and making blue prints. They should be able to give you different perspectives and useful suggestions regarding the house you are dreaming about. They should be able to listen to your wants and follow them as much as possible given the constraints of your resources.

2. Good Communication Channels – you would want the home design service company to be easy to deal with. The main reason you are availing of their service is that you need help to design your house, and thus you should be able to have an effective means of communication to do this.

3. Good Service – the service provider should be able to assist you with all your needs. Designing a house is a complex matter, and they should be very knowledgeable about issues of building a house.

Designing your house can be very fun and exciting and it can definitely be made easier with the help of home design services. So why not look through your local directory or search the web to check for home design services near you.

Building or refurbishing a home can be fun but it can also be challenging because of the many things that has to be accounted for before starting the project.

Building a home is a big project no matter how little the home is and how meager the budget. In fact, a person can be more cost effective in building his home if he creates a home design plan before introducing changes in the home.

A homeowner should take note of the design of the house he is about to build and put the design into paper. This way, he can avoid committing design mistakes that can cost him money and precious time.

Being hasty when building a home can be detrimental to the home design and also to the budget. A home design plan can be created by the homeowner and builder himself provided he has some knowledge in drawing plans. However, if he does not have any idea about these things then it is best to get the services of a person who is knowledgeable in such matters.

Of course, asking another person to make a home design plan can add to the cost of building the home but it will be cost effective in the long term because it will ensure that the home is properly constructed technically and aesthetically.

Creating a home design plan can be a technical matter and requires research and preparation. The designer of a home plan will take all aspects of the home when preparing the plan including the lifestyle of the people who would be living in the home and the available space.

Leaving everything to the experts may be just the right thing for any homeowner. However, he should also take an active part in planning the design of his home. While he does not know the technicalities, he should be able to suggest what he wants and where things should be placed.

It is important that the specification of the home design plan is not totally left to the discretion of the designer. The home should be a reflection of the personality of the residents and the owner should thus have a say in the overall appearance of his home.

To avoid conflicts while the house design plan is being drawn, the family should already have a consensus as to what motif or design they want for the house. They can choose from the various designs available like a home that depicts country living or it can be minimalist or modern.

Allowing the family to plan ahead can mean a smoother construction process. Making material changes after the home design plan has already been drawn and while the home is being constructed can result to a poorly built home. Plus, it can add to the expenses of building a home.

Once the family has arrived at a consensus as to the general appearance of the home, they should appoint someone who will talk to the designer and who will coordinate all the design and construction process with the designer. Having everyone in the middle of the construction phase can be disadvantageous as it can result to delays in the project.

One man’s problem could be another man’s prosperity. For instance, the current housing market is witnessing an increase in the number of distressed homes for sale, opening up vast opportunities to the savvy buyer who takes full advantage of market conditions. A distressed property could be the best value for home buyers such as you while helping pressured owners become freed from a heavy burden. Let’s take a look at what distressed properties are and what the benefits of buying such a home could be for you.

Home foreclosure rates are on the rise and not expected to drop anytime soon. Higher mortgage payments, increased fuel expenditures and other factors are pushing a larger number of homeowners into the distressed seller category. These other factors can include:

Divorce
Death
Poor Health
Job Loss
A Myriad of Other Reasons
Together, once dutiful home owners are finding it difficult if not impossible to keep up with their mortgage payments. Therefore, within a three to four months timeframe a homeowner could see their home foreclosed.

One way that distressed property owners can avoid foreclosure is to attempt to sell their home before things totally spiral out of their control. In a soft real estate market, a distressed homeowner could find themselves selling a home for a price well below its value. However, this could still be an attractive option for the seller as the responsibility for paying for the house would be removed from their hands. For the buyer, a distressed home means paying less than market value and gaining a home that they possibly could not have been able to afford under normal market conditions.

In most cases distressed property isn’t the same as a fixer-upper but it could be. Likely, the current owner had been keeping up with maintenance, but recently fell upon hard times that have triggered the “sell now, before foreclosure later” action on their part. If the home has been neglected all along, a distressed property may not be the value you think that it could be especially if much needed repairs must be done. If that should be the case, your so-called “deal” could end up being no deal at all.

A distressed property seller may be more receptive to allowing you to pay a reduced price for their home if you negotiate the deal apart from a realtor. Usually, this type of seller is featuring their home on a For Sale By Owner {FSBO} site in the hopes of saving themselves the cost of realtor fees.

When dealing with a distressed property seller, sympathy and understanding on your part can go a long way toward clinching the deal. Chances are the current owner is embarrassed about their financial plight and doesn’t want to be too forthcoming about what lead up to their current troubles. Be prepared to close on the deal as soon as possible, therefore a pre-approval letter from a respected mortgage lender is essential to helping you secure the distressed property

If you ever wanted to enjoy living in a log cabin this is for you!

Hi, Pat Ritrosky here to share my story of my little log cabin.

I always wanted to build a log house, but for one reason or the other the need to live and my desire could not come together.

Then one day I had an idea, why not put an addition on and make it out of stone and logs!

This would be my own little log cabin that I always wanted. I needed an extra bed room so why not?

I began building the house in 1983 and added on in 1993 and 2003 (2003 log addition)

Finally my dream was going to come true. After some research and numerous in curries about logs from manufactures, I decided to go back in time and do it the way they use to in “the Olden Days”. After all I self taught my self to hand cut sand stone with a Hammer and Mason chisels, why not do the logs my self!

Laying up 3-6 feet of hand hewn foundation stone I began to lay up the logs only on 3 sides. The reason for this is I used pine logs that were dead for a few years yet were not rotten or bug infested. I needed to keep them out of the weather as much as possible, with over hangs and prevailing weather patterns, keep the logs dry at all times. The back wall is all stone so the rain, snow, and sun can reek havoc on that all it wants!

This was a very labor intense build by hand and little help, but the out come was so satisfying and rewarding! The look is very 1800s with a touch of 21st century Tec knowledge, vinyl windows and poly filler for joints made it warm and cozy.

The cost was very affordable because all the material was free except shingles, windows rafters, and sheeting.

Estimated 100 + tons of stone and 75 logs that were all hand cut, and laid with love and compassion. Inside the fire place is10’ wide by 14’ high and 14’’ thick out of sand stone that was harvested in the area of my travels in western Pennsylvania.

The entire house is heated with a wood fired boiler in the basement that my dad and I built out of junk that was lying around. The water is pumped through pipe into the old cast iron registers that someone was throwing away! All but the log addition has piping in the tile floor and the fire place. We keep it about 75-80 degrees in mid winter with no extra heating cost.

So if your thinking about building your own “log cabin” it’s only a dream away!

You can do it if you only wish to and talk to me!