Organizing your home building project is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your sanity and to help make the many, many decisions you will have to make seem not so quite overwhelming. It's very easy, takes very little time, and you will be so glad you took the time to create your Organization Binder even years after your house is built.
The more information you have as a homeowner, the more it helps your contractor and everyone else on the job understand what you want. Buying your house plans is a great way to begin, but not being specific about your ideas is what causes costly change orders and delays. Be clear on what you want and save your contractor and yourself a lot of time, money and frustration. You'll want to take your binder with you everywhere you go during the home building process.
Setting up Your 3-Ring Binder
You will have an electronic file of a lot of documents like plumbing fixtures, lighting ideas, furniture, estimates that have been e-mailed, etc. on your computer, but it is very important that you keep a 3-ring binder with you from the design stage all the way until your home is built and ready to move in.
Take the guessing out of making decisions and make your shopping ultra productive by having everything you need at your fingertips. As you walk into the furniture store having a super sale, with your binder that has your floor plan, window sizes, paint swatches, etc., and if you see something you like for the right price, you can make an informed decision right there on the spot. Or letfs say youfre in your local home supply store and you see a faucet youfd love to have in your kitchen sink. You open your binder and the kitchen hardware and sink specifications tell you if itfs a fit or not. The binder is also great for saving money. You will be selecting so many different products and home goods, and the binder will help you keep all the different estimates and prices handy to make the best decisions.
Follow these easy steps and start creating your folder right now!
- Buy a 3-ring binder. Buy one with a plastic cover that you can slide your house plan or a picture of your lot before construction starts. Make sure you buy a large binder — at least a two or three inch — you will fill it up a lot faster than you think.
- Insert file tabs and label your tabs with: Appliances, Bathrooms, Bedrooms (break down by master, kids, guest, etc.), Budget Organizer, Contact List (get a business card holder sheet and include this next to your contact list), Contracts, Decorating Ideas, Dining Room, Exterior Finishes, Floor Plan, Flooring, Great Room, Kitchen, Landscaping, Lighting and Fans, Living Room, Office, Paint and Wall Finishes, Play Room, Plumbing Fixtures, Permits, Pool and Patio, Receipts, Warranties, Worksheets and more.
- Add other tabs that are individual to your project like Entertainment Room or Handicap Accessible Products.
- Buy several 4 X 6 photograph sheets and include them in any section you will have photos to file.
- Collect current ideas from home and design magazines, pictures from the internet and photos from home tours. Start clipping and filing into your folder because when the day comes when your builder needs you to make a decision on the stain for your hardwood floors, chances are he'll need it right away. Cut and file anything and everything that catches your eye.
- Add anything to your binder that can lay flat — furniture fabric swatches and trim samples, paint swatches with a small color sample and color number pasted into the individual rooms of your 8 ½ by 11 floor plan, anything that will assist you in the hundreds of decisions you will eventually have to make.
After your project is done and you are living in your new home, your binder will be your map of where you started and everything that you accomplished along the way. If you ever decide to build another house, this binder will be your bible. If you live in your home for years and years to come, your binder will be a great benefit to anyone you know who is building or renovating their home.
Follow the links below to start using your online Organizer!
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