Now's The Time To Start Planning Your New Cottage

You might look out the window and see snow banks, the radio is telling you about all the closures, your new cottage is probably the last thing that is on your mind. But now is the time to start the planning process, now is the time to start thinking about building it.

When the weather is ugly and the world is white that is the best time to start planning for your new cottage build. If you start your planning now you will be ready when the white stuff melts and cottagers start to return to cottage country.

If you start to talk to contractors now they will be able to direct you to the appropriate architect or draftsmen, your plans are the first thing you will need before you can do anything (as long as you already have a piece of property to put it on). 

Plans are important, plans are the only way for you to get a proper, accurate quote for your new cottage.

You don't have to wait until your plans are finished to find yourself a contractor, you can select your contractor before you have your plans finished. Selecting your contractor is actually more important then selecting the proper person to draw your new cottage. 

The most important thing about hiring a contractor is that you trust them. You are going to entrust this person with one of the biggest investments of your life and you are going to have to work closely with them, that means that the two of you better get along. Add in the distance, most people having a cottage built do not live near the build site so they have to rely on their contractor to send them updates and pictures as the project progresses.

You want to hire a contractor that you can trust, a contractor that knows what they are doing and has the ability to help you organize yourself. When building a new custom cottage you will have to make decisions all the time. Even if you have planned well there will always be things that the contractor will want your feedback on, that's what makes it custom. Your cottage should be as unique and special as you are and to get that means that you will have to make a lot of decisions. If your contractor is well organized then he will be able to ask you questions in advance of needing to know them. Some of the questions can be answered over the phone or via email and some of the questions you as the homeowner are going to have to come up to the build site and see for yourself. That means that the two of you will have to schedule meetings in advance so that there is as little pressure put on you to make a decision as possible.

When starting down that process of building a new cottage make sure that you get someone to draw you proper drawings and then find that right contractor. The earlier you can do that the better prepared everyone will be for the spring thaw when you want to start building.

You don't want to be that person that is calling contractors in the late spring trying to get them to meet you and price your project. A lot of contractors will be booked by then and you will have less variety of companies to choose from. The earlier you can start the better off you will be.

If you have any questions you can email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes