What does ‘dream home’ mean to you?
Do you walk by your dream home every day on the way to work? Or, have you been searching for - and failing to find - your dream property for years and are now thinking of building your perfect home from scratch?
We all desire different things when it comes to our homes. The sea view. The impressive kitchen. The spacious, comfortable lounge.
A games room. A home cinema. A gym.
The list is endless! But if we strip it back, what does ‘dream home’ actually mean? Is it about owning a particular property? Or, is it related more to how our homes affect our lives?
The 2019 Homeowner Survey, released by the HomeOwners Alliance and polled by YouGov, provides a state of the nation report on the latest trends affecting UK homeowners and those hoping to own, as well as their biggest concerns.
Now in its seventh year, the survey revealed homes contribute to the wellbeing of 9 in 10 people; your home really is the key to your happiness.
The survey demonstrates that the “top aspects of our home that contribute to well-being include an appealing outside space; feeling secure; nice neighbours; good natural light and no night time noise or disturbances.” No mention of any mansions or state-of-the-art home cinemas!
In reality, our dream home is one that allows us to have the family we desire, the work-life balance we’ve always wanted and somewhere we feel safe; one that allows us to have the life we deserve; one that doesn’t prevent us from doing the things we need to do.
Everything else is just a fantasy.
For some, that dream home is the first one that gets them on the property ladder - purely because they finally own it. It might not be everything they wished for but it’s theirs. Besides, it’s always possible to make your home everything you dreamed of with a simple extension, giving you more space, or renovation project.
So whether you’re looking to embark on a self-build project, put a deposit down on that beautiful property you’ve been eyeing up, or you’ve decided to improve the home you live in now, here are our top tips for making your home dreams a reality:
Stick to your budget.
We’ve all heard those of those Grand Designs budgets falling apart - with 80% going over the amount they’d put aside and the average project going over budget by 34%. What’s the point of a dream home that requires you to work overtime to buy it, or spend too much time and resource building it, at the cost of spending time with the family you’re building it for?
Your dream home shouldn’t come at a price. So, start small: plan and build something you can afford - whether that’s a new build, or a simple single storey permitted development extension. Create a design that’s practical, which gives you the space you need and a few of the features you desire. Work on one dream at a time!
Keep to your own personal vision.
Your dream home is not your mother’s, brother’s or friend’s dream home and trying to achieve someone else’s idea of what your dream home should be will only end in stress and financial despair.
Stick to your guns - but listen to your designer! They will be able to advise you on the best way to maximise space and keep within your budget. Find out more about the way we work here.
Don’t be overly ambitions.
Remember, the ‘dream home’ you create now may not be your forever home. What you need and want at the moment will likely change in 10 or 20 years. So, don’t feel like this home has to have every feature or the exact space you’ll ever want.
Create a space and home that will make you happy now. That’s all that really matters. After all, “to be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition.”
We can’t claim to be your fairy godmother or be able to grant you three wishes but we can help you make your dream home come true with a sprinkle of architectural design know-how and a dollop of friendly advice. Contact our team now on 0115 874 8570 or 07743 686654 - or send us a message here.