Design & build: A year in reflection

Family and friends had a sneak peek at a Boxing Day house party in the garage area. Photo / Ben Crawford

The Block NZ 2012 winner Ben Crawford and his girlfriend Kylie are building their dream home. Share their proud moments and pitfalls here every week.

It's the summer holidays and I'm writing this from Matarangi in the Coromandel. Kylie's parents have a bach here, just a stone's throw from the beach and a world away from our construction site in Castor Bay.

It's a magical spot to unwind before throwing ourselves into the year and the final months of our build. I've been reflecting on the past 12 months and the progress we've made on our house is a major part of what I've been looking back on.

Kylie and I are often asked "what have you learned while building your own home?" With the new year here and a morning of reflection under my belt, I thought it was an appropriate time to share some of the things we've picked up so far.

It's not too early to have a house party
Okay, so it's not the most important thing we've learned but we had such fun hosting our first house party on Boxing Day. We built makeshift tables, erected market umbrellas and set out chairs in our garage area. Our bedroom was where we set up the barbecue Kylie's parents gave us for Christmas - no doubt the first and last time we'll have a barbie in our bedroom.

Then our families converged and we had a glorious day under a cloudless sky. The drinks flowed, bellies expanded and we conducted numerous tours around the section, explaining what everything was.

The first and only time we'll have a barbie in our bedroom. Photo / Ben Crawford

It was the first time it felt like the home we'll soon be living in. It was a marvellous feeling.

So if your enthusiasm for building is fading and it feels like you'll never move in, get some mates around for an impromptu party and the excitement will be back in no time.

Ask lots of questions
We knew very little about building a new home so we asked lots of questions. We
asked the council, builders, engineers, surveyors, friends and anybody who would listen. And you know what? No one laughed at us for not knowing. In fact, we were blown away by how much people are willing to help if you just ask them, because there's no such thing as a silly question.

Plan well
Don't rush during the planning stages. Early on I was definitely guilty of trying to push things through too quickly at certain points. Now that we're mid-construction, I'm glad we spent the time upfront crossing all of our Ts and dotting all of our Is. We haven't had any variations to our plans, which has meant no unnecessary time delays or additional costs.

Want action? Pick up the phone
Don't send emails and expect an immediate response. Call people instead. We found that more often than not we got the answer we wanted immediately, saving so much time.

It's stressful, but persevere
I'm a pretty laid-back guy, but at times I've been overwhelmed at the magnitude of what we're doing. I've lost count of how many times obstacles popped up that seemed insurmountable. But we found by taking things one step at a time you eventually emerge out the other side relatively unscathed. And once you see your house being built, that stress fades to a distant memory.

There's more to a decision than the quote
Sure, building is expensive and you want to save money, but when it comes to selecting contractors, listen to your gut instinct, too. Do they feel like the right fit? Do you get along with them and do they understand your design philosophy?

Be the squeaky wheel
In our experience, the idiom of "the squeaky wheel gets the oil" couldn't be truer when it comes to building. Don't be afraid to constantly follow up. There have been numerous times when my polite pestering of contractors, suppliers and application processors has resulted in action sooner rather than later.

It takes time. Even furnishings
Building takes a lot of time. But we have been surprised at how long it can take to source furnishings. That perfect sofa will often need to be placed on order, taking months until it arrives. The same with tiles, tapware and larger items. So don't feel silly about shopping well in advance of a hammer being lifted.

Just do it
Starting is probably the hardest decision of all. Say yes and you'll never look back.

• Find out more about Ben and Kylie's dream home at ourdreamhome.co.nz

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For more information on the Kiwibank First Home Buyer's Guide visit: kiwibank.co.nz and search for "first home".