3667 Strawberry Hill Street, Suite #107 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Early Planning for your new build
✅ 1. Define Your Goals
Start at the macro level. Ask yourself:
- Will this be a forever retirement home, or do you plan to sell and upgrade in a few years?
- Is this a family home, an income property, or a seasonal getaway?
- Does the property need to be multi-unit — to accommodate extended family, or to generate rental income?
- What are your space needs — bedrooms, bathrooms, office spaces, storage, and garage?
- Should this project be economy, average, custom, or luxury grade? This early calibration is essential for setting priorities and expectations.
- Location matters. Where you live can dramatically affect your quality of life. Things like schools, future developments, neighbours, crime rates, homeowners’ associations, views, and commute times should all factor into your decision. A good real estate agent can help you narrow in on the areas that best fit your needs.
- Define your style. At this stage you don’t need a fully fleshed-out plan, but having a general aesthetic direction(modern farmhouse, Scandinavian, coastal, traditional, etc.) is very helpful. Even a few inspiration photos can set the “vibe” and give your design team the right starting point.
- And finally: separate your needs from your wants. Decide what’s truly essential for your lifestyle versus what would simply be nice to have. Don’t forget to include accessibility requirements for aging in place or mobility planning. Getting this right early keeps your design realistic and prevents budget creep.
✅ 2. Budget Realistically
Your target budget should include more than just the house itself:
- Land – Understand the difference between raw land and a building lot.
- Raw land may lack services (power, water, septic, road access) and can carry major development costs.
- A building lot is typically serviced or zoned for construction, with fewer unknowns.
- Soft Costs – Permits, design, engineering, surveying, and other professional services. These are unavoidable. You simply cannot build a home responsibly without proper due diligence in hand. Skipping or cutting corners on essentials like geotechnical engineering or surveying may feel like a cost-saving move, but it can lead to serious risks, delays, and hidden expenses later.
- Sitework – Clearing, grading, septic, well, utilities, driveway.
- The House – This is usually the largest portion of your budget, but it can vary widely depending on the type of home you’re planning. Budgeting for a basic code-built average home is very different from budgeting for a high-performance luxury home with advanced systems, custom finishes, and architectural detailing. It’s important to calibrate expectations early. Using a placeholder cost per square foot helps create a realistic starting point that reflects the intended level of quality and performance — whether that’s economy, average, custom, or luxury grade.
- Furnishings & Interior Design – This is where the house truly becomes a home. While our services end with the finishes connected to the physical build, it’s often incredibly valuable to involve an interior design consultant — ideally early in the process, before construction drawings are issued. Their input on layouts, furniture, colors, and lighting can influence the design itself and prevent costly changes later. They also help prevent decision fatigueby narrowing options, expediting selections, and eliminating the indecision that can cause rework or delays.
- Landscaping – An often-overlooked part of the budget, but an important piece of a truly complete project. Patios, decks, walkways, driveways, gardens, grading, and exterior lighting all shape how you experience the home. Thoughtful landscaping doesn’t just add curb appeal — it improves function, comfort, and long-term value. Planning for this upfront ensures you don’t move into a beautiful home surrounded by unfinished ground.
💡 Macro Budgeting Tip: It’s important to factor all elements of the project into your budget — not just the house itself, but also land, soft costs, sitework, furnishings, and landscaping. When it comes specifically to the construction cost of the home, the biggest drivers are size, complexity, and fit & finish. A larger footprint, intricate architectural details, or premium finishes can increase costs significantly compared to a simpler code-built design. Setting a responsible preliminary target number early on helps align expectations before design begins. Tools like the Altus Group Canadian Construction Cost Guide can also provide a data-driven cost-per-square-foot baseline for calibration.
✅ 3. Secure the Right Property
Not every lot is buildable. Choosing the wrong property can stall or even derail your project before it begins. Beyond raw land vs. building lot, you’ll need to consider:
- Zoning and restrictive covenants
- Access and road frontage
- Slope and soil conditions
- Proximity to services like water, septic, and power
- Whether the property requires a well and septic system or has access to municipal water and sewer — which can have a major impact on cost, approvals, and long-term maintenance.
A great design won’t work on the wrong site. This is where a good real estate agent can be invaluable. The right agent will help you identify properties that are truly suitable for construction and steer you clear of lots that come with hidden problems. They’ll ensure you don’t end up facing physical obstacles (like poor soil or steep grades), technical challenges (like no access to utilities), or administrative roadblocks (like zoning restrictions, easements, or lengthy approval processes). Having an experienced guide at this stage can save months of frustration and thousands in unexpected costs.
✅ 4. Set a Target Schedule
Every build requires time — and more than many people first expect. A realistic schedule has several phases:
- Design & Pre-Construction – Expect this stage to take at least a few months. Design development, engineering, pricing, and permitting can’t be rushed if you want a smooth build.
- Sitework – Depending on the state of the lot or land, this phase can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months (clearing, grading, utilities, septic/well, driveways).
- Construction – A straightforward code-built home may take around 6 months. A highly technical custom or luxury home can take 12 months or more due to complexity, detailing, and specialty trades.
Some of these steps can happen in tandem — for example, site preparation may overlap with design finalization and permitting. This can shorten timelines, but there are always inspections, lead times, and approval processes that must be respected. As a general rule, it’s wise to build in contingency time to account for weather, supply delays, or other unexpected factors.
👉 Put simply, there is a general flow to the process — design, pre-construction, sitework, then construction — and while smart planning can expedite things, it’s best to budget for 12–18 months total from start to finish.
✅ 5. Engage the Right Team Early
As a design–build firm, our priority is making sure your goals, budget, and schedule are in harmony right from the beginning. The best way to achieve that is to bring your builder into the process early.
With our Pre-Construction Services Contract, design and pricing evolve together, which prevents the all-too-common trap of investing time and money into “dream house” plans that don’t match your budget. This approach streamlines the process, reduces surprises, and keeps everyone aligned.
If you have questions about planning your build, we’d be pleased to start the conversation. Please leave your information below, and we’ll set up a time for a free consultation.