Once you’ve found a property for your home, the next step is to build the actual structure.
You probably have an idea of the intricacies involved if you have experience with building construction but if not, a contractor can help.
Of course, it helps to have a vision of what your house will be like. In addition, having an idea of the legal requirements helps you plan accordingly.
Style
With the plantation style being the most common, other types of homes typically found in Hawaii include mission, international, and Renaissance. Plantation style homes have been the choice for many non-millionaire homeowners but in recent years, a growing number of residents are opting for custom houses. As the name suggests, custom houses are homes that reflect the unique style of the owner.
Design Elements
Hawaiian homes share common elements with homes in other tropical areas. Examples that you can incorporate in to your house design are:
- Lanai – Either an open-air or enclosed space where you can entertain family and friends, a lanai is featured in many Hawaiian homes.
- Open spaces – One of the perks of living in a tropical paradise is that you can easily bring the outdoors inside by installing large windows or wide openings onto the patio or the lanai. This way, you can take advantage of a bigger living space as well as the natural air blowing through the house.
- Additions – In Hawaii where real estate is in short supply, one way to accommodate more people is for homeowners to build additions to their homes either by creating extensions or constructing small, detached structures that family members can use or the owners can rent out to tourists.
- Sustainability – To minimize the impact on the environment and help preserve Hawaii’s natural beauty, many homeowners opt to incorporate sustainability into their house design. Because the state has some of the highest energy costs in the country, it makes sense to explore the use of natural energy sources.
Permits and Zoning
In Hawaii, land use and safety are major concerns, which is why securing building permits can be tricky. Apart from the building permit, you’ll need to secure plumbing and electrical permits as well as a plan to control erosion and sediment.
Zoning requirements vary depending on the location of the property and these requirements dictate the kind of structures you can build and where you can build them.
Once you’ve factored the foregoing elements in your plan, the next step is to find a contractor, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest decisions to make when planning to construct your home.
Similar to finding any professional, you need to do some research, ask for estimates, and look for referrals. You also need to ensure the contractor you choose can work in the area where your property is located.
It’s worth mentioning that the lowest price is not necessarily the best because you don’t want to be spending twice on work that was poorly done the first time.
At ALAKA’I, we do home construction.
Give us a call and let’s work together build your dream home.
