Trends New Zealand Volume 34 No 1 | Page 65

Building new? Are you about to start building your dream home? You’ll find all the help you need at Trends Home Building a new home is undeniably an exciting experience – especially if it’s your first time. However, without careful plan- ning, things can quickly take a turn for the worse. Here’s a couple of tips to reduce the stress and avoid the drama. Do your research – it’s easy to fall into the trap of handing off all the planning to your designer or builder. After all, who wants to waste time pouring over boring technical issues? But, taking a stand-off approach can leave you feeling dissatisfied with the end result. For example, there’s nothing worse than finding you don’t have all the extra electrical outlets you want to have. While there are many builders out there , be careful – they’re not all equal. Before signing any papers or shaking any hands, do your due diligence and check them out. Ask family and friends for recommendations. Don’t let the task of designing and building a new home overwhelm you. We’ve compiled more tips and advice like this online at trendsideas.com.. As well as our helpful guides, we’ve interviewed top architects and designers to give you the latest trends in home and interior design. What’s more, you’ll find hundreds of kitchen, bathroom and home photos you can save to your profile for future reference. Find more tips at Trends Home: tinyurl.com/trendshome Above: Want to create a home like this one by architectural designer Darren O’Neil? You’ll find all the inspiration you need at Trends Home. search | save | share at