A lot of people begin building their own house before learning how to negotiate, which is totally fine! Many have no experience with contracts either, so that’s another area to focus on developing.

However, negotiating is an integral part of real estate, and it can save you money in the long run if you know how to do it.

Negotiation isn’t just for homeowners – it’s for anyone who sells or buys anything. It’s always about two things: what each party wants, and how much they are willing to give up to get it.

In the case of homebuilding, what we're talking about are changes to the structure or materials. These could be changing the roof style, choosing more or less brick, adding or taking away windows, etc.

Changes like these usually cost around one-half to one percent extra per square foot to make. That means paying almost twice as much for a three bedroom house will only set you back $18,000 - $36,000 total — very close to our budget!

That’s why being able to negotiate is so important. You'll need to be aware when something looks too expensive to afford, and learn how to ask hard questions to find out whether or not that's actually the case.

There may also be ways to bring down the price, but only if you're aware of them.

Prepare a contract

Before you even approach your potential house seller with a deal, you need to make sure you have everything ready! You will want to bring along not only your home-buying documents, but also a copy of your current mortgage statement, proof of insurance, and if possible, a recent rent receipt or confirmation that you are currently living in this property as part of the lease.

It is very important to be prepared for any negotiations! Even before you meet with the owner, there may be things they ask you such as how much you can afford to spend, whether or not you’re pre-approved for a loan, and what type of lender you work with. All these questions play an integral role in determining if and when you can close on the sale of their home!

If you’re having trouble deciding where to start looking for a new place, use our guide as a starting point and see it as a way to do some easy research into whether or not buying a house is a good idea for you.

Research your potential contractors

Before you even approach a contractor with your house plans, do some research! You can start by looking at their past work and talking to people who have worked with them before.

It’s also important to read reviews online about these professionals. While no one will ever review a perfect job, you can pick up on clues such as whether someone had to go through several rounds of negotiations to get their payment or if they were consistently overpaid.

In both cases, this usually indicates that either the reviewer has a personal bias against the professional or they are not familiar with the process involved in completing a project.

Negotiate the contract

The next step in building your house is negotiating the contract! This can be done via phone or chat, through email, or even face-to-face at their home.

It’s very important that you do not get intimidated by their high demands. You must remember that they already have money invested in this project so they are trying to make as much money as possible.

And while it may feel tempting to give in and accept their terms, don’t! Re-evaluating the costs of the materials and labor will help you determine if the deal is really good for you.

Prepare your financials

It is very important to know what you have before negotiating with someone about buying or selling a house. If you don’t, then you won’t be able to make an informed decision as to whether or not to invest in this property!

It’s like going into a restaurant and ordering food without knowing how much money you have spent on groceries at home- you will never know if they are honest!

Likewise, when it comes to houses, if you don’t know what a property is worth, you can’t decide whether or not to buy it!

By having a full understanding of your own finances, as well as those of the potential sellers, you will be way more likely to negotiate a good deal.

Get a mortgage pre-approval

Before you even approach someone about buying a house, you need to know how much house money you have!

Most people start looking for houses after they’ve made an investment in cars or boats, so it makes sense to do the same with homes.

But before you make any moves, get a clear picture of what your house money is by getting a formal loan approval. This way, you will be able to compare one lender’s numbers against another’s, which can help you find the best deal.

You should also check out whether there are government loans available that might be more suitable for you than a standard mortgage. For example, some are paid off over a shorter period of time, like five years instead of twenty seven.

There are many ways to obtain a pre-qualification letter (PQL) from a bank, but we recommend doing it through a professional. This takes away the chance of being lied to since professionals have checks and balances in place to ensure things are true.

Work out the location

Before you even consider buying or renting an apartment, make sure it is feasible to do so! Check out the surrounding areas to see if there are already houses next to yours, or whether your future home will be more than one house away from its neighbors.

If you find that there’s not enough open space in the area, you may want to look elsewhere for your home. It can be difficult to feel relaxed about living in a crowded neighborhood with little room to breathe.

Also, remember that most people who live in a given area have paid their dues, putting down roots and establishing connections. If you don’t like what you hear about the quality of education available nearby, looking closer at homes in those neighborhoods might tip the scales toward keeping the status quo rather than changing things for the better.

Once you've determined that the house you'd like to own is livable, take some time to explore it. Does it seem stable? Are there any warning signs such as bad plumbing or damage caused by severe weather? Make sure to check these factors out thoroughly before making your bid.

Decide if you want a contractor or you will do it yourself

As mentioned earlier, whether you choose to negotiate with professionals as builders or not depends mostly on your budget. If you have a large budget, then hiring professional help is the way to go!

If you are more cost conscious, however, then you can always learn how to build your own house. This is an excellent way to save money since most experts agree that you can assemble just about every part of a new home from already manufactured pieces.

Prepare your team

As mentioned earlier, being able to identify and understand your strengths is an important part of negotiating. If you find that you are good at writing, then offering yourself as a writer for the house remodel project can help you get paid more.

If you are very artistic, offer to design or redecorate items such as doors or windows. Or even create a space within the home where you can show off your talent!

By doing this, you will also run into another set of strengths – creating new things. If you have ever wanted to make some changes in your life (or if you want to start changing yours!), studying how to do it is key.

For example, if you are passionate about cooking, why not open a restaurant? Or if you love to take pictures, offer your services as a photographer for events and online postings. The possibilities are endless!

Running out of ideas? Ask others what they would like to do and see what works. There’s no need to be too serious with it, sometimes having fun is needed to keep the momentum going.