New Homes Billings MT

Retirement Living Tips in Billings MT

Online House Plans in Billings MT

Interested in Online House Plans in Billings MT?  You should be!

The internet has changed many things in our daily lives and one thing that it has done for sure, is to make searching for online home plans in Billings MT much easier. With literally thousands of builder ready plans just a click away you can find pretty much anything you need quickly and easily.

If you have already roughly determined the square footage that your new home will be, you can match up your budget with the style of home that you like, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms that you want, as well as the number of levels to the house and garages etc.

home plans billings mt
home plans billings mt

One thing that you need to make sure of before you actually purchase any plans is that they standards and code compliancy for your area. There are critical elements and structural detail for all home plans that you may be looking at buying and you will learn about any possibilities of required engineering, structural sizing, and code conformity, as well as foundation requirements and any requirements in relation to water, sewer and/or septic, and power requirements.

If you are in the stage where you are still a bit unsure as to the characteristics of the home you may be building, you can search by various criteria that give you a wide selection and allows you to make changes as you go. Many plans offer flexibility so that you can add things like a 4th bedroom or a utility room as you go. If you are still flexible as well, you might be able to come up with a design that you haven’t even thought of yet, as it is quick and easy to make changes to your plans online.

Garage options are something that you might not have given a lot of thought to, but there are many things you can do with the size, number, and placement of your garage(s). You may find a house plan that has front entry facing garage doors, but you prefer to have a side entry garage.

Most house designs can be easily modified to accommodate this type of change. Some people, especially retirees that may have a motor-home or boat, may want a smaller house that only calls for one garage bay when they obviously need more than one. Adding garage bays can be quite easy when you are looking at house plans online.

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Most house plans are able to accommodate any foundation, whether you want a basement or crawlspace, or some variation thereof. If you really like a home plan that doesn’t offer a basement, it is a snap to have the plan modified to add one. Daylight basements, slab, and pier foundations are also options when it comes to most home plans. Overall, this type of change is one that can be made to fit your wants and needs.

Interior options can usually be added by you or your builder. Items such as fireplaces, etc can be added or removed and even things like raising or lowering the ceilings can be taken care of in the planning stages. You might decide you want something like a wine cellar as you are planning, so its not a good idea to limit your search results by selecting too many options.

Options can always be added or subtracted later on, especially interior ones. Kitchen requirements can also be easily added or removed, particularly when it comes to things such as counter tops or appliances. You don’t have to feel locked in to a certain options and while you may not feel like you want an island or breakfast nook, that may change as your planning goes along.

Rimrock Plan
Rimrock Plan

Bedrooms are another aspect that can be changed at will, although if you want a detail in your house plan where the bedrooms are split, for example, with the master bedroom located on one side of the home and the rest of the bedrooms located on the other side of the home, that is something that you may want to consider early on.

Many people like the privacy of having the master suite on the opposite end of the house as the other bedrooms and that will change your floor plan early on. If you are considering a 2-story home, the master bedroom on the main floor is also appealing for some people and is an option that you will want to plan the rest of the floor around.

Bathrooms are generally planned out around the bedrooms, but those can be split and added as well to accommodate your wants and needs.

Porches and patios are options that are sometimes left for the end unless there is something very specific that you are after. If you want a covered front porch, or if you want a wrap-around deck, these can easily be added to your home plan even after everything is basically finished.  A breezeway or a sunroom are other options that you may want to consider and any decking that you may want to do can be left until the end to decide.

The last thing you may want to consider when looking at home plans is the characteristics of the lot you plan to build on. Most house plans can be designed for a corner lot (as opposed to a regular, straight ahead lot) but if you need a design for a very narrow lot, or one that slopes, you may want to check into these options from the beginning. There are certain plans that are made for sloping lots and sometimes home plans made for regular lots may not quite work to be modified for irregular lots.

Finding the home plan that suites your desires and needs is fun and easy and it also reduces the stress that can come with building your own home, as well as eliminate modification fees which will save you money in the long run.

Take the time to find the house plans that you really want rather than settling for something that is close enough, will make for a much easier, less expensive, and less time intensive process when it comes to actually building your home.

Retirement Living Tips in Billings MT

There are many things to think about when planning your retirement living. 

If you are going to retire in Billings MT, there are certain aspects that you need to take into account to make sure that your retirement is happy ad fulfilling. Various situations will come up during your retirement that could greatly affect your plans; health of you or your spouse, the economy, the health and plans of your children, along with a myriad of other factors.

Be smart (as well as realistic) about your retirement plans and follow some of these tips to help you along the way.

The first thing that you need to do in your retirement is to control your spending. Nobody has an unlimited amount of money and this could be your single biggest step to making sure that your retirement goes as planned. The goal is to not outlive your money and many people take the outlook that retirement is one long vacation. Following this mindset, you don’t want to run out of money midway through your vacation. Usually the first year or two is the most crucial and you don’t want to drain your saving during this time.

Your retirement portfolio may look like it will cover the next 20-30 years, but things come up and circumstances change. Health insurance as well as personal insurance costs can spiral out of control quite easily. If you handle your money much as you did for your entire lifetime and simply live within your means, you will be well on your way to a happy retirement living.

Retirement Living Tips MT
Retirement Living Tips MT

The second thing to keep in mind is to not forget about taxes. Much of the money that you withdraw from your retirement accounts can and will be taxable. It may not have been taxable when you put it in, such as in the case of an IRA etc, but it certainly is when you take it out. You will need to withdraw your funds in such a way that will minimize your tax liability.

If you have a way to keep earning some sort of income such as a part time job or business that you own, you will be able to defer taxes longer on your retirement accounts because you will not have to withdraw it as quickly.

Speaking of part time jobs…..

It is wise to consider a part time job during your retirement for several reasons. First of all, the extra income can be very nice, but even if you don’t need the income, it is a very good idea to stay active. Having a part time job can keep you socially involved and your mind active. Work can keep us involved with other people and therefore, a part of the community.

Many times your friends might be co-workers and that will not necessarily change just because you are retired. You most likely have many decades ahead of you in your retirement living and the more active you can stay, the more you will enjoy them.

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Making time for your family is another great way to stay active. Many of us have gotten busy being busy over the years with our jobs etc, and not that you are retired, you’ll have plenty of time to spend with family when that may not have been the case earlier in your lifetime. In particular if you have grandchildren, you are going to want to be available for them as much as possible.

Now is the time to make sure you enjoy your family.

Make sure that your estate is in order. Many people will put off estate planning, but now that you are in your retirement, it is unavoidable. Make sure that you have planned for a smooth transfer of your assets upon your death. A will is the best way to accomplish that, but there are other things you can do as well to provide a blueprint for the distribution of your estate. The last thing you want to do is leave a mess for your loved ones, or leave questions unanswered that can create conflict among your children or grandchildren. Take the time now to make sure that your wishes are fulfilled once you pass away.

Having a good financial advisor can also be very key to a happy retirement. There are many avenues that you will need to navigate during your retirement, from tax liabilities to estate planning, etc. Having someone that you can trust to advise you on your finances can be crucial, especially if you have a large retirement portfolio. Sure, you will pay some fees to have the help available, but it can be well worth it and it will also free you up to enjoy yourself rather than having to worry about planning your finances all the time.

Retirement Living Tips
Retirement Living Tips

Making out a ‘bucket list’ is another thing that many people do once they hit retirement. Now is the time to accomplish the things you have always wanted to accomplish and there is no reason to put them off any longer. Write down and prioritize your goals and you will not only be able to achieve them, but enjoy it more while doing so.

You should also make sure that you have some type of emergency fund. No matter how well your retirement living is planned out, unforeseen events will always occur. It could have to do with your health or the health of your spouse, but there may also by unforeseen expenses that will come up with your children or even your grandchildren.

Take the time to have that emergency fund stashed away so that these events don’t catch you by surprise. You don’t want to have to tap into your retirement savings every time something unexpected arises.

The last thing to remember is to take care of yourself and your health. When you reach retirement age, your health is more important than ever before and you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself. Stay active. Exercise as much as you can, even if it is simply taking a short walk in the evening. Good health will result in a higher energy level and an improved outlook on life.

You want to enjoy your retirement; you’ve earned it! Staying healthy will help you do so.

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