Planning

This is the most crucial part of any construction process. You can never plan enough. Spend more time planning than doing the actual building. Talk to as many people as possible, let them see the architectural design and give their input. Of course if they have built before or have an interest in architecture the better. Read as much as possible about estimated costs of materials and move around and jot down the costs of materials that you think you will use.

Have a good mental picture of what you want and if you can put it down on paper, the better. You will be surprised how tough communication can get when it comes to construction.

Find out where the materials will be coming from and the cost of sourcing them from the nearby shops and the ones further away while considering the cost of transport. Visit the quarry to see the different kind of stones available. Visit building sites just to see how the work is done and ask questions about the source of the materials,  who the foreman is, meet the contractor, meet the owner to give you tips etc etc.

Discuss the finishings with your significant other and find out how they will be done if you have not seen it done before. Find out the costs of the finishings and any special expertise that is needed to put them together. Do not assume anything. I almost made the mistake of assuming that granite tiles are fixed in the same way that as ceramic tiles. There was this sale at tile and carpet and we almost bought granite tiles save for the attendant who happened to mention that they have a fundi who can fix them. So I wondered, why do I need a fundi, aren't fundi's for fixing tiles found all over the place. Thats when he explained that when fitting the granite tiles, you need a special machine to cut them which the normal fundis will not have access to. Imagine the blunder I would have made. The clearer the picture in your mind, the easier it will be to cut costs and avoid wastage. For example, if you know you eventually would like most of your floor space to be carpeted, then there is no need to spend extra money putting tiles or a fancy floor that you will then cover with a carpet.

If you are going to use a contractor (which is advisable), take time to interview several people and visit the sites they have worked on to assess the quality of their work. I did not use a contractor thinking I would save some money but in the end, I think the stress and mistakes I had to rectify probably came to the same cost as hiring a contractor.