Think you could never afford to build a new home in Hawaii? While residential construction costs are higher than on the mainland, there are ways of reducing costs without sacrificing style, function, and quality. From building small but smart to utilizing the best sustainable technology, here’s our got-to tips for reducing your residential construction costs…

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*Reduce unnecessary square footage: Hawaii’s high construction costs make smaller homes a financial necessity for most people, so look for ways to consolidate your design plans to save money. Remember, most traditional floorplans include unnecessary rooms like formal dining spaces, large entryways, or delegated “office” or recreation space.*Pick a builder-generated design: Yes, it’s tempting to build a truly custom-built home using one-of-a-kind plans, but consider resisting the temptation in the name of affordability. Many builders offer a variety of stock building plans with upgrade or customization options based on your budget, and you can always personalize your home with through interior design and landscaping.*Build now, upgrade later: Wonder where you’ll spend most of your construction budget? It shouldn’t surprise you that kitchens and bathrooms cost significantly more than a standard bedroom or living room. Fortunately, you can save money by choosing appliances and fixtures that can be upgraded later, just make sure your standard appliances are near enough in size to your desired future upgrades to avoid added remodeling costs.*Go Green: Save money now and long-term with energy efficient appliances, HVAC systems, and solar-power. Expanded options in green technology mean you can often find high-quality energy efficient options at a similar price point to traditional systems, so you can maintain your budget now and save on energy costs later.*Keep it Simple: If you do decide to build with custom plans, remember that simple designs are often easier and less expensive to build—so avoid excessive exterior decoration, arches and curved walls, custom window or doorway sizes, and multi-level rooflines.*Avoid last-minute changes: Your best money-saving strategy is avoiding the desire to make last-minute changes to your plans. Offers for upgrades or higher-end materials may seem insignificant at first, but they all add up quickly, so stick as closely as you can to your original design.While there are multiple options for saving money on a new home, there are some aspects of home construction where your budget should accommodate for quality. One of those areas is hiring an experiencing contractor, architect, and designer who can create well-organized designed plans that don’t sacrifice quality for budget. High-quality plans not only provide functional designs, they prevent costly mistakes and help you stay on budget.Need help starting the financial planning process? Check out our free online estimator to get an idea of how much you’ll need to save in order to make your dream home a reality. And when it comes to finding the best professionals to work within your budget, we’re here to help. We’re Hawaii’s premiere resource for both residential design and construction needs, and we’re just a phone call or click away.