If you choose to stick with traditional home construction, there are a few things you can do to cut construction costs without sacrificing the construction quality. Often the trouble with construction costs begins in the planning stage. If you hire an architect, you are looking to spend a few thousand dollars more than if you design the home yourself or with the general contractor. If you do hire an architect, you may draw up plan that are not affordable and your imagination runs wild and you fall in love with a plan you cannot afford. Your overall project can be increased by 30 percent if your architect doesn't restrain you from creating an affordable job.

The most you can save is about 6 percent if you do not want to sacrifice the floor area. Labor will be your biggest expense and unless you plan on doing a lot of the work yourself, you will have to pay for the labor of the general contractors and subcontractors.

You can save a great deal of money by ordering the construction materials yourself. Some general contractors will not allow you to buy your own building materials, but if they do you can save as much as 10 percent on your home building budget. When you contact your local supplier, you should ask for the builder's discount. While you may not be able to get the same prices as your general contractor, you will still save money because you aren't going through your contractor.

Another place to save on construction costs is the ordering and delivery process. If delivery is one day late, your sub-contractor will need to re-schedule and they will charge you for this. Make sure the general contractor is ordering materials that are strictly for your project and they return any unused materials. The unused materials need to be credited towards your account by the supplier.

Pouring the cement yourself with a few workers can also save on the construction costs, just be sure you know how to lay cement and that you are in compliance with code. The interior of your home should also be looked at. The style and quality of your cabinets could be altered. Consider the type of flooring you are installing and decide if you can cut costs on the flooring. Paint is always cheaper than wallpaper, so be sure to eliminate wallpaper. An asphalt driveway is also cheaper than a concrete driveway, so consider this as well.