Trying to hold down the price of building your new home? There are many hidden costs that you can avoid, if you plan ahead. The following points guide you from choosing your building site, to deciding what's truly important, to preplanning for bonus space. [CAPTION: Quality windows and doors add both security and energy efficiency to your home.]

1. Banish the basement. Do you really need that expensive full basement foundation? Or would a crawlspace or slab foundation serve just as well? Full basements are expensive to excavate, add time to the building cycle, and should be waterproofed to insure they remain dry and comfortable. Unless you're planning to finish the basement at some time in the future or really need the room for storage, keep the foundation costs under control by choosing one of the less costly options.

2. Pick a "problem" site. Prime building sites are at a premium and add future costs by way of ever-rising property taxes. Consider a lot that others may see as difficult site: a hillside lot or a narrow infill lot. With the proper home plan and some creative sitting, most of these lots can be just as attractive and yield just as pleasurable a home as the higher-priced choices.

3. Stick with 2x6. You may not be aware that you can choose 2x4 or 2x6 construction for your home. This refers to the framing members that make up the skeleton of the structure. Choosing 2x6 construction will add a bit to the actual building costs, but will allow you to increase the amount of insulation in the outer walls (6 inches instead of 4), thereby making your home more energy efficient. The savings here are more evident in the long run -- in lower heating and cooling costs.

4. Don't wait to insulate. And make it a point to buy good-quality insulation with the appropriate R-value for your home and climate. There are different types of insulation for different applications. Talk to your builder about what he intends to use and insist on the best you can afford.

5. Winning windows and doors. Like good insulation, quality windows and doors will add energy efficiency to your home. And in addition to being a barrier to outside weather conditions, top-of-the-line windows and doors add security to home -- protecting against unwanted intrusion. If you spend extra money only one place in your home, spend on your windows and doors.

6. Boycott baths. This may be your dream home, and the dream may include a bath for every bedroom and a half-bath or two near the living areas. But remember, areas with plumbing runs and fixtures are perhaps the most expensive spaces in the home-building process. Keep the number of baths to a minimum and you'll help hold down costs. Besides, do you really want to clean four or five bathrooms?

7. Limit living spaces. The style today is to combine living areas into one large, all-purpose gathering or great room. Make it an open area near the kitchen for easy entertaining. The same is true for dining space. If you really don't use a formal dining room, why have one? By eliminating the formal rooms, you cut down on square footage at the building stage and an area that must be heated and cooled once the home is built.

8. Build with bonus space. Plan for the future and only build as much as you need right now. By choosing a plan that includes bonus space you can finish the area later, when you really need the extra room and may have more money to work with. Even if your plan doesn't specify bonus space, many times you can finish the attic space or a basement to enjoy livable area that didn't bust the building budget. Plan ahead and include good insulation, wiring, plumbing, and ambient lighting for future space.

9. Don't raise the roof. Volume roofs with lots of peaks and valleys are a fashion statement in housing. However, roofing and its support structure are among the biggest costs in construction. By keeping your rooflines simple and the roof area smaller, you'll realize considerable savings. And down the road, when it's time to re-roof, you'll be thankful that you had the foresight to think small.

10. A simple plan. The simpler and more regular your home plan, the easier it is to build and the less cost you'll incur in both labor and materials. Bay windows, multiple roof peaks, dormers, recessed entries, pop outs, and other intrusions and extrusions all add their burden to the building budget. This doesn't mean you must have a plain rectangular house with no adornments. Just be judicious in what you want and don't go overboard with a home plan that is overly complicated. A few well-placed features can add great appeal without putting your home over budget.