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When you have a home built, you buy both a service and a product. Their quality depends heavily on the reliability and integrity of your builder and the subcontractors. Satisfaction should be the primary goal as you go through the process of selecting the right builder for your dream home. Careful preparation is vital.
Before You Meet With A Builder
Try to develop a basic idea of how you want the exterior of your dream home to look. Do you want a one-story or two-story home? Pillars? Which way should the garage face? Would you like a desk? Sloping walkways or stairs? Should the whole house or just the front be brick?
If you already own property, learn whether the design and structural elements you favor are compatible with the specific soil and rock makeup of your land. You may want to preserve certain trees that have sentimental or historical value. Keep in mind that specific challenges may slow construction and raise the home's price if the builder is forced to spend extra time or money on excavation work or special equipment.
Visualizing the inside of your dream home, decide which elements are important and where they should be located. If you want a home office, should it be next to your bedroom or near the front door? Do you want the laundry area upstairs or on the first floor? How high must the ceiling be in the workout room? Will the kids share a bathroom? Should the kitchen have room for a table or built-in breakfast bar?
Next, think about traffic patterns, furniture placement, colors, lighting and other design elements. If your budget allows, consider consulting an interior designer now and avoid later changes that could delay the construction process.
If you haven't done so already, start gathering photos and magazine clippings for a dream home idea file. When you are ready to sit down with a builder, this file will prove an invaluable way to communicate the home you envision.
Beginning Your Builder Search
Many people start by seeking referrals from friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers who have built new homes. Others work first with architects. Still others visit newly built display homes and Parade of Homes events to ask questions and meet builders. Based on your needs and the services of each builder, you should be able to trim your list to a manageable number of promising candidates. To further your search, request a packet of detailed information from each of your finalists. Check the PCBA website for a list of builder members.
20 Questions For Builders
Related to business experience and management, does the builder:
1. Provide a preliminary, non-binding consultation?
2. Maintain a permanent mailing address, phone number, and pager or answering machine?
3. Carry proof of liability insurance that protects you from claims arising from property damage or job site injuries?
4. Have an established presence in the community?
5. Maintain solid relationships with experienced independent trade contractors (such as plumbers and electricians) and cooperate with them to keep a job running smoothly?
6. Have a trustworthy reputation among customers, peers, and other people involved in the industry?
7. Have a track record of successful projects similar to yours?
8. Have any special industry certificates or designations?
9. Possess a working knowledge of the many types of homes being built in the area?
10. Offer an array of product and building material options for your home?
11. Arrange for the building permit?
12. Offer a warranty? If so, what kind and for how long? What is and is not covered under the warranty?
13. Agree to begin and complete your job according to a written timetable?
Related to customer service and communication, does the builder:
14. Respond promptly to your inquiries?
15. Emphasize service and the development of a trusting relationship with you?
16. Listen to and understand your needs?
17. Want to work with you to ensure that the timetable accurately reflects your expectations?
18. Show enthusiasm for your ideas and suggest ways to make them work within your budget?
19. Facilitate communications among all parties involved in the project, including subcontractors?
20. Provide you with schedule updates so you can make relevant product decisions and prepare for any unavoidable construction delays?
Interviewing Previous Clients
Before making your final decision, try to interview previous or present customers and take the time to view samples of each builder's work to see if the quality meets your standards. If you decide to interview the references provided, consider asking them these simple questions:
a. Would you hire this builder again?
b. Was the builder able to minimize labor and material delays so that your job could be started completed on time and within budget?
c. Did you find the builder's employees easy to talk to, and did they keep you informed as the job progressed?
Making The Final Decision
Once you have selected your builder with all these factors in mind, ask for a formal written estimate based on a set of plans and specifications. Don't be surprised if you are asked to pay a non-refundable fee at this stage.
If something out of the ordinary in the estimate raises the cost of the project beyond what you anticipate you can afford, don't panic. Refer back to your prioritized list of wants and needs to see if you can either trim some items from the project (e.g., crown molding) or postpone a part of it (e.g., finished attic or bonus room) so you can still work with the builder you have chosen.
Even if you are happy with the plan, the specifications and the budget, you haven't signed a contract for any work. Therefore, be sure you know the builder's policies on making changes to the plans, specifications or timeline. In addition, ask the builder to explain how the company handles design, timeline and choice of material changes once construction begins.
Lastly, if you plan to compare one builder's estimate with another, be sure each is based on the same set of plans, specifications and scope of work.
Article Courtesy of PCBA.com and NHBA.org
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