When you are having a custom home built, you want the process to be as painful and hassle-free as possible. There are always going to be challenges on a new build, but with just a bit of preparation, you can you can keep them to a minimum.
Here are just a few tips to make that happen…
Hire a Residential Construction Project Manager – of course we are going to recommend this, but you need to know why. Ask yourself these two questions:
- How much construction experience do you have?
- Do you have the time and energy to devote to a new home construction project?
If you answered them the way we think you do, you could definitely benefit from having a dedicated set of eyes and years of construction experience watching over the project for you.
Carefully Select Your Builder – don’t always go by the outside appearance of the home. There are builders that are known to take shortcuts in new home construction that can drive you nuts, even in multi-million dollar homes. Take the time to speak to other homeowners who have used your chosen builders to see if they are happy with the homes. If there are other homes in the area that are up for sale from that builder, do a tour and go over the home with a fine-toothed comb.
Hire an Attorney – your construction project manager can also help with this, but we really recommend hiring a real estate attorney to go over the contract and explain it in full so there are no surprises.
Know the Area – do not fall in love with a land parcel before you investigate it. Check out local stats such as crime, property taxes, and schools.
An Appropriate Build – we sort of covered this in one of our previous posts in make sure you the home you build is appropriate for the area. If you overbuild, you will have a major issue getting your money back during resale.
Don’t Be Fooled by Bids – this ties into our second point about carefully selecting a builder. Don’t fall in love with a contractor just because of the price. This is truly a business where you get what you pay for.
Avoid Being Trendy – trends are just that… trends. Do not pick something extreme just because it is the flavor of the month. Some trends repeat, which is what we are seeing in colors, but that is far different than picking some obscure feature that is quickly yesterday’s news.
Build for the Future – if you are having a home built, chances are it is going to be your forever home, so build for the future. If you don’t have children yet but plan on them, make sure there is room for them.
A home office, a man cave, whatever… think about what you want and incorporate it into the build of your forever home.