What Are The Phases Of Working With A Custom Home Builder?
If you've decided to work with a custom home builder, you've made a great choice. You will be able to get the benefits of designing a home that is tailor-made to your needs. But working with a custom home builder is a bit different than working with a real estate agent, and it will involve a different set of decisions and a different timeline. Here are some things to expect as you move through the planning and construction process.
The Initial Consultation
During the initial talks for your new home, you will decide on the design direction. Your custom home builder might have some templates for you to look through as a starting point for building your design. Of course, it's also possible to customize these designs to make certain rooms more prominent. The templates are meant to jog your mind and give you a place to start your design discussion.
You might not start off with a template at all if you wish to work with an architect who can design your custom home from scratch. Then, the decisions will focus around questions such as the number of bedrooms, the square footage, the budget, and the activities and features that you need space for in your home. However you approach the design portion, you should come out of this phase with a design in hand that has been approved by an architect.
The Building Phase
The second part of the design-build process for a custom home builder is construction. Note that when you elect to build a custom home, the timeline is much more stretched out compared to moving to a pre-made home. Your custom home builder will give you a timeline estimate during the design and budgeting process, but that timeline could be extended if there are any problems during construction.
As your home is being built, it is a good idea to keep updated on the progress and occasionally stop at the site to see about the construction progress. That is a good way to catch any issues with construction before construction is finished; issues with the wrong materials being installed or something not being built how you imagined it may be able to be corrected before the house is completed. But it's important to find a construction manager that you trust to help with the building process so that they can be your advocate during the building process.
