So you are thinking of building a new house, but you are wondering “where do I start”? With all the decisions to be made the process can be daunting, but don’t feel overwhelmed, we are here to help. You’ve heard from your friends and family that building a house is a lot of work, but if you surround yourself with a good team and come prepared, the building process will be much easier. To get you started, here are 5 things you should do before the building process can get moving.
1. Budget
The first thing you need to do is set a budget for your custom home. In order to do that you must sit down and figure out what kind of home you can afford. What are you willing and able to spend to still maintain a healthy monetary lifestyle, yet be satisfied with the home you are building. It is important to stay realistic as you will also need to meet with a bank to determine the amount of money you qualify for in your home building process. The bank will assess your financials and evaluate how much money they will give you for your construction loan. Then you will be able to set a budget for the project and work to stay in line with that number.
2. Choose a lot
Once you are ready to move forward with your budget, next comes picking out a lot to build on. You may have an area in mind or a school district you would like to be in. Make sure to keep in mind the type of house you are dreaming of to make sure the land is suited to build what you want. Things like size of lot, location, what type of amenities you want to add (garage, pool, shop, garden) are important in deciding what land to build your home on.
3. Evaluate your Design Style
Put some thought into the style of house you want and the layout you prefer. Once the process gets going, if you want, you will be able to work with an architect or designer to fine tune your ideas, but it is good to start thinking about the design in advance. The more thought you put into the design, the happier you will be with the final product because things won’t spring up when the process is well thought out.
4. Research Builders
It is important to do research on who you put in charge of your home. Just because a contractor is well known does not mean his process and final product are the best. Asking others is the best place to start to find out what kind of experiences they had and what they would have changed in the process. Ask your potential contractor for references or testimonials. Look at their portfolio and make sure you feel confident that this is who you want building your home. It is also important that you trust your contractor and can work well with them. If you do not mesh well with your General Contractor, it may make for a long and drawn out building process.
5. Hire a General Contractor
Unless you plan on taking on the home building process yourself, your last task is to hire a contractor. Once you have researched and found a contractor you are sure will do a great job custom building your home, you are no longer alone. Your contractor should take the lead and walk you through the building process and begin to take the reigns in getting things moving. They will start by going over your budget and designs to get the best team assembled for the house you want to build. Working with a contractor means you are hiring a team of people that you feel comfortable with and you know you can trust.
Those are our top 5 things to do when you start to plan building a house. John and Terry at Stebral Construction are always available to help with any other questions you may have about the home building process so please feel free to contact us and we can help get you moving towards the house of your dreams.