Getting It Right The First Time – How To Choose The Right Custom Home Builder
Choosing the right people to build your home is always a hugely important decision. It’s one of the biggest financial decisions of your life after all. When choosing a custom home builder this choice is doubly important. Not only do you need them to build you a safe, reliable and well-constructed home for you and your family to live in, it needs to be one that reflects your unique style, tastes and personality.
You want to build your dream home – so if you settle for someone that’s not the exact right fit then you could end up regretting it, and not just during the build either, but for years and years afterwards. Here are our top 5 tips for making sure you end up making the right choice.
CHOOSE LOCAL
To get the best outcome, your best bet is to stick with a local builder. They know the local codes and regulations, know the right materials and have good relationships with the best subcontractors. They’ll also be much easier to communicate with during the build- something that’s of paramount importance during a custom house build.
FOCUS ON QUALITY
A custom home isn’t a temporary residence. It’s the place where you’ll live for years to come and should match up perfectly with your desired lifestyle. As such your first priority should be choosing a builder who can deliver the long-lasting quality that you’re after. As to view past projects, thoroughly check references and ask them about the quality of the materials they use so that you’re sure you’ll be getting the best possible end product from the ground up.
Communication is Everything
You’ll know when you find the build and design team that’s right for you. They’ll ask questions and listen to your goals and vision. Building a custom home is a team effort, so the right people will work hard to understand what products, building materials and design are the best fit for you.
Open and accessible communication is also a must. Chances are that you’re going to hit some form of setback or roadblock during the build (this is just an unfortunate fact of life), so having a builder that responds promptly and listens to your concerns is key to avoiding frustration and anger down the line.
TRANSPARENCY IS CRITICAL
Building your ideal custom home is a very detailed process, so the best builders to work with are fully transparent and happy to answer all of your questions from the start of the process. You want someone who is going to be totally upfront and give you all of the information you need on:
- Build timeline
- A comprehensive cost estimate
- Their building philosophy
- What products and techniques they use
- Their relationship with their contractors
- Which contractors they use
If they can’t give you clear, concise answers on any of the above, you’re best to steer clear of them.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Finding the right builder for you requires a bit of work on your behalf. Make sure you take into account the location and contact friends and family who have built custom homes to learn more about the process. Create a list of potential builders and conduct thorough interviews. The more effort you put in at the start the better the end result will be.
NEVER BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS
A custom home build represents a huge investment of both your money and time, so there is no such thing as stupid questions. Being informed is vital to getting the end product that you want, so even if it’s your first time building a custom home you want to be as informed as possible at all times. A good builder won’t just take the time to answer your questions – no matter how ‘ridiculous’ they may seem – they’ll actually encourage you to ask them so that they know you’re fully up-to-speed.
Looking to build a custom home and think that we might be the right fit for you? Get in touch with us today and we’d love to have a chat about how we can make your house building dreams a reality!
