Builders

Thursday, February 2, 2017

By: Jess Jordan

Things to Consider Before your First Meeting with a Builder

                                                                                                        If you’ve never built a home, it’s hard to know where to start, even

                                                                                                        in your own thought processes.  You probably aren’t even aware

                                                                                                        of all your options.  You already know that there are multiple ways

                                                                                                        to procure a new home, but did you know there are multiple ways

                                                                                                        to build a home and several types of home builders?  The truth is,

                                                                                                        you don’t need to know every detail before meeting with a builder;

                                                                                                        you just need to lay the ground work on your vision. Considering

                                                                                                        the following elements before meeting with a builder will give you

                                                                                                        a starting point to narrow down your desires so that you can make

                                                                                                        a more confident decision about what type of builder you need

                                                                                                        and what type of home you want.
 
                                                                                                             1. What’s your goal for your new home?
                                                                                                        Are you planning to stay in your home indefinitely, or do you plan

                                                                                                        to move in the foreseeable future?  Is this your retirement home,

                                                                                                        or a home you will want to sell?  These questions should be answered before you take any steps toward finding a new home.  Whether you’re certain you want to have your own home built or you’re still considering buying an existing home, you need to know what you’re looking for before you take any steps forward.  This will give you a clear direction and prevent you from buying more than you can afford.

      2. What is your budget?
Know what you’re willing to pay before you meet with a builder or a lender.  Drawing a clear line for what your budget is will help define the type and size house you’ll be looking for and will help the builder better cater to your unique needs.  Without a budget, you can waste a lot of time considering features that could end up being way out of your budget.  A good builder would know to steer you away from things you can't afford if you've drawn a line in the sand concerning cost.

      3. What are your needs in a home?
Speaking of your features, go ahead and sit down to make a list of all your needs for a home before meeting with a builder.  Knowing and communicating this to your potential builder before a meeting will help you both to envision cost and possible floor-plans, while also helping the builder prepare to give better advice about next steps.

      4. What are you looking for in a builder?
Not all builders offer the same product.  Some specialize in fully custom, high quality homes which will cost more per square foot, but will give you the option of anything you want in your home.  Some builders already have plans prepared and have limited options for finishes, which costs less per square foot.  Determining the amount of time you have available to select a plan and make choices on your finishes, and how particular you want to be in those choices, will help you to decide what kind of builder to look for.  If you’re wanting to design your dream home, finished to your exact specifications, and if you want to insure an expert contractor will oversee the whole process, you will need a fully custom builder with a lot of experience in the style home you’re wanting.  But if you aren’t as particular and would like to go through a less involved process, a production builder would be for you.

Taking the time to consider each of these things will help steer you in the right direction as you move forward with your process.  If you come to your builder with at least an idea of what your needs and desires are, you will have an easier time of wading through all the different types of builders and choosing the process that suits you best.

Ingle