Building your own home from the ground up can be a great option. When you choose to build a custom home, you have a lot of control over the design and style features, which will allow you to make the home any way that you want. When you are looking to build a new construction home, there are many important factors and decisions to make. One of the most important involves picking the right builder. Here are a few tips that can help.
Contact Local Associations
Depending on where you live, there is likely a homebuilder’s association that covers the area. This association should maintain and provide a list of all homebuilders that are licensed to work in your area. This can be a great starting point. While the association may not be able to provide you with reviews, you will at least have a list to work off of when looking for a new builder.
Online Reviews and Internet Searches
All people who use a homebuilder will have the opportunity to go online and post reviews about their experiences. Today, the Internet can be a great source of information to get a sense of whether consumers are satisfied with their custom home builders. Through reviews, you can get a sense of how happy people were with their contractor and whether or not the person has a reputation for completing projects on time, delivering a quality final product, and staying within budget. You may also be able to identify if there were any negative stories or other reports written about the contractors you are researching. Additionally, many home builders have online galleries for custom homes and home renovations, so visiting their sites gives you a taste of their craftsmanship.
Verify Licenses and Insurance
When you are hiring a builder for your custom home, it’s important to also verify licenses and insurance. All contractors will need to have licenses and bonded insurance information that they can provide to you. If they are not able to provide this information, consider it a red flag.
Give Detailed Plan
One of the first things people ask for from a custom home builder is a budget and timeline. However, a contractor will not be able to give you a full quote unless they are able to assess the full plan in question. To do this, they will need to have as much information from you as possible. Because of this, you should spend time developing an idea of what you want in your home, what features you would like included, and any other factors that need to be considered that can impact the cost of the final product.
Compare Plans
Finally, you should compare quotes and plans from a variety of different contractors. Ideally, you should go through the initial quoting process with at least three to five contractors. This will help to ensure that you are getting the best deal possible. It may also help you to identify whether some contractors are under-quoting the project in an attempt to win your business. It is important to remember to build in a contingency reserve with any renovation or new construction.
The choice you make in a custom home builder is an important one. It will impact your experience building the home of your dreams as well as how satisfied you are with the finished product. Take your time making this decision, and do your homework. Alair Homes Grey Bruce is always here to help. Contact us for more information or to schedule your consultation.