How to pick a home builder – I am writing the blog post I wish I had read before building my new home. This is the most important part of building a new home and I hope these tips help you find a great builder.
#1 Do Your Research
Ask around and do your research. Who have people in your area used to build their new homes? Did they like them? How was their experience? Did the builder stay on budget? This was a huge source of knowledge for me. If I would have based my choice on social media, I probably would have hired a builder that is notorious for adding YEARS onto the timeline of a build and going way overbudget. But, they have beautiful photos on their feed. You need to see what the local pulse is like on home building and what your neighbors have liked/disliked about their builder.
#2 Interview Builders
This one is so important. You need to get to know the person that is building your home by talking to them not only on the phone, but also in person. You have to get along with them because you will talk to them on almost a daily basis throughout your build. I would suggest meeting the whole team, not just the builder, because most of the time they will assign a specific project manager to your home and they will be the person on site daily. It is imperative that your personalities mesh and you communicate well. A couple of questions to ask in your interview:
- How often do you come to the homesite?
- How do you select subcontractors?
- How often will there be a draw on my account? How does your finance system work?
- Do you work on a cost plus basis?
- Who is my contact person?
- What should I do if I see an error?
- Do you think you would be a good fit for building this home?
- What is your workload like over the next year or two and do you have the bandwidth to build my home?
- If you had to pick another builder to build my home, who would you choose?
#3 Talk to References
Speaking to the people who have used the builder is key because they have already lived through it. Most people are very candid about their building experience and will tell you exactly how it went. This was a key factor in picking my builder because the references I spoke to were very positive about their experience. They were pleased that the builder stayed on time and under budget. I would not skip this step. If it is a reputable home builder, they will have no problem giving you a list of references to contact.
#4 Go look at their previous homes
This proved to be really important for me when picking a builder. They need to understand your vision. If they don’t, your home will not turn out the way you are hoping it will. By looking at their previous work, you can tell if it matches your personal aesthetic and style. This was huge for me when picking a builder because I had a very specific style and aesthetic for my new home. Since it was custom, there was nothing to “copy” per se and I had to trust the builder to understand exactly what I wanted.
#5 Have at least 3 different builders bid on your home
This one is key. If you want to get a good idea of pricing, you need to have more than one builder bid on your home. I would suggest no less than three. They will look at your plans and probably come check out your lot to give you an estimate of what it would cost. Our bids were all over the place – varying by about $500,000. The timelines they provided varied by more than six months as well. I’m so glad we didn’t just trust one person and go with that number. You need to get a good idea of what the differentiators are in the builder you choose and see the costs that go along with that.
Good luck! Building a new home is such a fun adventure. I hope these five tips help you find the home builder of your dreams. We are so happy with our builder and have had an extremely positive experience, which I know is not always the case. If you want more information on who we went with, send me a message and I will get your their info.
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