With exquisite and high-end features, custom luxury homes are definitely a class apart from standard homes. Owning and living in such a home can elevate your lifestyle and ensure your comfort in a way you have never imagined. But, remember, the road to your destination is not going to be easy and completely hassle-free. Building a custom home is like committing yourself to an arduous task. It is more than just simply selecting home designs from magazines, TV programs, and social media. Not only will you have to select one of the custom home builders, but you will have to discuss the feasibility of all your plans and designs with your chosen expert. Want to know which key elements you must add and what you should remove from your design list? For making the right choices, you can read our blog here ‘What Are the Key Elements of Contemporary Home Design Houston?’.
That being said, we will tell you that there is nothing to be panicked about. Little knowledge on your part can you take a long way in terms of hiring the right builder and ensuring the best returns on your home investment. Do you want to explore the aspects associated with a custom home building? In this blog, we are here to guide you through the process. To give a sneak peek into the important steps, we are going to share an effective guide that you can follow. So, why wait? Let us dive right in.
Explore ideas options
Before you consult with an expert, there are a few tasks you might want to accomplish. Wondering what are we talking about? Well, everyone has their idea of a ‘perfect home’. Your idea may not match someone else’s idea of a perfectly built or designed custom home. Isn’t it? Hence, you need to explore options and sort out your choices before taking the ideas to your contractor. From sketching the designs to deciding the supplies or materials, you can start connecting the initial dots for the project. When your expectations are crystal clear, it gets easier for your builder to follow and act according to them. And it is not just about home design because you’ll also have to decide the neighborhood in which you want your future custom home to be located. This planning will also help you select the best land for building your custom luxury home.
Consult with an expert
Unless you talk to an expert, how can you even get started with your project? Consulting with a home builder is very important because the expert can conduct the feasibility studies of your designs and finances to guide you in the right direction. Taking a holistic approach, the builder starts by understanding your expectations as well as your constraints. Consulting with an expert can open your eyes to so many factors that might have not even stricken your mind till now. From floor plans and designs to budget and site selection, the builder enlightens you on the significance of these variables.
So, when it comes to selecting a builder, we suggest you take the process slow and research thoroughly before hiring the right professional. Along with searching online, you should also ask for references from your acquaintances. Check whether or not they are licensed, insured, and experienced. Based on these factors you can at least prepare a list of shortlisted home builders. To scrutinize or check other qualifications, you will either have to conduct a telephonic interview or meet the potential builder in person. At this stage, you can put forward questions like – Can you show some of your work samples? Can you provide me with a list of references? What is your project delivery method? What about the payment schedule? What will be the range of your assistance? A true professional will never shy away from answering your questions, so you shouldn’t feel guilty or hesitant for being little interrogative.
Decide the budget
Do you think we would miss out on the budget part? Absolutely not! For a proper take-off, your custom home project needs finances and there is little debate about that. In most cases, homeowners have little cash or spare fund to cover the entire expenses of custom home construction that range from the land price and builder fees to site plan fees and building permit fees, and so on. Hence, if you need, you can always avail of a home loan or second mortgage. Sometimes, custom builders can help arrange finances for your project. From preparing your documents to set up your consultation, a professional builder can keep your covered on this front. However, when it comes to deciding the budget, you cannot set sky-high expectations and have to be practical since the loan approval is majorly based on your financial situation. Hence, we always suggest our clients set a realistic budget and rational expectations out of their custom home projects. Do you want to know the practicalities of custom home construction? Feel free to read more on this here Luxury Custom Home Building Expectations.
Site selection & analysis
To ensure long-term enjoyment of custom build homes, owners must be smart with the site selection. After all, there are so many points worth taking into consideration before making a big decision. Have you already seen some lands? Have you decided to proceed with one? Is it vast enough to fit the size of the custom home you want to build? Is it close to your office, kids’ school, hospitals, and recreations? Have you checked out the neighborhood and how do you like it? Feeling puzzled? Don’t be, for your contractor can conduct a detailed study and determine the suitability of the land for your project.
Not only do the home builders inquire into the location and available utilities around the property, but they delve into deeper research to examine the physical characteristics and topographical features of the site. They also consider the environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and cloudiness in order to optimize solar benefits and ventilation of your future custom home. It does not end here, for they look into the building codes and legal requirements that need to be met before commencing with the project. All in all, they study the location thoroughly so that your house can blend into the site without any major hiccups. Does all of this sound like too much hassle to you? In that case, you may simply buy a second-hand home already located in a good neighborhood. But, we recommend you to take it slow and think carefully. To know which option would be the right one for you, read our blog ‘Buy a Second-hand Home or Build a New One – Ask your General Contractor’.
The design phase
With the land selected, it is now time to get started with the design phase. In the design-build project delivery method, your builder-cum-designer is in charge of the design team and oversees the production of conceptual designs that should reflect the ideas and vision of the homeowner. To ensure you the best of best designs, the builder hires experienced architects, interior designers, and engineers in the design team. Most importantly, the major benefit of the design-build method is that it allows the design team to value engineer all plans through and through. Value engineering is not just a cost-cutting exercise, but it is an organized effort to include and optimize all the functions, products, and processes at the lowest possible cost in a project. Based on this, your builder can develop a schedule of values, detect errors, improve designs, and help you save money.
So, once the team has developed all designs, you can go through and check if they match what you have envisioned. If you suggest changes, the team will gladly incorporate them. Nowadays, builders present these drawings in 3-D so that the homeowners can get a better view and understanding of their future custom home. These construction drawings must include all technical dimensions such as floor plan design, ceiling heights, right-sized rooms, architectural uniqueness, appropriate spacing, and lots more. Based on these specifications, the custom home builders can start with the product selections upon your approval. However much it is systematic, we know that the nuances of this process can confuse the first-time venturers. So, it is suggested that you maintain and follow a checklist to keep a track of all developments. Even if your project is of home addition, maintaining a checklist is a must. Interested to know more about this? Click here ‘Preparing a Room Addition Checklist – Tips from Remodel Contractors’.
The construction phase
Now, this is the phase where all your ideas and visions start getting their shape. In the construction phase, the drawings are forwarded for permitting and the construction schedule is prepared, and the construction budget is approved by the homeowner. Once everything has fallen in place, the builder takes the charge of construction and oversees the entire process from the start to finish. Not only does he hire and negotiate with the sub-contractors and vendors, but he is also responsible for the timely procurement of all products and utilities. From laying down the floor inlays to installing wall tile designs, the expert makes sure that every task is being carried out as per the construction schedule. To meet your budget goals, the contractor coordinates product deliveries with corresponding task phases.
Acting as a single point of contact, custom builders have to keep in touch with their clients on one hand and the construction team on the other hand. Apart from offering quality control assurance and ensuring effective craftsmanship, the professional is also responsible for keeping you updated with the latest developments on the construction site. And in any case, emergencies crop up, the builder is going to inform you about that too. Therefore, this clear line of communication is highly desirable should you want to get the best returns on your home construction project. Remember, the journey is going to taxing and protracted. Hence, you should strive for maintaining a cordial relationship with your builder and be accommodative of his constraints as well. Should emergencies raise their heads, the builder and you have to overcome them together. On another note, would you like to know the mistakes to be avoided while remodeling your heritage home? Or do you have any friend who wants to know about heritage home remodeling? Check out our blog on the same topic here ‘Mistakes to Avoid when you are planning a Historic Home Remodel’.
Post-construction phase
Well, in this phase, homeowners get really impatient to see and start living in their custom home, but it is important to carry out all the tasks mentioned in the punch list. Upon inspecting the work, you can check if all installations and details are living up to your expectations. If you find any minor flaws or incomplete work, you can inform the same to the contractor and he will get them fixed or done. That way, the incomplete tasks in the punch list are completed thereby making the newly built home perfect and comfortable for living. Added to that, you must ever forget that post-warranty programs are the hallmark of a reliable and experienced home builder. So, confirm with the professional what types of warranty programs he is offering. Ideally, a reliable home builder should offer home structural warranty, electrical and mechanical warranty, and homeowner assurance program warranty. We suggest you discuss all of these at the onset of your project so that you do not have to experience any unpleasant surprises later on.
Way forward – Constructing custom homes is once in a lifetime affair for many, given its architectural vastness and humungous monetary value. As such, you should never take the process of hiring the right home builder lightly. Bear in mind that any kind of compromise can lead to irrevocable losses for your home building project. If you do not know who to entrust this responsibility with, we suggest you get in touch with Marwood Construction for the right guidance and high-quality construction services.
