Building and designing your own home. Suggestions and recommendations when building and designing your first home.
One of the most important things to consider in building your first home is the selection of a builder. When selecting a builder, I would recommend that you get in touch with the Home Builders Association in your area and verify that he/she is a member. It would be a good idea to possibly talk with homeowners that used this particular builder. You may want to ask them if the house was finished on time, was the quality of the house what they expected, was the signing of a contract done. I did find out something interesting and that was there are also open contracts. The open contract, as you would expect, does not include a target date for completion. With an open contract, the builder usually does not provide you with a target date of completion.
Some builders may require that you complete a trust agreement. This means that you give the builder a certain monetary amount in order to establish trust between the builder and you, as the prospective homeowner. Before you sign the contract, if possible, you should have a lot purchased and a house plan picked out. Builders who take pride in their work may make suggestions as to how the house should be placed on the lot. There are some decisions that should be made before you begin this type of a project. It seems to make most things run smoother.
You may want to suggest to your builder to provide you with a work schedule for the house. For the most part, this will allow you to keep track of exactly what is being done daily and what is going to be done monthly.
It is also a good idea to obtain brochures from various places to begin your selection of items for the house. Preliminary work for the homeowner would be to decide on color of brick and mortar, doors, windows, door locks, and door handles. When that is decided, move on to floor tile, marble flooring, color of grout for tile and marble flooring, shelving, cabinets, lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, appliances, toilet accessories, the color of the walls, etc. This will be one of the smartest things that a homeowner can do. This preliminary work is what your home is all about and something you definitely have control of.
As the house is being constructed, you will see first hand the decisions you previously made. It helps to be one step ahead of the builder. Since you made the decision to select most of the materials ahead of time, you will be able to watch the house being built and you will, hopefully, not be subject to any last minute headaches. Builders should have allowances built into the price of the house, which makes it easier for choices to be made. Of course, if the homeowner exceeds the allowance, that is perfectly normal. Just be careful and do not extend yourself monetarily.
While the house was under construction, I would recommend making at least two trips per day to the construction site. This will make it easier, especially during the framing period to change things, i.e., move a door or doorway opening, repositioning a closet, etc. I would definitely recommend making at least one daily trip to the construction site, if possible. The trips will become tiring, but in the long run it will prove to be worthwhile.
It is a good idea to meet with your builder periodically (monthly) to give you a progress report. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing exactly how and when things are getting done. If the builder notices changes that need to be done, you should be notified immediately. This is your judgement call. I believe a builder should not make any changes, especially if there is a cost involved, before checking with the homeowner. Mention this to your builder before the construction begins.
In summary, there are a few points that need to be reiterated. First, make sure you do your homework in selecting a builder. I do recommend that he or she be a member of the Home Builder's Association. Second, make sure you have a contract giving you a target date for completion. Third, have your lot selected and house plans ready or at least have a good idea of what you want. Fourth, make sure that the builder does not make changes without your knowledge. This fine detail should be included in the contract. Fifth, request a schedule allowing you to be apprised of the progress. Sixth, attempt daily trips to the construction site to verify work is being accomplished correctly. Finally, enjoy the experience because when you see the finished product the excitement will overwhelm you. It really is worth it, if you pay attention to details!
Good luck and happy building!
