Thinking that now is the time for you to start building a new home? Rates are low! This house is just not cutting it any more! Labor prices can’t get any better! BUT – where do you start? It seems logical to start with a house plan, right. Then look at some land and then get some bids and start building! Well, that CAN work, but it can also cause you some extra headaches at the least, but likely lots of time and money in the end. Why? Well that’s what we will look at right now.
Even though your architect will do a great job of designing the house of your dreams right down to the last corbel, he is only able to design with what YOU tell him. Even though he may have your budget in mind, he may not have all the experience with pricing that your builder has or some ideas on how to work around some site conditions that may exist on your lot. Which is why you definitely need to choose a lot BEFORE you start designing. Finding a lot can be fun, but it too has challenges that make it helpful to have some one there by your side helping you to make a great purchase by adding professional knowledge and opinions to your decision making process. That person is your Builder. To enjoy a great home, you must feel great about the result. That result is rooted in great communication, which ideally starts with the planning stages of purchasing a lot to build on. Your builder will have excellent input about the different attributes and challenges about land you are considering from build-ability, view acclamation, site orientation, drainage, and even thoughts on the neighborhood itself. It is also a great time to start building trust and understanding the roughly year long process you will be entering.
So, now that you have a lot, it is time to design! You will now be able to hire an architect armed with a bunch of critical information about your lot and thoughts for your home, than just ideas and dreams. Your architect will be able to much easier conceptualize your plans. As early as some rough layout sketches your builder can make sure you are on track budget wise and save you time and money with redesign fees. Too many homes are drawn and paid for and never built because they did not meet the budget criteria that the owners desired, even when expressed clearly from the start. Don’t let this happen to you. The architect is still fully responsible for the design and plans, but by working with the builder throughout the design process, it becomes a set of realistic plans right from the beginning and one that will require fewer changes throughout the building process.
Now that you have a set of plans that you know will work with your lot and fit into your budget, you can go about the fun steps of making all your selections for the unique finish you want your home to have. You can rest easy from the first forms being set to the last touch up of paint that you made great choices along the way, because you used all the help afforded you without relying only on yourself to figure it out. The professionals are out there – use them! We want to help and I have fun doing it.
Please feel free to call me any time about any question you have with this tip or anything else on your mind at 512.413.9281.
