A LOVE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION
Here is a little secret about me, I love the stud stage of a new construction build. The moment when the 2D drawing comes to life. The smell of the fresh wood, and realization that a dream is about to come true!
Being in the construction field for most of my adult career in one form or another, I love to share what I have learned with our clients looking to build, remodel or renovate. Here are a few things I think you should know prior to building that are not as shiny as a choosing your kitchen quartz or location of the man cave but equally important when it come to new construction.
IT IS OKAY FOR IT TO TAKE TIME
I am pretty much as impatient as they come, just ask my husband but with new construction, it is okay for somethings to take time. Can a home be built in under six months - yes, and do we often see this in the midwest with our short build season, yes. I however think that six months should be a minimum, so don't be alarmed if your builder gives you a timeline longer than this. It isn't that they don't know what they are doing, but rather, they put a little more time into the details of your new home. Appreciate the time & enjoy the process.
THE MORE YOU PRE-PLAN
Continuing with the timeline of your build, the more you can do upfront, without making changes down the road, the smoother your timeline and budget will be. Changes after certain stages of the construction process can add more time and dollars to the final build. Nervous about this, I love to help keep my clients on time and budget, let's chat!
INCLUSIONS
Inclusions can be a sticky topic when it comes to building a home and one must do their research up front before selecting a builder. My advise to you is, read the fine print, walk through the model more than once with the inclusion sheet in hand. When walking through take notes on what is included in the base price and what may have added to the model to attract more buyers. Also, do not always look at the final sale price of the model as that may not correlate with a new build because of the location, time of build and upgrades.
NON-NEGOTIABLE, WANTS & NEEDS
Get out your pen and paper because it is time to make your list and possibly decide walk-in pantry or fourth stall garage, heated floors or steam shower. Everyone's home dream lists are going to be different but most often is where a majority of the upgrade money is spent. My advise to you is make the list and rate all the things you want in your new home. Next, get the breakout cost of these upgrades from your builder. Maybe that steam shower just went from first on the needs list to thirty-sixth on the want list now that you know it could cost you four times the cost you thought.
THE RISK OF OVERBUILDING
When building, it can be easy to get excited about all the possible bells and whistles of your new home but be careful as these do come with a price. Of course, you may be able to afford these added to your monthly mortgage payment but will they appraise for that same value. This is a tough conversation to have when someone has overbuilt and now must come up with the difference when the bank doesn't see the same value in it as you do. Also, your builder may ask for you to pay for those upfront to mitigate their risk. Many factors go into this topic and tie back into helping you stay on time and on budget. Make sure you have a trusted partner by your side during the build process to help guide you.
TYPES OF BUILDERS
All builders have their niche which is wonderful, especially when they have been able to perfect it. One thing to be careful of is the word 'custom' as many builders use this in their name but does not always mean everything is custom. Custom could mean you get to pick out the flooring from their seven samples to customizing your entire floor plan with an architect. We suggest, meeting with a few builders prior to making your selection. If you would like, we can join you to help ask the important questions.
NEW CONSTRUCTION & REALTORS
Most builders have an excellent team to help get you from concept to closing but it is always recommended to have an advocate by your side through the process. When you are ready to start your dream of building your new home, give us a call, we would love to help support your dream!
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