As you can imagine this is not a fast process. There are so many decisions to be made that you need to have a good idea what will be expected of you and what you are expecting from your builder. Just remember there is a big difference between NEED and WANT. You must have some in-dept conversations with anyone involved, and know even those expectation may change. Custom Home Builders do not drive down to Home Depot or Lowe to pick out any materials, they order CUSTOM. The ordering and choosing of your cabinets/sinks/trim may take longer, let alone to make changes after the fact, well…you can figure out that process will not always be easy. Custom Builders are the epitome of the saying “You get what you pay for.”
Custom Home Building Steps
- Establish a Budget! Want vs Need and all that… : (
- Get Pre-Qualified through a Mortgage Lender. Beware, this is different than getting a loan for an existing house!
- Find where you want to build. Remember it needs to be a location conducive to building or it can cost THOUSANDS more (ex: building on a hill and/or rocky terrain)
- Find the Home Design for you! See below for some options and visit my YouTube channel for more.
- Formal Plan Preparation that can take awhile!
- Define Improvement Cost
- Appraisal needed for your Mortgage Lender
- Formal Loan Commitment so they know you are all it.
- Interim Construction Financing. Ask your builder!
- Build your DREAM HOME!