How to choose a Builder for Your Home
One of the most exciting days in a family’s life is the day they move into their first home. Another grand thing is to be able to have that home built to their specifications. A lot of fun and excitement goes into planning, designing and hiring a builder. On the other hand, there can be a lot of anxiety in being sure you choose the right builder for the job. Here are a couple of things to do when choosing the builder of your new home.
Know Who the Home Builders in Your Area Are
There are a number of ways to go about making this list. You can talk to people you have had their home custom built. Also speak to real estate agents in your area. They will have worked with several of the local builders. Another source of information would be your local subcontractors such as electricians or plumbers.
There are also a plethora of home builders associations which list the various contractors in their areas, such as HomeAdvisor. Another source of information is your local yellow pages, and there is always Google where you can Google a specific area, such as “custom home builders Eau Claire, Wisconsin”.
Your local newspaper will also have a great deal of information. The real estate section will list some of the builders of new homes. This will also give you information on what kind of construction they do and the general price range for what you are looking for.
Learn About Each Home Builder
Once you have your list of home builders in your area, then it is time to find out more about them. This can be done by talking to the home builders themselves. Ask a lot of questions. Some of the questions you could ask are whether their designs can be customized, or will the builder disclose the names of recent buyers for references? A more complete list of possible questions can be found on the National Association of Home Builders website. Another list of questions you can ask as you design your home can be found on the HomeAdvisor website.
You should also talk to as many home buyers as you can, asking them about their experiences with the home builders and whether they have had any problems with their home since they moved in. They can give you an idea of how easy the home builder was to work with. They can also tell you what they think of the quality of work that was put into their home.
Finally, tour various homes built by your home building candidates. This will give you an idea of their style and whether it fits with your style. This process will also give you ideas on what you really want in your home.
While choosing a builder can be stressful, doing your homework can be very beneficial to this process. Once your builder is chosen, the process can then go forward. Hopefully, now your level of stress will go down, and you can enjoy the home building process more fully.