A Little Reality Check Of What To Expect When Working With A Custom Home Builder

Posted on: 14 September 2020

Most people have a vision in their mind of what it will be like to have their own home designed and built. But then they actually start the building process and realize it's not quite what they expected. The building process can certainly still be straightforward, enjoyable, and rewarding, but it's nice to have a realistic idea of what to expect before you get started. Here's what you should know:

You won't be drawing a house from scratch.

You might be imagining sitting down with an architect to have them draw your house plans starting with a blank sheet of paper. But this is not exactly how it works. Most designers and home builders prefer to start by giving you a selection of home plans that meet your needs in terms of square footage and basic layout. Then, you can choose one of those plans and make changes to it, as needed, to make it an even better fit. So much goes into designing a home layout — you have to consider plumbing placement, roof size, flow, light, and so many other factors. It's really tough to do this starting from nothing when you're not a pro; it's much easier to alter an existing plan.

It may be a year or more before you're in the home.

Builders will often tell you that it takes a month or two to build a home. But you need to allow yourself much longer than that. A year is often a good estimate. A lot of this time will be spent securing financing, waiting for materials to come in, making plans with various contractors, and waiting for inspectors. It's not uncommon for builders to fall behind schedule due to no fault of their own, either. An order may be late or a subcontractor might not show up. Always count on things taking a little longer than you'd expect, and you'll be safe.

Most homes are now built by design-build teams.

Years ago, you would work with an architect to design the home and then shop around for a building company to actually construct the home. There are a few companies that do things this way nowadays, but most companies are now design-build teams. This means you will work with the same team from the moment you start discussing your home until the day the construction is completed. This makes it easier to communicate with the professionals building your home, and it makes billing easier, too.

Hopefully, this article has given you a little more insight into what it's actually like to have a custom home built. Even though it's not what everyone thinks, it is still a great experience.

Contact a custom home builder company to learn more.

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