Building a New Home
Plan your Budget
Develop a realistic idea of how much you can afford to spend and how much it will cost to build a new home. This budgeting phase is really about balancing your wants with a realistic estimate of what you can afford.
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This early stage should include some costs with the land or property, the architect, the engineer and the general contractor or builder. I provide a free consultation that can be used to assist in providing this preliminary budget.
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Consider financing with a construction loan or mortgage. Today, most banks and financial institutions are eager to pre-qualify you for a construction loan, which will give you a ballpark idea of the maximum amount of money you can spend.
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Plan for cost overruns. Unless you are a professional, virtually all construction ends up costing more than initially planned. This occurs because of the building materials cost change or because of requested changes to the construction work. Make sure you allow a 10% contingency to the budget so the changes or overruns don't break the bank.
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Buying Land
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Search online. Talk with realtors or builders. Make sure the land or property you are purchasing is actually buildable. You will need to consider soil or rock conditions, drainage, zoning and building codes in your town. I provide a free consultation to help determine if the land you are considering is actually buildable
Selecting House Plans
Many new homes are built using stock plans from an online source, magazine or catalog.
Here are 3 examples I like to use:
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1. thehousedesigners.com
2. houseplans.com
3. advancedhouseplans.com
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A licensed Architect will still be needed to modify the plans to your local building code requirements but, this would be a more budget friendly way to have a successful set of home plans.
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Another idea is the custom designed home plan. These are designed specifically for the family who will be living in the home or using the property. Start meeting Architects in your area and asking for cost estimates on your home design. As your Consultant I can certainly assist in the vetting and selection of your Architect and Engineer.
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Pre-Construction
Selecting the Architect or Design team.
Selecting Civil Engineer and Land surveyor.
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Obtaining bids from builders or general contractors and evaluating estimates and take- offs.
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Written and signed contracts with each building professional. Check for current licenses and appropriate insurance coverages.
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Procurement stage
Selection of Builder or General Contractor
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Obtaining equipment, labor and materials needed for your project.
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Permit application begins
Construction begins
Permit approvals.
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Excavation can begin.
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Schedules begin.
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Monitoring and quality control