What You Must Know When Building Your Dream Home
The greatest American dream has always been of owning land. From the crossing of the Atlantic by brave Europeans, to the migrations of Western expansion, migrations into the cities, then out to the suburbs, and now into exurbia, Americans have a love affair with land. Now that you’re ready to purchase your own piece of heaven, and build your Dream Home, in the best place for you to live, there are some things to keep in mind to make sure you don’t wind up with a cup full of heartache.
Builders Beware: How to Build Your Dream Home
The first step in building a new home or buying an existing home is evaluating the site. Look at the topography of the site. Is it very steep; will you be able to get up a driveway in possible snow? What type of exposure is the site optimized for? Most home owners want southern exposure. It has a “warming” affect in the winter and makes for a nice bright home year round. So you’ll want to make sure the southern side of the site isn’t crowded with trees. Do your research on zoning regulations and restrictions. What are the set-backs? Are there any large developments planned for or applied for in the area? Consider the water table height and the drainage of the site. If the water table is too high, having a basement is a bad idea. If the drainage is poor you may want to select another site, or risk flooding. Are you in a flood plain or wetlands? Both are signs of a poor site. A good indicator is the number of pine trees on the lot. Pine trees avoid wetlands, and you should too. Find out where the utilities are regarding your site. Where’s the closest public sewer and water connection? Will you have a well and septic system? Where are the electric lines? Having a perk test done, and a well drilled can be expensive. If there is a well in place, find out how many gallons per minute it provides, to get an idea of how much water you’ll have on hand. Also consider the area the site is in. Are the schools good? Even if you don’t have children this will affect your re-sale value and property taxes. Are you close to a large city? Are there any restrictions on what you can build on the property? The most important part of buying a piece of land or a home is to get title insurance right off the bat. If you don’t, you may be liable for a previous owner’s misdeeds. If there are liens on the land or home, without title insurance, they’ll wind up becoming your responsibility. Make sure you update the title report and do a title search.
After you find a suitable site, it’s time to set the stage for construction. This includes meeting with an architect to design the house and draw plans, or you may choose to use pre-packaged plans provided by the general contractor; selecting a general contractor or builder (many people are opting to take on this duty themselves, but it takes a lot of effort and research, something we’ll be detailing in a future article); creating a construction agreement; and securing a construction loan.
Will you need an architect to design “custom” plans for your house, or will you be choosing plans from several choices your builder might already have, or will you be using pre-packaged plans from one of the many catalogs of building plans? If you decide to build a truly one-of-a-kind custom house, you’ll need an architect to help you design it and draw plans for it. This would include its overall orientation to your site as well as designing the interior layout and picking suitable building materials based on what you’re trying to accomplish. An architect will help you figure out the types of rooms you will require, their size, layout and function. If the house will serve later as a retirement place, make sure you provide for that in the original design. If you do a lot of entertaining, have numerous overnight guests, or like to make use of outdoor areas frequently, make sure your architect understands your needs and purposes. Interview several architects and find out the types, styles, and sizes of the houses they have designed.
Selecting your general contractor (builder) is a very important decision. Do not turn to the yellow pages. Word of mouth is a great way to find someone reliable and reputable. If you have friends in the area, see if they have any recommendations. Another option is to drive around the area in which you are planning to build to see if you like any of the homes there, or even if some are under construction. If you do, ask the owner who built it, or if a house is under construction, speak to the builder. Ask if you can contact the owner, or if he can have the owner contact you. Contact the local Home Builders Association for a list of builders and their qualifications. Many areas have local Home Shows which you can attend. Many planned communities require you pick a builder from a list of builders that build in their community. Once you have a list of general contractors, meet with all of them. This stage is almost like a first date. If you have instant misgivings about a person, it’s a good idea to find someone else to work with. Ask if they have a current builder’s license in their name and what their insurance limits are. Inquire as to whether they are bondable and to what limits. Find out how long they’ve been in business, and if they have experience in building the type and size of house you have in mind. How often will the builder meet with you to discuss his progress or any problems? Does he have a website from which you can monitor the progress of your house? Do not ask for references. Ask them for the contact information of their last three clients, so they can’t stack the deck with only sterling references. How long is their work guaranteed? Visit several of his houses that are 3-5 years old to see how they have held up. Talk to the owners. When you have a couple general contractors you like, it’s time to start asking for construction bids, based on your building plans.
