Whether you’re building a simple starter house or the ultimate dream mansion, new home construction contains many variables and can be overwhelming—especially if you’re unsure where to start or experience a hiccup in the planning process. Depending on the square footage, weather conditions, and the availability of workers and supplies, the construction of a new house can take anywhere from three months to over a year. Mitchell Construction wants to help you better understand the steps in building a home with a construction timeline, and home automation suggestions. From shopping for a lot of your dreams to the move-in day, read to learn about the major steps you’ll encounter while building a house.
Things to Consider When Building a New Home
Building a house is kind of a big deal, and from time to time, important memos or questions can get lost along the way. To help potential clients out, we compiled a comprehensive list of things to consider when assessing your new house construction schedule or timeline.
Determine whether you want to begin with a design or the lot.
- Check your credit score before applying for financing.
- Establish your criteria for an architect, real estate agent, and contractors.
- Always vet and research the construction teams you might be working with.
- Utilize resources like Angie’s List or your local classifieds.
- Acquire multiple quotes from several contractors for your dream home.
- Weigh your priorities and needs regarding a location.
- Do a walkthrough of the neighborhood that you’re looking to build in.
- Ask the builder if the lot will require additional expenses such as septic, internet, or electricity hook-ups.etc.
Documentation Recommendations
- Establish a consistent and easy-to-record way to communicate with your home builder, architect, or contractor to ensure they maintain ownership of changes, roles, and responsibilities.
- Safeguard build-related documents. These items may contain sensitive information. Communication Styles and Considerations
- Building a new home can be a trying experience. And if you’re building the house with a significant other, make sure the two of you are on the same page in terms of decision making.
- Consider your availability. You may or may not have a flexible schedule, so establish with your agent, builder, or contractor what your availability is to discuss the build.
- If issues arise unexpectedly and require your immediate attention, delegate a specific point person (you or your significant other) who can answer those calls.
- Do you like the communication style of the architect, builders, and contractors? You should feel comfortable voicing your opinion; after all, this is your home! If you don’t, perhaps reconsider working with that team.
- Always hold those involved accountable for actions, promises, or changes.
Setting Your Expectations
- In a perfect world, your dream home would be built and executed in a timely fashion with no hiccups. However, realistically, the building process is bound to experience some complications, and mishaps can be incredibly stressful.. When do you start? Also, keep in mind factors that could impact the build. For example, is the ground still frozen solid when the foundation is slated to be poured? Or are you beginning to build in the middle of the rainy season?
- Ultimately, local building permits and zoning laws will dictate project specifics and how a contractor can turn your dream home into a reality.
- After considering everything, determine if your completion date is reasonable.
“My best advice to anyone looking at new construction: Stick to your budget, be patient and communicate throughout the process.”
