What is the process of building a new home? Today I’ll break it down for you.
Are you dissatisfied with your current home’s layout or just ready to live in something new? If so, you’ve probably considered having a new home built for you. How does this process go? Today I’ve broken the new home construction process down into five steps:
1. Choose the right floor plan. There are many other factors to consider when it comes to choosing the layout of new construction homes. Do you want a master bedroom upstairs or downstairs? Do you need a formal dining room or will an eat-in kitchen suffice? Do you plan to entertain guests with mobility restrictions? Consider these questions before you settle on a floor plan.
2. Meet with the builder. Have a conversation with the builder to tailor your home to your family’s needs. For example, you can request a downstairs powder room, a larger pantry, or a specific number of bedrooms. You’ll also get to pick how the outside of the home looks. Decide on all these changes up front before the builder sends the design to the architect; if you make changes after the architect and engineer have approved it, you’ll be charged a fee.
3. Choose the trim, hardware, and paint. Usually, this is done by meeting with the builder at their design center. These meetings take about four hours with a custom build, so you may want to schedule this as two meetings since there will be more decisions to make. Pin down your budget beforehand so that you know exactly what you’ll be able to spend and don’t break the bank.
4. Begin construction. Once the design has been approved by the architect and engineer and the builder has gotten a building permit, the construction of your new home will start. You’ll have at least four meetings with the builder during this process:
- A pre-construction meeting where you’ll visit the site, review the basic layout, and learn the build timeline.
- A drywall meeting where the builder will show you the things you don’t normally see because of sheetrock; you’ll also make sure that everything is where it should be.
- A blue-tape meeting where you’ll go through the house a week before closing to apply blue tape to any imperfections you see; by the closing date, those issues should have been addressed.
5. Move-in day. Before you close, you’ll meet with the builder to check whether the blue-tape items you marked were replaced or repaired. You’ll also go through all the systems of the house to learn all the works. As long as everything at this stage checks out, you’re clear to close on the home.
A year after you close on your new construction home, you’ll have one more meeting with the builder where they come back to repair any issues that have arisen with the construction of the house since you bought it. Most builders offer a one-year warranty.
If you have any further questions about the process of building a new home or real estate in general, feel free to call, text, or email us here at Boykin Realty Associates. We’d love to hear from you.
