Michele Smith

Tips For Finding a Custom Home Builder

When you decide to move into a new home, one choice you can have is if you want a production home builder that builds a home that you have little control over for options, or a custom builder who can take longer and build a home the exact way that you want it. While the production builder does build typical homes, they are not as expensive. So, it is very important that you pick the right custom builder for the building of your home. You are paying a lot of money for your home, so you want to get what you are paying for.

1.    When you are looking for a custom builder you want to make a list of the builders within your area. Once you have this list, contact the contractors and schedule a consultation with the home builder.

2.    At this point, when you are in a meeting with the contractor, ask them about the estimate on building your home, how long it will take and get a list of references from the custom home builder. This is very important because you need to get a background on the home builder and be able to view their past work.

3.    Once you have a list of references, contact the homeowners and ask them about the company. Find out if the home builder finished the work on time. If the costs came in close to the estimate and anything else about the home builder that the homeowner can tell you. See if you can get a tour of their home to see their home. This allows you to see the workmanship of the contractor.

4.    After you have checked references and narrowed down the number of potential builders to three, ask them the following questions:
a.    Are you bonded and insured?
b.    If there are extra costs, will you talk to me about them first?
c.    What is the skill level of your crew?
d.    How often will you be at the work-site?
e.    Do you handle the zoning and permits of the building?

Choosing a company who does a great job for a good price is very important. You will be able to get the home that you want, for a price you can afford, with as few headaches as possible.