How to Hire the Right Home Builder
What to Look for When Hiring a Custom Home
Builder
By Mark J. Donovan
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One of the most important aspects to consider
when undertaking a new home building project is deciding on whom to hire as
your home builder. However for many, just finding a home builder to even bid
on the home building project can be difficult and confusing.
The best way to start is by word of mouth. Talk
to your friends, family or neighbors who have recently undertaken a new or
custom home building project. Find out what home builders they used and if
they would recommend them.
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Real Estate agents are another great resource for
finding local home builders. Real estate agents frequently work with builders on
new home developments or custom home building projects. They can tell you who to
work with and who to stay away from. In addition, they may even be able to get
you into some of the finished homes built by the home builders they are
recommending. They are more than willing to do this as they may generate an
immediate sale, or at a minimum demonstrate goodwill to one of their affiliate
home builders which could payoff for them in the long run.
Another alternative for finding a new home builder is to
use the services of
ContractorKey.
These two companies are becoming increasingly popular as a resource for find
home building contractors for all types of trades, including; framing, electric,
plumbing, roofing, etc.
ContractorKey
maintains a database of pre-screened and pre-qualified home building contractors.
For a contractor to qualify to be a member of one of these firms they must go
through a rigorous review process, including Better
Business Bureau checks, licensing checks, and previous customer reference checks.
The advantage of these companies is that you do not
have to pay for their services. Instead, the contractors pay membership fees
to them. All you need to do to take advantage of their services is complete
a simple on-line form that describes your project, budget and timeframe.
They will then notify one or more of their membership contractors located in
your area, which will then get directly in touch with you. From that point
forward you evaluate them for your specific project.
Before you hire a new home builder there are many
important questions and tasks that need to be completed first. There are the
simple questions such as are they available to work on your home building
project, and are they skilled in the particular type of home you are looking to
build. Then there are the reference checks and the site visits of their previous
projects.
If the initial research on your
prospective new home builders are favorable, then its time to start the
bidding/quotation phase. After you provide them with either a description or
blue prints of your home building project, they need to develop a formal bid
(quote) for your project, including the total cost, payment schedule, building
time-line schedule, material types to be utilized, and who they plan on using
for subcontractors (if any).
To simplify the bidding process you may want to
consider HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
New Home Construction bid sheets. The bid sheets include a
standard bid sheet form that you can provide to all of your prospective new home
builder contractors. This sheet helps to level the playing field.
Once you have received the bids
its time to evaluate them. It is during this time that great care has to be
given in the review process. Not all contractors are the same and not all
materials are the same. Consequently bids can vary widely. This is where a
little pre home construction knowledge on your part can ensure you get the new
home or home addition you are looking for. In addition to HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
New Home Construction Bid sheets providing
standard bid sheet forms, they also include information to the homeowner on what
to look for and stay away from in terms of materials and contract services. In
addition, they provide estimated costs and time intervals for the various
aspects of the new home construction project.
After reviewing the bids from
the prospective home builders, narrow your selection down to just a couple.
Follow up with them and have a face to face meeting to go over the bid,
reviewing any questions you may have with them or the bid. Question them on
specifics of their bid, and where there is initial disagreement see if there is
compromise on the prospective builder’s part. Determine which one appears to be
most willing to work with you and is the most responsive to your needs. The home
builder most willing to work with you, and that overall meets your budget and
timeframe objectives, is probably the appropriate fit for your home building
project.
With the selection of your home
builder complete, you can now move on to the numerous material and appliance
selection process.
For more help on Custom Home building, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Home
Addition Bid Sheets.
The
Home
Addition Bid Sheets will help ensure that your home
building project goes smoothly and is
completed on time and budget.
How to Finance your Home Remodeling Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related Custom Home Building Articles
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