Financing
Building a custom home isn’t necessarily more expensive than buying a newly built or existing home since it is possible to build an affordable custom home. An important thing to understand in your decision is, the land you buy, and the design and quality of construction you choose, will impact the final price. Financing a custom home will require two separate loans. One for the land you buy and the other for the construction of your new home. Often you will have two closings, one for each loan.
Start With Land and a Plan
If you don’t already own land, we will work with you to find the right property, in the right location. It’s essential that your home design and lot features match. Sometimes builders have existing lots to purchase while others can build on land that you find. In the case of finding your own parcel of land, along with helping you find it, we will help to make sure the land is zoned correctly and utilities are accessible.
Consider the Neighborhood
Most people who build a custom home believe they will never sell it, but eventually you may want to move to a different area or even build another custom home. It’s always wise to consider resale value when building a home. In particular, you want to match the price range and general size of your custom home to others in the neighborhood so that your house doesn’t stand out as over sized or overpriced. This is where it is crucial to have expert Realtor® representation. We can advise you as to the decisions you make now can effect the resale value later and help guide you in making the right ones.
Home Design
Virtually everyone must limit their home design, size, style and home design aesthetics according to their budget. Your house design will determine whether it costs $80 per square foot, or $200. Once you know how much you can afford, you will need to find out which home design works with the amount that you have to spend. This is not an easy task. The design of the room layout is important as individual tastes and needs vary. While you might like a large eat-in kitchen with lots of cabinets, another might want a small kitchen and a separate dining room. You may want large bathrooms while another is happy with small bathrooms. People could also have special needs that will need to be considered in the design of the home. We will assist you in finding the right builder for your lifestyle and your budget. The right builder will assist you in answering all of these questions.
Why is Home Design Important?
Visually, the design of the home is important but even more important is its structural design. If it is not designed correctly, with the correct spacing of floor supports, wall joists, etc. there could be serious problems and costly repairs in the future. These may not be apparent to the untrained eye, which is why we recommend professional inspectors when building. We have a great team of inspectors we have worked with previously we’d recommend, not all inspectors are familiar with each stage of construction. An expert that inspects your home at critical stages during the build, and not just after it is built, is imperative to the long-term investment you are making.