Building your own house from the ground up can be very rewarding but it can also be a challenging and frustrating process.
However, you can save yourself the disappointment and stress in the home-building process by having the right understanding of how to go about building your dream house. You can do this by getting the services of a home construction firm/home contractors/builders to assist you.
Below are tips for building a house, crafted by our expert team at InTrevco General Contracting, to help you make well-informed decisions for the duration of the construction process.
It all begins with a plan. You have to know what you want for your dream house. In planning, gather all the good ideas you have and make a list of the things you want to be included in your home. These may include the direction where the sunlight will hit, the flow of the home, where the rooms and stairs are to be located, and the light fixtures, among others. Doing so will make the planning phase easier while also facilitating a smooth communication of your plans and specifications to your builder.
Building a house involves investment, not only of money but also of time and attention. As said at the top, the building process can be challenging and frustrating at times and you have to be ready for that. You have to be steadfast and try to stay the course throughout the process notwithstanding the difficulties you may encounter along the way.
When you decide that you want to build a home, you probably have an idea of the money you want to shell out. However, once work begins, costs are likely to arise from things not found in the initial estimate like finishing costs, zoning fees, and site costs, as well as when changes to the design have to be made. You are better advised to set aside a budget more than what you expect to give you more flexibility during the construction process and avoid delays in the workflow.
If you opt to put the construction of your home through financing, make sure that you get estimates from your builder and submit all the pertinent documents to a bank. Then, get pre-approved for a loan before proceeding with building your house.
In building your dream house, make sure you find the right people to collaborate with. You have to be careful in choosing your builder as you have to deal with them for the duration of the construction work. It pays that you trust them and you establish a good relationship with them.
Do extensive research on the builder of your choice, checking on their history, past work, style, and, of course, pricing. Bear in mind that you do not have to make a decision in the first instance and that it is better that you survey as many builders as possible before making your decision.
InTrevco, whose services are offered in New York and its main boroughs as well as in Connecticut and New Jersey, can provide efficient home construction services, led by an expert team of builders who have an extensive body of work.
Once you have selected your builder/general contractor, make sure that you fully understand the agreement that you will have with them. This is to avoid any unwanted surprises as construction work progresses. Among those to be noted are the timeframe of the construction, particularly the date when it will be finished; and the payment terms for the work to be done.
Common practice is for a lawyer to go through the documents to identify any grey areas that need to be clarified and that any changes that have to be made are legitimate and agreed on by the parties.
Because it is your house that is being built, make sure you are constantly in communication with your construction partners to be on top of things. You have to get regular updates on the entire process and progress report. Regularly visit the construction site to see for yourself how things are progressing.
If needed, take photos or videos for reference of things you need clarification on. Learn to be receptive to suggestions by your construction partners as they are professionals and should know their craft best. Do voice your concerns (if there are any) and make suggestions as well.
During the building process, getting the services of an independent inspector will go a long way. It ensures that builders are doing what they are tasked to do and according to the plans set forth and as agreed on in the contract. This is crucial so as not to release extra money for problems that could have been otherwise avoided as well as to immediately attend to any unexpected concerns.
It pays to know your rights. While the ideal scenario is for the building process to go smoothly, should something bad happen with the work of your builders, there are various channels where you can raise your complaints.
If your developer is a member of the Housing Industry Association or Master Builders Institute, every one of these associations has procedures for taking care of your issues. Each state and territory has its procedure for taking care of building grievances.
Building a house might seem a difficult and tedious task but it should not stop you from realizing your dream. Things will look worse before they look better and mistakes will happen here and there. But, if you work on having an efficient building process, better days will far outweigh the bad. Just enjoy the process and see your vision become reality.
