5 Traits to Look for in a Custom Home Builder
Making the decision to build a new home or add to your existing house is a big step. But after you’ve made up your mind, decided what you want in your new space, made a list of ideas, wants and needs, and established a budget, you need to find the right firm to design and build your project.
Finding a quality custom home builder takes time and commitment. You need to do your research and ask the right questions to be sure you choose a firm you are comfortable with and trust to do the job right. To start you off, here are five traits to look for that high-quality, custom building firms will possess.
1. Skilled, Experienced Craftsmen
Quality construction starts with skilled and experienced workers. The most perfectly designed home will still turn out badly if the construction crew does not have the skill and experience to do the job right. If your dream home is poorly built, it could quickly become a nightmare.
2. Strong Industry Partnerships
Very few construction companies have the personnel on staff to construct every element of a home. Quality builders know when to bring in the experts. They use subcontractors and fabricators for anything from tilework to masonry and hardware to fixtures. Look for a builder with a strong network of industry partnerships. If you know your design will entail certain custom features, make sure they can get the right people to do the job well.
3. Design Expertise and Flexibility
The best thing about a custom home or space is it is uniquely designed for you. No two families have identical needs, preferences, land, or budgets, so it’s only natural that your home would reflect that. No matter the style, size or budget of your home build, you need to be able to depend on your builder to work with you to turn your dreams into reality. A quality builder knows how to best achieve your vision and is able to create design solutions that work for you.
4. Rave References
If a builder has been in business for a while, there should be plenty of examples of their work available to speak to their credit, and plenty of past clients who can tell you what it was like working with them. In your preliminary search for a builder, look for a thorough portfolio on the firm’s website of their past work—if they’re proud of their work they will proudly display it and offer details about the project. When you contact a promising candidate, be sure to ask them for at least a few client references you can call. You may want to ask them:
What is the project they hired the firm for?
When was the project done and was it completed on time?
Were there any challenges during the project and, if so, how were they handled?
Would they hire this firm again for a future project or refer a friend to them?
5. Respect for Your Budget
Unless you are experienced in custom home design, there is a good chance that some of your ideas may not be feasible. Often, the greatest limiter on a project is the budget. While a cantilevered deck suspending a glass-bottomed pool over a ravine would be stunning (and isn’t necessarily impossible), the cost of constructing it would be astronomical. A good custom home builder respects the budget you set and can tell you if items on your wish list are beyond its limits. More importantly, they work with you to adjust designs, features and materials to accommodate your wants and needs, to give you the best solution at your price point.
A custom home project is a significant investment not to be taken lightly. These days, we all know flashy advertisements can’t be taken at face value. Do the research and find the facts out for yourself. If you are planning to embark on a home construction project, be sure you find a builder you can trust and who has the professionalism and expertise to make your new home the best that it can be.