My wife and I are starting the process of purchasing land and plopping down a brand new house. We have bought one home (used), but this time around we are really hoping to build a new one with a custom design. We aren't against getting a used home, we are just financially at a point where we can afford to be picky, and most of the floor plans don't meet all our wants. Has anybody got any advise on builders and architects? If you could just share your own experiences it will be helpful.
1) Be very sure of what you want before you start shopping around with the builders and be sure to pick the right plan you want. With "custom" you get to pick anything you want, but be as sure as possible of what you want before you begin. After you begin the process, you have to pay for every change you make in the plans. 2) Get quotes from multiple builders before you choose on one. Compare the details and the qualifications of the builder and make your decision based on what you feel is right. Cheapest is not necessarily right and never go with the most expensive. You can make them compete for your business. 3) Make sure you get independent inspectors to check your place out at least three times during the building process. The builder will tell you that its not necessary, but its going to protect you in the long run if there are mistakes made. It'll cost you some, but plan it into the process even though the "provided budged" will not. You dont know what is right, but the inspectors will. 4) Look at every part of the process closely and question everything that you are not sure about. You are paying them and although you think they are professional, they may cut corners to benefit them. Sometimes you will see things the inspectors will not since you will be there almost every day during the process. 5) It needs to be in writing or it doesnt matter. That explains itself. Most builders are not there to screw you, but even the best will make mistakes. Make sure you get along with the builder because you will discuss things with him a couple times a week. The last thing you need is to butt heads every time you talk. Finally, it's your money, protect yourself.
I've been in several of these and would seriously look at them if my situation were like yours. deckhouse
Do some research and find a good architect who realizes that the house will be yours and not their own. Some architects also like to draw things that won't work or leave the details off the plans and then ***** at how the contractor solved the problem. It will save you and your contractor a lot of headaches down the road if you get your home drawn up by the best you can find. It's also true that a lot of contractors will screw you whenever possible, so you have to be careful there also. Ask for references.
If you do go the custom house route, do yourself a favor and hire an architecht like Peter Pfeiffer www.barleypfeiffer.com. Energy and health conscious design and building can save you tons of money in the long run. Good luck.
Maybe it seems scary, but there's something to be said for being able to observe and perhaps affect SOME of the building process, rather than buying a home which has been around for years. Who knows what happened when it was built? Inspectors help, but they can't catch everything (or even most things). That said, I've never owned a custom (or even new) house, and likely won't this time around, either. My desire to be somewhat close to downtown makes it difficult to find an affordable lot.
I think the most important thing to do is hire an architect who is completely independent of the contractor and pay him to monitor the construction (along with design the house) and surpervise the entire process. This will cost a fair amount but imo it is well worth it. You should also have a lawyer draft the contract between you and the contractor as well as the one between you and the architect because the AIA forms protect the architect too much (they are ok with the contrator provided the architect is independent). The lawyer can also get you an extended warranty and tell you just what a lousy deal the RCLA is for consumers. Alternatively, you can start researching all aspects of home construction and become an expert and spend six months on site. In my personal and professional experience, these are the only two ways to increase your chances for a good end-product and even with this you can get screwed. The vast majority of contractors cut corners somewhere and they obviously try to maximize their profit and this sometimes comes at your expense. It is also difficult for anyone to know when the are cutting corners that matter with material or amounts. I have a custom built home and while I am happy with it overall, there were several screwups. Although I knew better, I followed virtually none of the advice above.
Spend all of your efforts to make sure it is done right in the construction process. Our enlightened leg has made it pretty much impossible to make a contractor come back and fix anything after the fact. It will cost you WAY more to make the contractor come back than the repairs themself will cost and it will be WAY less to hire an architect or a hitman to ride shotgun on the builder. GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECOURSE IF THE BUILDER DOES NOT DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!!!! Did you notice the emphasis?
