Building one’s own home is a dream for many people, with most wanting to perfect every detail. When given such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they want to choose the best yet reasonable builder to work on their dream project.
To create a living space that is tailored to your needs and preferences, it is essential to understand the process of building a home and choosing the right builders. In this article, we will discuss the steps involved in building a custom home from start to finish, to ensure you are well-prepared for this exciting journey.
Initial Planning and Research
The first and foremost step is to know your needs and preferences. You should have a clear idea of what rooms your home is going to have, i.e how many bedrooms and bathrooms there are going to be. How will the kitchen look and are there any other special needs like a wheelchair ramp or a residential lift?
Once you have defined your needs, now it’s time for you to add your wishes, so you know what are the must-haves and what are the nice-to-haves. When you are clear in your head, you can communicate these to the builder as well.
Selecting a Builder
Now, it’s time to search for the builder who is going to transform your ideas into reality. Choosing your builder first before the architect is key to staying on budget. Most architects and clients will overdesign and when they find a builder to price the project, they will usually have to go back to the drawing board because the project got over designed and does not meet the budget. Do extensive research and choose a good builder with good systems, and ask for their portfolio, along with testimonials and choose the one that best suits your needs.
This is probably the biggest decision you will make in this journey, so be sure it’s right. If you want to build your home hassle-free, on budget, and on time we at Versa Homes, provide you with end-to-end construction of your custom home, from architectural design to interior design, and from construction to moving in.
Design and Planning
The next step is to work closely with the architect or a team of architects and your builder to create the design on paper that fits your budget. These preliminary sketches will capture the overall layout, style, and key features of your home. This process requires details of every inch of the house. It also requires communication and revisions.
It is important to choose someone who has the patience to listen to your ideas and create them on paper. When choosing a homebuilder you can ask how they handle design changes and customization requests.
At Versa Homes, we lock in the scope before moving further, it helps us a fixed price and a fixed move in date. Design changes are inevitable, and whenever the scope changes, the estimated cost and timelines are also changed, and at Versa Homes, we have the systems to track all your changes via change orders that are approved by you before we move forward.
Budget
You should set a budget for your home. A tip is to keep a 10-20% buffer when constructing your own home. Versa Homes gives you a fixed price after knowing your needs and it doesn’t change until there is a change in the scope.
You should choose a builder who is transparent about what is included in their contract and the final price, to save yourself unexpected expenses.
Time
Time is the key element. Since you are excited about moving into your dream home you want everything to be done quickly. But for the builder, maintaining quality standards and other construction processes is equally important. Hence, taking the right amount of time and building a quality home is essential.
You should also ask your builder to provide you with a detailed construction schedule. The schedule should mark small and big milestones with dates alongside them.
Versa Homes is renowned for detailed schedules and on-time delivery. We keep the customer informed about their project schedule.
Permits and Approvals
For constructing your home, many approvals and city permits are needed. These approvals are for land, construction, or many other things. The process usually takes weeks or months depending on the city and can be tedious and complex.
At Versa Homes, our team will compile the necessary permit application package tailored to your specific city requirements and deal with city officials by acting as your representative.
Warranty
Warranties and guarantees provide peace of mind that the builder stands behind their work. The homebuilder is responsible for providing you with the warranty & guarantee of the construction so in the worst-case scenario, if any incident occurs, you can claim a warranty.
We at Versa Homes, provide 3 extra years of warranty. To learn more about it, click here.
Keep Yourself Updated
Once you have given the contract to a homebuilder, you would like to be updated about the progress on the site.
Versa Homes provides you with daily logs and media and you can see what is going on at the construction site and how your dream project is being built. The application also gives you details about the milestones, schedules, and budget.
Move-In
The day has arrived when your dream project is ready and you can move in. Versa Homes gives you a moving date and you can arrange to move your belongings and set up your new home. This is the exciting final step where your dream home becomes your living space.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the right builder and architect?
Put in all your efforts into finding the right builder and architect as they are the most important roles in constructing your dream project. Research and choose a builder with similar projects, ask for their portfolio and testimonials and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Can I make changes to the design during construction?
Yes, changes can be made during construction, but design changes directly impact the timeline and budget. So if you are flexible with budget and timeline, the design and scope can be changed during the construction.
What kind of warranties and guarantees should I expect?
Warranties and guarantees from the builder provide security of the assets and peace of mind to the customer. If some unfortunate incident has occurred and damage is done then at least you can claim a warranty. Versa Homes provides 3 extra years of warranty. To learn more about it, click here.
Curious about the cost of building your dream home?
Use the Versa Homes quick budget tool to get an estimate and take the first step toward your new home today!
