By Kyle Haskell – EDGEhomes Agent
There is a stigma out there related to new construction that building a new home is stressful. However, I have learned that if a few key items are addressed in the beginning, it will help alleviate a large amount of stress during the process.
The two biggest choices you will make when building a new home will be selecting the lot that the home is on, and selecting the floorplan. Take some extra time when deciding on a lot! While most lots look really similar on paper, they can be very different once you actually visit them. Make sure you visit your lot with your agent beforehand so that they can show you where your property corners are located, how the home will sit on the lot, what the eventual grade of the lot will be, and how much backyard space you will have. You may even want to research with your agent or through the city what future plans there are in the area that may affect the lot.
Read through the CC&Rs (Codes, Covenants and Restrictions) for the community you are building in. Because some HOAs have more restrictions than others, it is very important to understand what you can and cannot do in a neighborhood before you decide to buy there. For instance, some communities restrict certain types of pets and vehicles. It is important to note that CC&R’s are not HOAs. While there may not be an HOA in place for your community, there will likely be CC&Rs in place.
Some people think they will be able to build without doing any upgrades. Here’s a tip: no matter the company you build with, you will want to spend extra money on certain selections. Because you’ll want to upgrade, make sure to factor in upgrade costs to base prices as you look for a home within your budget.
How do you do that? Most builders should be able to provide you with a list of their upgrades and what they will cost upfront. If these costs don’t come up organically with the builder, sit down with your sales agent and lay out everything you want in the home so that you can get a rough idea of how much you are going to spend.
The biggest stresses that happen during the build process seem to stem from the schedule and the selections made. During the design process on your home, take extra time to review your selections repeatedly before signing off and moving forward. Most problems during the build process occur because something was mentioned during the design process, but was never officially written down. Consequently, when the item isn’t written down, it won’t get done, as the builder is going off of what has been officially put down as the buyer’s selections. This is why you should take extra time during the design process to make sure everything is written down and officially decided upon exactly how you want it!
In addition, I encourage you to make every effort you can to visit the home with your builder or sales agent. Not only is it really exciting to visit the home as it is being built, but you can also address any potential issues together and decide how to solve any problems. Avoid visiting too often, since that can create a false illusion of the house not moving along (when it actually is). Instead, visit around once a week so you can get excited about all of the changes being made!
As you take a little extra time in the beginning of the process to review and focus on these issues, it will help reduce the stress of building your new home! Not sure where to start? Check out our EDGEhomes guide to floorplans, design, and more, all in one place here.
01/20/2016
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