After many weeks of research, you have finally narrowed down a list of potential home builders. What’s the next step? Schedule for a meeting with the home builders that you have chosen. The home builder that you select becomes your partner for the upcoming months or even years, so it is essential that you trust and has the skills and qualifications needed.
Here are things that you must accomplish before/in your first meeting:
Ask questions
Meeting with a custom home builder for the first time can become an overwhelming experience for you. Bring up a list of questions such as:
Who’ll be in charge of my project, and how often will we meet?
- How long does it take you to prepare an estimate?
- Do you aim/strive to build energy-efficient homes?
- Do you use long-lasting, sustainable building materials?
- You can view other questions and prepare for your meetings by downloading the builder interview checklist.
Research custom, local builders
Redefine your builder’s list. Before you schedule for a meeting with a home builder, always make sure that you drive by some of their houses and check their online portfolio. See what you love about their work and what you don’t like about their work. Have their built houses that are familiar both in style and size that you want? How do the homes they have built look after, say ten years? Ask them about details on specific projects, for example, costs, time, challenges and things that they do differently from others. Also, be prepared to point out features that you would like incorporated into your home.
Show and tell
If you probably have been surfing Houzz for some inspiration, this is now a great time to show your builder what you have found. Bring-out the actual visuals of what you would like in your house for your designer and builder to get a sense of the details that you want early in the process. This process of sharing visuals helps in determining if your builder is capable of sharing and appreciating your vision.
Ask for references
Every professional and established home builders must be able to give your recommendations from his/her past clients. Several weeks/months before the meeting, ask for at least two references, aim for one old and one new-and be sure to check them. Ask referred customers about the builders communication methods and their homes durability and response times, and the ability to provide realistic estimates which stay within the budget.
Ask to take a tour
Although beautiful photos in a portfolio may be appealing, you must see your builders craftsmanship in person before moving forward. Ask to a recently constructed house as well as the one that has been standing for a few years. Pay close attention to crucial details and look for any visible moisture damages, for example, damp strains on cracked paint and ceilings.
Ask the homeowners what they have learned through experience and what Kookaburra Homes Builder could have done differently.