Embarking upon the journey of building a custom home is exciting. It can also be a little bit terrifying. Avoid a bad experience by interviewing multiple firms. Choose the one that leaves you feeling the most comfortable and confident. To help you with the interview process, we’ve created a guide and some questions for interviewing custom home builders. Once you’ve selected a company, you’ll want to come to your first planning meeting with some information to help get the ball rolling immediately.
5 Things to Bring to Your Meeting
- Timeframe and Budget. Let your builder know when you expect to move in and how much you are expecting to spend. Making sure you have a completion date and a realistic budget will guide nearly every decision and choice going forward, so this is a good place to start.
- List of Likes/Dislikes. What do you like or dislike about your current home? A list like this will help you talk about which elements to include and which to avoid. Think about function and aesthetic, and let the builder guide you to design choices that matches your lifestyle and taste.
- Home Design and Floorplan Ideas. Whether you have a floorplan in hand or just some ideas in mind, the more you can provide the builder early on, the quicker the project can begin to take shape. Look online at websites like Houzz, in home design magazines, or even take photos of homes you visit or pass by. Providing a builder with some ideas will help them get started on a layout that you can discuss and revise together. If you have some “splurge” items or materials on your wishlist, make them known. The firm’s job will be to incorporate your ideas within your budget (and to tell you if they are outside of the scope of your budget).
- Names of Specialists (if you have them). Do you have your heart set on a particular specialist for cabinets or flooring? Let your custom build team know who you’d like to work with. Most firms have preferred specialists that they are used to working with. There are benefits to working with the teams the firm uses. There are all the benefits of an established relationship: clear communication, expectations, and an understanding of costs. However, some firms are open to subcontracting with other companies that the clients bring to a project. The more advance notice you can give, the better.
- Contact and Preferred Method of Communication. Lastly, let your builder know who to contact with the many questions and updates that will be in your future. Additionally, inform your builder of the best ways to contact you, whether it’s phone, text, Skype, or email.
Take the First Step to Your Dream Home with Odom Design
Building your dream home can be a lot of work, but it can also be a lot of fun. Seeing your ideas come together and become a reality is usually enough to make all the hard work and decisions worth it.
If you are looking for a custom home in Myrtle Beach or the Grand Strand area, please give Odom Design a call.