What is the Home Building Process?

How to Build a Custom Home 

Building a new construction home can be broken down into steps, starting with having a serious discussion with members of your household about your home-building goals and desires. This initial conversation is important for ensuring that building a custom home is the best course of action for your household. As a part of these discussions, it's also important to make a list of "must-haves" versus "nice-to-haves" so you'll know what to discuss with your home builder when you reach that step.

Find a Builder

Once you've made the decision to build a custom home, finding a builder is the next step. Vet builders by looking at their portfolios, meeting with builders to have an initial consultation, and by checking references.

When vetting builders, check that they are licensed and have experience building homes. When looking at the builder's portfolio, examine the work to ensure quality and to see that the builder's style matches your personal style. This is important! Finally, check all references to ensure that other clients have had good experiences with your builder of choice.

Make a Budget

Know your budget for your home building project. Getting approved for a mortgage for a home that is not yet built can be complicated, so you'll want to start discussions with mortgage brokers early in the process to find out how much you'll be approved to borrow. Once you know your budget, talk to your home builder to ensure that the home you're planning to build will fit in your budget.

Choose a Site 

Selecting a site for a custom home is a big step. It may look like an empty piece of land now, but someday it will be the permanent site of your forever home.

Know what kind of features you'd like to have on your property, how close you'd like to be to your nearest neighbors, what kind of commute you'd like to drive, and so on. The size, layout and design of your house may also be impacted by the topography of your property, so work with your builder as you choose the site for your new home.

Approve a Design 

Unless you're working separately with an architect, your home builder will create a home design for you to approve, based on conversations like the initial consultation, your needs for your new home, and so on. 

It's important to ensure that the design you approve is one you're comfortable with. Once the work begins, changes to the design can cause delays and may even cost more than if they had been incorporated into the original design. Know what you want, and communicate concerns with your builder during this design phase. Don't assume that a problem or concern will go away once the building begins - talk about it during the design phase!

Let the Work Begin  

Once the design is approved, your contractor will order materials, then begin work. Ordering materials can take time. Your builder should be able to give you an estimate for how long this will take and approximately when the building will begin. Once work starts, you may be asked to review work, weigh in on building decisions and provide feedback to your builder. Be ready!

Pros and Cons of Building a Custom Home

There are many advantages to building your own custom home, but perhaps the biggest advantage is the satisfaction you feel living in a home that was designed exclusively for you. You choose all the details of your custom home - so that it truly fits your lifestyle. 

Other advantages of building a custom home:

• Less maintenance. New homes don't break the way pre-owned homes do. You'll spend the first several years loving the lack of maintenance!
• Make it your forever home. If you're hoping to live in your house forever, it's easier to make that happen if you can build the home to your specifications.
• Total choice. You get to pick where your home is built, how big it is, the materials used to create your home, and more. 

Is New Construction More Expensive?

New construction can be more expensive at the outset, but that's offset by the lack of maintenance. Think about all the money you spend trying to make a pre-owned home meet your personal needs. Often, homeowners who move into a pre-owned house must make cosmetic changes, structural changes or maintenance upgrades. You won't have to do that with your new custom home - it's made for you! 

This means you'll enjoy significant money savings and also means you'll spend less time trying to make your new house meet your needs. 

Ready to Get Started? Contact Chris Gorman Homes

Get ready to see just how rewarding home building Cincinnati OH can be. Contact Chris Gorman homes to get started with your custom home.