Selecting the right builder for your home is one of the most important decisions you will ever have to make. For a stress-free and fulfilling building experience, it is vital to know what to ask a potential home builder before you make a hiring decision. To help you out, here are 12 questions to ask a potential home builder.
Since you need to find a highly skilled and competent builder, an important question is how long one has been offering their services. A company with a vast experience like Excel Builders that has been handling constructions for more than 25 years is better placed to offer you better services than a company marking their first year in business.
Typically, more years of experience translates to handling more projects and better knowledge about your area, the local building codes, zoning regulations, sewer & drainage lines, and general landscape, among other crucial details.
A reputable home builder worth your time and investment should be fully licensed and insured. This will save you from problems with the local and state authorities while ensuring you are not at risk in case anything goes wrong during the construction.
It is good to have the peace of mind that the home builder you hire will stand behind their work. This can only be guaranteed with a warranty package covering the workmanship and structural integrity. Remember to ask how long the warranty lasts, what it covers, and how they will handle issues you raise.
Since your dream is to have an attractive and livable family home, it is best to opt for a home builder who has experience or specializes in the style you want. The best way to ascertain this is by going through the builder’s portfolio and taking a tour of a home they have recently built for a customer with similar needs.
A home builder’s promise of quality construction should be backed with an assurance of how they will make this possible. Reputable builders will have a quality assurance checklist that is ascertained through multi-point inspections at different stages of the construction.
Remember, whether your goal is to have the most colorful townhouse or a charming country house, the construction quality is determined by what goes on behind the walls, not aesthetics.
An easy way to determine the builder’s personality and style of work is by inquiring about what makes them unique. Building a custom home comes with challenges, and you need the assurance that the team you’ll be working with has what it takes to manage this process efficiently and deliver quality.
It is important to know the features your house will have that few other builders can offer, and this is best done by focusing on the strengths of your builder. Whether it is the fact that they focus on building energy-efficient homes, putting up stronger foundations, or excellent finishes, you need insights on what to expect.
Requesting a construction cost breakdown is the best way to determine how best your allotted budget suits the project. You will also get to determine factors such as how much the labor charges compare to material costs, what percentage of the budget is set, and how much is an estimate.
This way, you can be confident that your builder will not recklessly run you over your budget. You will also know what can and will be executed once you hire the builder. Pay extra attention to whether they offer services such as landscaping and if it is pre-included in the budget.
Communication is vital during a home-building process as this is the only way to ensure everything is running according to plan. A home builder who values your satisfaction will prioritize providing timely and detailed updates on the construction progress. For smoother two-way communication, you need to have a contact person you can always reach out to whenever you have any inquiries.
While so many factors will determine how long it takes to build your home, it is ideal to know what your timeline will look like. Keep in mind that this time frame might be longer than anticipated as managing constructions is complicated and can severely be impacted by uncontrollable external factors such as extreme weather conditions.
This question goes hand in hand with the estimated timeline for your home’s completion and helps you determine how committed the home builder is to their projects. Getting a sense of how often a builder gets to finish a project on time and on budget will give you the confidence to trust them with your construction. Beware of promises that are too good to be true, as no home builder can guarantee 100% project completion within a short timeframe.
Talking to a potential home builder before making up your mind is never enough. For a clear picture of the level of competence to expect, talk to past customers for an in-depth homeowner’s perspective. Beyond the general questions such as whether the homeowner was satisfied with the construction, make inquiries that will prompt detailed answers. These can include:
Deciding to build a custom home comes with the mandate of choosing the right builder, and by knowing the right questions to ask, you can attain the partnership you need for your dream home to come to life.