Building Your Home: The Path in 8 Steps

Great homes start with careful planning. When budgeting for a new home, plan design fees can sometimes appear as a luxury. But to build a new home on budget, on time, and without disappointment, it is imperative that you and your builder are clear on the plans and specifications of the home.

House Plans are Not Created Equally

The work and money required to develop a clear set of plans and specifications is outweighed by the efficiency and professionalism in which your project will be executed. Building officials, suppliers, subcontractors and lending institutions all need information from the plans and the more clear the information, the fewer questions and delays will occur. Suppliers and subcontractors develop bids and pricing from the plans and specifications so the more complete the plans, the more accurate your budget will be.

Detailed upfront planning will make for a less stressful building process and ensure that in the end your home is everything you desired.

Begin With These 8 Steps

1. Answer these 4 questions.

1. Do you own a piece of land? Or are you looking for land?

Before you purchase a house plan, you need to own land or be looking for a lot to buy. We’re happy to work with you to determine the best plan for your lot. Call or e-mail us any time.

2. Have you developed a construction budget?

Keep in mind that construction loans have different terms than buying an existing home – often requiring very good credit and 20% to 25% down. Here is a Quick Reference Guide that you can print.

3. Have you hired a builder?

Some of the best money and time invested in your new home project will be researching your builder. Retain a builder with good references from friends, business associates, clients, suppliers, lending institutions, and other design and building professionals. Building a new home is never free of additional decisions and clarifications, so you need to hire a builder who is reliable, trustworthy, flexible, and a good communicator.

4. What kind of a plan are you looking for?

To answer this question, you need to begin with asking yourself, “How do I live?” Or even better, “How do I want to live?” Because this is the promise of building your own home.

2. Choose the plan(s) that you like.

3. Will the plan work on your lot?

4. Calculate the cost to build.

5. Purchase your house plan.

You’ve confirmed that the house plan you’ve chosen will work on your lot. Congratulations! When you purchase your plan, you’ve taken the first big step toward a new home crafted just for you.

By starting with a proven plan, you’ve eliminated a majority of the cost and time associated with a completely custom plan – less than 2% of construction cost where a custom plan is 5% – 10%, and 2-4 weeks until you’re ready to begin building versus 3 to 6 months.

So what is included in your house plan purchase? Click here for the details.

6. Make modifications.