What To Avoid When Choosing a Custom Home Builder
Building a luxury custom home can be wrought with pitfalls. We at WillowTree Custom Homes believe it is incredibly important to interview multiple builders before starting the home building process. Find the right partner for you by understanding what will lead to success (a beautiful home) and what could lead to a disastrous outcome.
To guide you on your journey, we’ve put together three major items to consider, detailing what to avoid in a builder and providing our recommendation on the subject.
Budget and Pricing
When choosing a builder for your custom home, be sure to find a company proven in your price range. A lower cost builder who has never built a luxury home before may cut corners. It is also possible they may not have the processes in place or tradesmen needed to achieve the step up in quality. These key qualifications make a difference and could be the reason your custom home ends up not quite matching what you had envisioned.
Our insider recommendation: If budget is your main concern, build a home with less square footage. This allows you to ensure your custom home exemplifies the luxury you desire, preventing you from needing to use cheaper finishes.
Planning
Avoid working with a builder who can’t immediately tell you his or her process. Having a plan in place from the start will allow you to better understand the timeline, how your builders works, and potential pitfalls. Early planning also enables you to better prepare your budget and foresee emergencies before they occur.
Our insider recommendation: A qualified luxury home builder will use a project management system and offer client access. This system ensures you are made aware of every step before the project begins and provides updates as the house is built.
Timing
As tempting as it may be, avoid a “quick” custom home builder. While we all want our homes to be finished as fast as possible, a builder who is focused on finishing quickly will inevitably cut corners. Follow your process step by step, avoid “winging it,” and allow your builder to take the time they need.
Our insider recommendation: Build in extra time. An experienced luxury home builder understands crafting a perfect custom home will take time. Storms can make working conditions unsafe or ruin crucial building materials. At the end of the day, it comes back to having a plan - find an experienced home builder who allows for an appropriate amount of time to finish the home of your dreams. Then, trust that they will work within those deadlines.
Simply put, find an experienced custom home builder who understands your budget, devises a well thought out plan through an educated process, and provides a realistic timeline for your project. Once you find that partner, allow them the grace they need to build your dream home.
If you are building your dream home in Colleyville, Southlake or Westlake, we at WillowTree Custom Homes would love the opportunity to be that partner for you. Please contact us today.