Building a custom Home is an exciting experience. A great deal of your time, thought, and personality will go into the design and specifications as your housing ideas come together to form a home that is uniquely yours.
To accomplish your goal, you might engage professionals from separate organizations. In addition to establishing your budget and selecting a builder, you may engage the services of an architect, an interior designer, a landscape architect, and a real estate agent.
Perhaps you will work with a design-build firm. The design –build approach brings together design and construction expertise, usually resulting in greater continuity of service. The joining of design and construction can save you time and money.
Assembling Your Team
The responsibilities of the professionals on your design team may vary. However, the items you need to consider typically include the following categories-
Financing. Whether you will be paying cash or working with a lender, determining your budget at the onset is necessary. Compare loan programs from two or more sources. Many lenders offer land/construction and mortgage financing and some in an express or one-time close package that combines the two. This reduces paperwork, closing fees, and time.
Builder. Ultimately your home plans are transformed into reality by your builder/contractor. Some builders have in-house drafting and design. The builder can aid in the design and completion of the home plans, which can be a plus for having a home that is designed with budget and lot requirements in mind. The builder will assist with your plan details and your specifications, establishes a budget, may aid you with selecting a lender, handles the permitting process, selects trade contractors and material suppliers, schedules the work, and oversees each step of construction. After move-in, the builder will provide a limited warranty covering materials and workmanship, typically for one year.
Architect. If you work with an Architect for your home plans he/she may stay involved throughout construction depending on the terms of your design contract. If you work with a design firm (residential drafting) they provide you with your finished plan set and may be available if questions arise during construction. The terms of your written agreement should cover this point.
Plan Service. Plan services offer you another source of home plans. They publish catalogs of house plans that you can study and compare. For a fee, most plan services will make custom changes to their plans and some offer pre-packaged variations.
Interior Designer. You can rely on this professional to coordinate design details, finishes, and color selections for your home’s interior. The same designer can assist you in selecting window coverings and furnishings, so this relationship can continue long after move-in. In most cases, the custom homebuilder does not aid in the selection process. This is the responsibility of the homeowner. Some builders do offer some assistance and some have designated design companies for you to work with.
Landscape Architect. Decisions about preservation of trees, and configuration of the drive and walks affect your landscape plan and its cost. If you’re building in a covenant-protected community, make certain that your landscape designer is familiar with the association’s requirements and approval process. Most builders work on these issues with you in the beginning stages to assure the final landscape plan will work with the land and the home placement on the lot.
Location:
Your design team may help you select a location for your home. They may know of sites in your price range with the characteristics needed for your home plan. The feasibility of the site for the style of your home is an important issue. A builder’s experience studying a lot, evaluating a set of plans, and determining how the two might fit together can provide you with options you might overlook. For instance, not all sites accommodate a walkout style home. A walkout site has enough slope to expose part of the foundation and permit access to the yard from the lower level. Possibilities the design team mentions might affect design, budget, schedule – and or all three. Your builder can obtain information on the development status of a proposed lot. The cost difference between raw land (with no utility services or road) and a finished lot (road installed and utilities available) is usually significant.
Design:
If you decide to have your home designed to suit your specific needs you will begin with a design contract or agreement. This document outlines the design work to be done and the cost in completing your home plan. This agreement does not commit you to build the home, but describes the steps followed to create your home plans.
Typically, a designer takes your ideas and assembles them into a workable floor plan that fits your desired square footage. In the early stage of design, walls can be moved and changed easily. You may sit and work together with the designer, rearranging different areas to work best for you. Today most design is CAD or computer aided. This enables the designer to explore the most options and variations quickly and easily.
Be completely prepared with your ideas and desires for your home plan so you will correctly guide the designer and avoid extra design time fees. Furniture sizes and arrangements are also important to have in mind during the design process.
The design process may require several meetings. The floor plan, the electrical layout, the window and door sizes and the exterior will be defined during these meetings. Once all decisions are finalized the designer will work to complete the working drawings.
Working Drawings. These plans include fully dimensioned drawings and details required for the building permit. Besides the floor plans and elevations, working drawings include a foundation plan, electrical details, cabinet layouts and framing layouts for floors, walls, and roof. Using these, the builder can obtain prices from trades and suppliers to develop a budget.
Computer-Aided Design. The use of computer-aided design, or CAD systems, is increasing. The technology allows you to see the results of changes you are considering quickly. Depending on the software in use, both 2 – and 3 – dimensional viewing is possible. Changes can be made in a few key strokes – adding a wall, moving windows, or changing room sizes. The CAD operator inputs your requirements and the system identifies the plans the builder has that meet or nearly meet, your criteria.
How Much Will The House Cost? The exact price of your home can be determined only after the design and all your selections are complete. Throughout the design process, watch for items you want that you can add later if the total price exceeds the budget. A good design team can help you identify these details and point out many alternatives. Your builder can assist with a rough budget from the beginning, but the numbers change with each choice you make. The working budget is constantly fluctuating.
Most Builders use a fixed price to calculate the contract price. This means the builder has priced the home according to your plans and specifications and that is the price you pay unless you and the builder agree to changes during construction. The fixed price will have allowances included in it. The allowances give you room for selections and the builder and you will keep track of any overages or credits.
Another method is cost plus. The “plus” refers to a percentage of the cost of building the home, the builder’s margin for overhead and profit. The percentage is fixed but the dollar amount may change, depending on material prices and decisions you make during construction. This is rarely used and requires an extreme amount of bookkeeping and tracking on both the builder and the homeowner.
The third method is fixed fee. The builder sets a fee for managing construction of your home and that fee remains unchanged. The cost of the home itself can change if you make changes or site conditions resulting in extra charges. This too is rarely used.
However it is calculated, the price of the home appears in the purchase or construction agreement/contract along with a draw schedule as determined by the construction lender. A draw schedule sets out the timetable and procedures for paying bills during construction. Keep in mind that your home is being built for the first time. As construction progresses, some modifications may be necessary to make all the components work together successfully on the site. The final cost of your home may also change due to items such as –
Allowances. If you have not made final decisions in certain areas – for instance, floor coverings – an “allowance” will be included in the pricing. This gives you more time to consider these selections while a definite price for the new home can be set. If the allowance is $1500 and your final choice totals $1650, you will pay the additional $150 when you sign the order. If the total is $1400, the difference is credited to you at closing.
Reimbursable Expenses. The cost of some aspects of construction cannot be determined in advance. Your contract might provide for reimbursable expenses. These include such items as establishing a well for your water supply or handling unexpected site conditions such as large rock formations.
Change Orders. Although changes are possible during the building process, once blueprints have been drawn, engineering completed, and a building permit obtained, even a minor change can necessitate redrawing, re-engineering, and re-approval by the building department and homeowners association – costing both time and money. Take full advantage of your design meetings to arrive at a plan that expresses your new home dream and minimize changes to avoid extra costs or extending your home’s construction schedule.
Hartsfield Construction is a "Design – Build" Construction Company. The ability to complete all aspects of design and building puts Hartsfield Construction in the optimum position to complete the construction of your home with the most continuity.
Do not hesitate to ask for an explanation at any point. Hartsfield Construction welcomes your questions, and we look forward to working with you to create your unique new home.