Designing a house is many people’s dream come true. Most are so excited to start the design process that they don’t take as much time as they should choosing a custom home builder who suits them. However, this decision will determine the quality of your home and how stressful the build process is. To help you make the right decision for you, we’ve collected these eight mistakes to avoid when hiring a custom home builder.
1. Not Checking Licenses, Credentials and Awards
Custom home builders should openly advertise their licenses and any other credentials they have. Don’t just take their word for it, look up the license or credential to be sure they still have it. If you’re looking for a great home builder, also look to see if they have won any awards. Excellent work gets recognition from other experts, and you want your home to be excellent work.
2. Choosing a Mid-Range Home Builder
Every good home builder will respect your budget, and if you want to spend a lot, a mid-range company will amp up its design. But those who gear their business towards mid-range homes sometimes make odd design and material decisions. They cut corners, cheap out on certain fixtures, or just don’t have the design chops to make high-end homes.
These companies often focus primarily on one-room renovations, like kitchen and bathrooms. To get a real sense of their skill, ask only to see examples of their work from luxury home builds they did from the ground up. When possible, try to choose a builder that primarily works on projects like yours.
3. Looking at Only the Good Reviews
Everyone can find at least one customer who will give them five stars. We suggest you instead look through all of a prospective company’s reviews for reviews with four stars or under. If there aren’t any, that’s great. If there are some, read them critically.
Does it sound like the reviewer was unfair, or like they genuinely had a bad experience? So long as it seems like the reviewer was fair, expect that the home builder could treat you as they treated their least happy customer.
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4. Ignoring the Style of the Builder
Excellent, experienced designers have a range of styles they can draw on to create their customer’s vision. However, not all designers are excellent or experienced. If you’re looking through the company’s portfolio and you find that most homes are of a similar style and you don’t like it, it’s best to pass. The more variety you see in the designs, the more likely the designer is skilled enough to reflect your style, even if they haven’t done anything like it before.
Of course, you always have the option of declining a design that a builder comes up with, but it can be a waste of time to start down this road with a builder who can’t make you happy.
5. Not Getting a Long Enough Warranty
Your home is likely your most valuable asset, and it will directly define your quality of life. It is essential to get a warranty to protect yourself financially and to ensure your home builder will fix any quality-of-life issues that pop up.
In the first two or three years, homes physically settle into place and change. If any cheap items were installed, or high-quality items were installed improperly, they may not be noticeable in the first year. If a home builder’s warranty is less than two years, it isn’t enough to protect you and ensure that your home actually is well-built enough to last. Our preference is for three-year warranties.
6. Assuming the Builders will Pay More Attention Later
Once you’re in touch with a luxury home builder, make sure you’re keeping track of how quickly they respond to you, how well they answer your questions, and whether they seem to be going above and beyond for you. The builders will not start paying more attention to your concerns later. The worst companies may pay even less attention to you once they have a deposit. The best companies have well-balanced schedules and can always afford to spend time answering your questions, even if they are currently building someone else’s home. Demand the best customer service and move on if you don’t get it.
7. Not Getting Quality Assurances
Essentially every home builder will talk about the quality of their final project. How many will talk about exactly what makes their homes more durable and long-lasting than others? You should find out how open your luxury home builder is to discuss the quality of the key features, and we’re not talking about the kitchen counter.
Discuss the quality of the parts of the home that will make or break its longevity: the plumbing, insulation, roof, foundation, windows and doors, and flooring. Your appliances, home features and finishes should also be of high quality, but most homeowners know to pay attention to quality there. Unfortunately, many forget about the quality of the more boring elements of the home, like the plumbing.
8. Missing the Opportunity to Ask How Changes are Handled
No matter how much you love the design your home builders create for you, you will inevitably want something to be changed. You don’t want to be surprised by a builder who says it is too late or too large of a change for them to accommodate. A great home builder will tell you how and when changes can be accommodated so that you know when you’re making your final choice, and when you still have some time to think about it.
Don’t forget that they may need to make changes on their end! Ask your builder what happens if a finish, feature or appliance in your design is out of stock or no longer available. Will they ship it, wait for a re-stock, or move forward with the project with a reasonable replacement?
Remember that your home builder’s processes, dedication and communication style can all make a bigger impact in your home than even the design. A great builder makes a better home and gives you a better design and build experience.
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Our team designs and builds custom homes in San Jose and throughout the South Bay. Call or contact us any time to learn more.