Buying a house is a big investment, and it is a very exciting time for you and your family. Even more exciting is the opportunity to customize and help design with a home contractors. Before you sign with a company for the construction of your future house, do some research?
When you walk into one of those amazingly decorated, lavishing model structures, do your best to look at it from your own family perspective. Nothing is more frustrating that sinking your savings into your dream residence to realize that the utility room is located inconveniently or that the dishwasher is on the opposite side of the kitchen from the cupboards.
While on the tour and while deciding which plan to choose, take note of what comes in the standard price and what is upgrade. A home builder has the advantage of buying in bulk which is why changing little things like paint and light fixtures greatly impacts the price you will pay. Take note of what will be included in the asking price of the floor plan you are considering, and begin to consider what is a feasible upgrade for you and what will be easy for you to upgrade on your own after closing. You may find that a small change that you want like a different shower rod may be a one hundred dollar price hike, when you can make the replacement yourself for fifteen bucks at a later date.
Be stern about your expectations involving the timeline a home builder provides. There will be setbacks like storms and weather delays, but those possibilities should be factored into the timeline estimate. If your future neighbor is building, and he is in constant communication with the contractors to make sure they are on task and on time and you are not your own advocate, guess whose house will close first?
Also make an agreement about what the consolation will be if the home builder has to extend. A common occurrence is for a family to move out of a rental or sell a previous place with the intent of sliding right in the new place. What compensation will there be if you end up in a hotel for a few weeks because your new house was not ready at the promised date? The more adamant you are that you will require compensation for being put out of a place to live, the more likely the contractor is going to make you a priority.
A home builder will usually provide a one year warranty for repair and a three year warranty on larger fundamental things like foundations and structure. A lot of buyers do not realize that as a part of a package they are buying new appliances. You own those appliances and they should come with a warranty. Ask the home builder for all the appliance warranties and you will be able to fall back on them should you be out of the time jurisdiction agreed upon in your original contract.