Friday, October 29, 2010

Comparing Builders

One of these days someone will invent an easier way to compare custom builder quotes to one another.  It is not easy.  I just had a prospect who asked me to help him compare the two bids because it was so difficult.  When comparing build contracts, it is always best to start with a good set of plans.  From there, you need to understand what comes standard with the home.  By standard, I mean what does the foundation consist of, what materials are used in the walls, roof, electrical, plumbing, windows, doors, sheetrock, etc.  Basically all the things that it takes to build a home before actual preference items come into play.  Preference items are often referred to as "allowance" items, items which you have a say in how they are finished out.  That would be things like lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, flooring, counter top materials, paint finishes, trim, hardware, etc.  Most builders have allowances that drive the budget, because most of the things that make up the home are driven by building code.  So the biggest trick for you the homeowner, is to somehow level the playing field by fully understanding your allowance items and the abilities you have to control those costs.  If I give you a 30K budget for flooring, and my competitor gives you a 25K budget for flooring- then one of us is off.  It's our jobs to make sure we crawl inside your mind and fully understand what's important to you so that you don't have a bad experience when it comes time to select your finish out.  That's why we take so much time during the bid process.  We don't want anybody cussing at us 6 months down the road after we've signed a contract.  So in summary, fully understand your allowances, make sure they are consistent with all bidders and make sure the baseline of the home is being built according to code and plan and you should be on your way.  Happy Halloween everybody.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Timeline to Build

When planning to build a home, the big question that normally comes up is how long does it take to build.  I would say on average it is a 90 day process for plan design, and approximately 8 months for the construction phase.  We don't average 8 months, we do better but there are a lot of key factors that can impact build time.  Weather is a factor, availability of labor and materials, and a huge one is timeliness of customer decisions.  With proper planning, we've finished projects inside 4 months- although that is rare and not preferred.  We also have worked very hard to develop a communication process that keeps everyone on the same page in regards to management of the entire project.  That focus alone has increased efficiency and saved both us and our customers thousands of dollars.  If you are considering building, start the planning process close to a year out for your family's move.  That should give you plenty of time and less stress and will help you enjoy the process much more.