Home For those building their homes...

[laughwithme]

Any words of advice? What would you do again, or not do again?

What route did you take from an agent/lawyer standpoint - did you hire a buyer''s agent to guide you through close, and/or a lawyer to review the contract? Was the agent''s fee included in home price or separate (I''ve heard both ways on new builds.)

What sort of hidden fees/strings should I look out for?



We will begin building in July...the plan is to reserve the lot basically the week after we return from our honeymoon. We have chosen the neighborhood and model. FI is an electrical engineer so he has the entire thing modeled on CAD, for furniture layout/plans/etc.

We are very much in agreement on different options we like...darker cabinets, stainless appliances, carpet, etc.

The builder''s agent has been great thus far in terms of answering questions but of course, we are wanting someone on our side.

Can''t wait for the process to begin...just gotta get married first

 

[soocool]

We built over 14 years ago (private builder) and hired a real estate attorney to protect our interests. At least consult one before you sign any contracts. For example, we added to our contract that if the house was not completed by a certain date our builder had to pay our living expenses if we sold and moved out of our house. Also, builder was not allowed to make any changes unless approved by us in writing, etc.

My neighbors, whose house was also built by the same builder, technically got screwed. The windows he said (not in writing) he would put in (Pella) indeed was not but a cheap brand. He gave them vanities without drawers and no mirrors and no doorbell. There was a lot of other stuff they did not get and were bewildered why we did. We had it detailed in writing and filed with an attorney while they only had his word.

ETA: make sure you get the warranties/paperwork associated with your cabinets, flooring, windows, etc. After 10 years our cabinet hnges were failing and because we had the lifetime warranty in our possesion they were all replaced (over 40 of them) free of charge.

Also, if you ever think you will finish your basement make sure you have a point of egress (either door or appropriate size window) if you do not have a walk out basement. Much more expensive to add on later.

 

[luvmyhalo]

Definitely go the route socool did and hire someone to iron out all the contract details. Also, when the home is finished, hire a Home Inspector to make sure everything is as it should be. Most people do this when purchasing a resale home but not many do it on new construction. Soooo important!!!! Good luck and have fun!

 

[Dandi]

If your builder takes installment payments, hold the last payment ransom until you have inspected every inch of the house and are satisfied! Paying some builders in full, then anticipating they will come back to fix problems, often do not go hand in hand, as we unfortunately discovered.

 

[waterlilly]

Had some friends build last year. They were first time home owners and knew nothing about construction, wood working, etc. Their house is very cheaply made, the builders basically used the cheapest quality materials possible and cut corners everywhere. To the average person - everything looks clean and new and perfect. My best friend''s husband is a carpenter and does amazing woodworking projects as a hobby - he quietly pointed out the many many flaws in the house and cheapo materials while we were there for a party recently. He was horrified and really struggling with whether he should say something or not.

Do some research ahead of time or find a consultant/friend, etc. that knows something about building houses to last. You''ve definitely got a head start since your husband is an EE, now see if he''s got any friends that are construction/civil engineers to consult!

Congrats on your upcoming new place, very exciting!

 

[Steel]

How exciting!

I can't offer you any specific advice as I did things a little differently and self-built (ie DIY; no builder) except this...

Protect yourself as much as you can but do take care to bear in mind that your builder is a person who is going to work on your project to earn money to pay his/her rent and bills etc. Builders are people too and if a mistake is made it is just that, a mistake. Not a personal attack or attempt to screw you over. Keep your cool at all times and remember that if you change your mind and the builder has already passed a point of no return then you should pay more and expect that nobody likes to do a job twice.