Question 1

Should I Build a Custom Home?

Accepted Answer

A Custom Home Builder Can Help You Identify the Perfect Lot

A custom home builder has a ready team of real estate agents, architects, engineers, and employees in place to help find the perfect lot for you. Generally speaking, homebuyers don’t have the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to evaluate the lot’s potential.

As a result, a home buyer then will decide to assemble his team of agents, architects, engineers, and employees. This further delays the building of a home.

Another process that slows the purchase contract “study period” a buyer would need to assemble a team. Take note that property sellers don’t want the risks involved in a lengthy study period. If a property seller decides to back out, it’s always a disadvantage for the buyer.

A Custom Home Builder Can Help You Stay Within Your Budget

Compared to handling your team, like hiring your architect, engineer, and builder, it’s best to work with a custom home builder who can help you stay within your budget. Before any contract or construction is made, the builder will give you a rough estimate of the amount you need to set for your custom home project.

With years of experience in the industry, custom home builders are the best source of information for the current prices of construction materials, labour, and other aspects of custom home building. In addition, you can take advantage of the builder’s vast connections and partnerships, from major manufacturers and suppliers of lumber, paints, and roofing materials, to the bathroom and kitchen fixtures at the lowest price possible.

A Custom Home Builder Can Help You Establish Your Vision

Buyers usually have a lack of vision to see the potential of a lot or location. Most homebuyers search for a flat lot. However, flat lots aren’t always the best, and some lots with topography issues might be the best.

You can take advantage of the expertise of a custom builder in finding the best lot because of years spent in one-on-one meetings, letter campaigns, and door-knocking with potential lot sellers.

Build Your Dream Home Faster

Compared to managing your team, hiring a custom home builder makes the planning and construction of your dream home faster. With years of experience, a custom home builder can prepare a plan with a timetable set to finish the project. It means more time, money, and effort saved on your part.

Working With a Custom Home Builder Can Lessen Your Stress

Building a new construction custom home while working on a day job or managing a business can be stressful. You might think you can manage all the activities and pressure at first, but many end up getting burnt out and spending more.

A custom home builder will take care of the tiniest detail of your dream home project. You have to tell the builder what you want, and both parties set realistic expectations for a successful outcome.

Custom home builders can help home buyers find the perfect lot, create a better vision, and finish the project faster and with less stress. Instead of building your team, it’s better to work with a trusted, reputable, and experienced custom home builder to help you set realistic expectations, attain the closest look for your dream home.

Question 2

Is it Cheaper to Build a Custom Home?

Accepted Answer

Pros of Building Your Own Home

There are several pros to building your own home instead of buying one that was constructed to someone else’s specifications.

You can customise the house to your exact desires. For example, you can ensure the primary bedroom has that giant jetted tub you always dreamed of or that your living room has the reading nook you want. Whatever you desire, you can ensure your custom-built home has it.

They can cost less to live in. In addition, new construction tends to be more energy-efficient, and you won’t be heating or cooling any unnecessary or unused spaces.

They can cost less to maintain because everything is new. Also, all new fixtures and appliances mean you have a while before anything needs repair.

You’re not paying for any features or amenities some other homeowner wanted. Every amenity or feature is one that you carefully selected and prioritised, and therefore is worth your investment while you live there.

There’s no competition from other buyers to get the house you want. Building your own home means there is no risk another buyer outbid you.

It’s new, and you’re the first to own it! But, of course, who doesn’t love the fact everything is pristine and perfect?

Cons of Building Your Own Home

It is more expensive than buying an existing home. However, buying an existing home will nearly always be cheaper than building a new home.

You’ll have to handle every little expense, and it can get pricey fast. Some of the factors you’ll need to consider are land costs, foundations, permitting, systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), appliances, finishing, roofing, fixtures, and so much more. For an idea of what these costs can look like, check the helpful chart at the bottom of this article.

Homebuyers, “Materials and finishes truly rack up your budget. People underestimate just how much cabinetry they require, how many tiles, how much flooring materials, and so on.

“Be sure to calculate the measurements of your space, and give yourself wiggle room when ordering your materials. Order a bit extra — always. Mistakes in cabinetry measurements can often be the most costly, for example.”

If you can find and qualify for a build-your-own-house program, you may have a bit more leeway, budget-wise.

Trends might fade more quickly than you think, leaving you with a dated house that is hard to sell.

You don’t have many options for negotiating on price here, but you can make decisions upfront that can help you dial in the cost. Decisions like where to build and how much help to leverage can greatly impact the price tag for your self-built home.

Question 3

Why Build a Custom Home Better?

Accepted Answer

Complete Customisation

As the name suggests, custom home builds are completely customisable. From flooring and wall coverings to amenities and appliances, the future homeowner makes the final decision on every aspect of their custom home. Hate the current quartz countertops in your kitchen?

Let your builders know you want granite. Craving more natural light to brighten up the place? Create a wall of windows to let the sunshine in! Whatever your heart’s desire, your custom home builder is there to make it your reality.

Perfectly Personalised

Custom homes are masterpieces of your personal stylistic preferences waiting to come together before your eyes. By collaborating with an interior designer and architectural expert, you’ll be able to create a space that perfectly represents your tastes, personality, and individual style.

For instance, you might love the opportunity to bring the outdoors in for a closer connection to your natural environment. With a custom home build, you can choose to build a screened-in porch so you can feel more connected to your surroundings. Maybe you have an impressive book collection: Include a small library or built-in shelving for your living area in your custom home building plans.

Functional Floor Plans

It’s hard to find an existing floor plan that’s capable of meeting all of your family’s functionality needs. So when you’re searching for a home through the standard market, odds are you’ll need to make sacrifices when zeroing in on the property you plan to purchase.

However, the custom home building allows you to create the floor plan that makes the most sense for you and your family. Maximise functionality in every inch of your future living space to create the most enjoyable experience possible. Whether you need a walk-in closet to store your expansive shoe collection or a mother-in-law suite for your aging loved one, custom home floor plans make it all possible.

Cost Control

Many mistakenly believe that custom home building requires a much bigger budget than buying an existing home. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case: When you’re in charge of building your home, you decide which materials are used and what features are included in the build.

In essence, you control the price point of each detail that makes its way to the final design of your home. Your custom home builder will help you keep the budget a top consideration during each phase of the building process so you can stay within the realm of affordability with ease.

Quality Construction

Sometimes what first appears to be a solid structure is a money pit when you decide to buy an existing home. With custom home construction, you get to ensure that all materials used are of the highest quality possible.

Especially when you work with Lee Builders, our team partners with the most reputable vendors to provide you with the best possible materials and craftsmanship. By choosing to build a custom home, you’ll ensure that you’re able to enjoy the space for many years to come.

Peaceful Property

Perhaps the only thing more important than the look of your home is its location. Shopping for an existing home limits your possibilities in terms of finding a house that’s structurally sound while also located in an ideal neighbourhood.

Building a custom home allows you more freedom in selecting the perfect property. Whether you’re looking to be part of a community setting or prefer to be on the outskirts of town, you get to choose the place where you feel most comfortable.

Cut Competition

Today’s real estate market is incredibly tumultuous, with competition among buyers at an all-time high. While you’ll still need to bid on land for your custom home build, the competition for these types of properties is much lower than it is for existing homes. That means you’ll be able to secure the place you hope to call home quicker than you would if you chose to purchase an existing home.

Question 4

What to Know Before Building a Custom Home?

Accepted Answer

Your Marital Status

While there’s no right or wrong marital status before building a home, there are some things to consider for different situations.

Your Lifestyle

If you leave this part out of the equation, you could make poor design mistakes. Think about how you live your life today — do you host overnight guests regularly? Do you need a trophy room of some sort? What about your hobbies and habits? For example, if you enjoy going for walks or bike rides, is the location you’re considering safe?

One face of homebuilding commonly misjudged is the amount of storage space you need (now and in the future). The size of closets and built-in storage spaces are often underestimated in the planning phase and can be difficult (and expensive) to add later. Understanding your lifestyle and habits well in advance will make the planning and selection process that much easier (and your house as functional as possible).

Your Financial Situation

You’ll need to crunch the numbers to have an idea of what you’ll be able to afford. And when it comes to building a home vs. buying, the financing process is a little different. Of course, it’s up to you if you want to get pre-approved from a bank first or talk with a builder first, but in most cases, there are a few extra steps you’ll have to take either way.

If you decide to get pre-approved from a bank first, you’re ahead of the game. That being said, not all banks offer construction loans, and some aren’t user-friendly when it comes to the process. A good builder will have relationships with many different banks and help steer you to the bank that fits your needs.

Location, Location, Location

Have you considered all the local building codes and restrictions in the area you’re thinking about building? Unfortunately, these codes can vary from state to state, even from county to county sometimes.

We recommend not purchasing a piece of land without having a building inspection to give you an idea of what you’re up against for things like lot requirements, driveway placement and regulations, attaining utilities, etc. For example, some communities have restrictions regarding overhead power lines, which requires installing underground conduit.

The location and community you live in will have a greater impact on your life than the house you build. This is where you’re going to raise your family, send your children to school, attend church, establish friendships with neighbours, and make your trips to local stores. A lengthy commute might seem tolerable at first, but will it affect your quality of life over time? Try to think long-term when building a home.

Choosing a Builder

Finding a builder is easy. However, finding a builder that fits your wants and needs might take some time. For one, you should pick a company that shares the same design aesthetics as you. Secondly, always check their references — client testimonials, past work, etc.

Prepare for Hiccups

Even if every last detail has been planned out, there are thousands of pieces that have to come together to make your dream home a reality — something unexpected will come up. It’s inevitable, but a good home builder will be dedicated to helping you anticipate these hiccups, guiding you through them as they arise, and minimising your stress.

Question 5

How Do I Choose a Good Custom Home Builder?

Accepted Answer

The best way to choose a builder is to ask local friends and family who have built a home in the area. Then, create a list of builders that friends and family recommend and the builders they were NOT happy with.

Three important things to ask friends and family (or client references):

Did your builder help you stay on budget?
How was the communication with your builder?
How did the builder handle and fix issues that came up during the build?

If you are new to an area or don’t have any friends/family that have built a home locally, you can find builders through your local home builders association (search here).

Other great resources include local real estate agents and mortgage lenders. These professionals have experience with local home builders and typically know each builder’s reputation (good or bad). Ensure that the realtor or lender does NOT have a financial relationship with a builder that could sway their decision!

The bottom line … create your list of potential builders and interview ALL of them. Ask the same questions to each builder and write down all answers for later reference. Just by meeting with each builder, you’ll get a good sense of how you feel about them and how you think it would be to work with them.

Building a home is a lengthy and involved project, so you want to feel GOOD about your builder! Usually, the best decisions are made with your gut … so GO WITH YOUR GUT!

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Melbourne, Victorian Resources

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