How to Choose a New Home Builder

The most important decision you’ll ever make when building a custom home is finding the right builder. Whether your buying or building a condo, townhouse, a single family home in a large development or a custom home on your own land you need to know your buying a good quality home from a skilled, reputable home builder.

Choose wisely and you’ll have a true partner that will bring to life your dream home. A home you and your family will love living in for years to come. Or an investment property you can sell or rent to make money on. Either way you need the right builder to achieve whatever your goals may be. Settle for less than the best and you may live to regret it. Not just during the build but for years to come when you either live in or try to sell your new home.

Once you’ve thought of the type of house you want and possibly have plans you can create a list of potential builders. Here are some tips to consider before choosing your custom home builder.

Focus on Quality

A home isn’t a temporary thing or something that you can easily redo if the builder makes mistakes. It’s important to get it right the first time. This is the place you and your family will spend their life in. The last thing you want to worry about are repairs, especially if the problems are structural and may be difficult and costly to repair.

Your #1 priority when selecting a home builder should be the quality of their work. Ask to see past projects. The internet makes it so easy to see a builders past work. Ask for references and most importantly ask to see current jobs while their ongoing. Seeing finished homes are great but you can’t see what in the walls or foundation. Seeing a job as it progresses is invaluable. You can make sure the builder does everything correctly and doesn’t cut any corners or cover up mistakes.

Do Your Homework

Narrowing your search for a builder can be overwhelming. It’s a big job for sure but an important one. A great thing to do is drive around some affluent neighborhoods where construction is going on and see who’s building. At www.gambrick.com we get a lot of subcontractors that way. We tour other job sites and see subcontractors work first hand before we hire them. This ensures we get the best craftsmen working on every home for our clients. If it works for us it’ll work for you. When you have a list of potential builders one or two will stand out. Start to ask questions.

Transparency is Crucial

The best builders, or companies for that matter, are transparent. If they hide details about how they build or who works on their jobsite’s thats a huge red flag. At Gambrick we are 100% transparent about every aspect of construction and every subcontractor that works on our jobs, as any reputable business should be. You have a right to know who’s working on your home and you should ask.

Never be afraid to ask questions. Remember there are no stupid questions. Ask your builder whatever’s on your mind and expect them to have a good answer.

Expect Value

Finally expect a good value for your money. Don’t just hire the lowest bidder or get 3 estimates and take the one in the middle. That’s crazy. Choosing a home builder is too important a decision to just decide on price. But expect good value. The best builders will be more expensive and you’ll get your money’s worth, but don’t get ripped off or over charged. Pay the going rate for a good quality, experienced builder. Just don’t over pay.

If a builder takes a long time to respond to you when you call that’s bad. You want to be treated like your their #1 customer. You want your questions answered, your concerns met and a good quality home for a reasonable price. That’s good value.

Finally you want a home that’s been crafted to your family’s needs. No matter who you choose there may be issues along the way, but choosing the right builder will make the process a smooth and stress free experience. Pay a little more to work with the best. It’ll be well worth the extra money spent.