How to choose a custom home builder
How to choose a custom home builder
Custom built homes have been increasing over the recent years and for good reason. The finished prod-uct is truly your dream home as it's exactly personalized to you. There won't be any floors or cabinets you "just have to live with". It will have your personality worked through every wall, window and fixture. It will be truly unique and not the same as all the other houses in your neighbourhood.
Choosing a home builder is an integral part of the process. Building a custom home requires a big com-mitment and will most likely require a lot of time. Most people aren't familiar with home building so will rely on the home builder for guidance and advice. For this reason, it's best to select a home builder who communicates well and that you are comfortable with. Here are some steps to select the right custom home builder for your project.
1. Create shortlist of prospective home builders
Some ways to find prospective builders are through referrals, web searches and local home-builders as-sociations. You can meet or conduct phone interviews with prospects to help you narrow down your search. Signing with a builder is a big commitment. The single most important factor in a custom building project is how well you and your builder communicate. It is better to invest a bit more to get a builder who you are comfortable with.2. Find a builder experienced in the style you prefer
While builders may build in a variety of design styles and architectural details some may be more experi-enced in certain styles. It would be best to seek a builder who's portfolio includes at least some exam-ples of the style of home you want. A builder whose entire portfolio consists of contemporary homes may not be the best fit for that highly traditional home you seek and vice-versa.3. Make sure the home builder has after construction support
Even a brand new, expertly built custom home is going to have some small issues from time to time. It'll be extremely helpful to select a builder who will be there for you long after construction is over for any issues, touchups or fixes that arise. Some builders have dedicated Customer Service teams whose sole responsibility is attending to their homes post-construction.4. Having design support is a huge plus
A good way to smooth out the construction process is to work with a builder who collaborates with pro-fessional Building Designers and Interior Designers. The Building Designer and Interior Designer will cre-ate your custom home according to your desired aesthetics. From these plans the builder can then give you a detailed quote. This ensures that your custom home is completed to your specifications. Triple H Construction uses CA Design from Qualicum Beach for your design needs.5.Contact references
Contact previous customers to ask them whether they are happy with their homes. A few great questions to ask: Would you buy another home from this builder? Or recommend them to close friends or family? Don't forget to ask for the key reasons why a past home buyer would or would not recommend a builder.6.Walk through one of their homes
Pictures are great but many things cannot be determined from them as well as many things can be hid-den. Builders with dedicated model homes allow you to experience firsthand the paint colors, counter-tops, floor plans and finishes. Even if the builder doesn't have dedicated model homes perhaps they can allow you to view some near finished projects.7.Visit one of their construction sites
A visit to a current construction site will give you an indication of their construction crew's tidiness, stor-age practices, quality of workmanship and conductIf you are looking for a new home builder in the Parksville or Qualicum Beach areas please don't hesitate to contact us at (250) 248-8942.