If you are thinking of having your own home, this may be the best time to have it. Nowadays that people are staying at home, monitoring the step-by-step process from start to finish may be easier than before.
Although you have probably heard of nightmare stories of home building this must not stop you from having your dream home come true. The key is having the right home builder. It is highly important that you know the basics in order to get the right home builder for you. Here are 5 things to look for in a home builder or contractor.
1. Stable Portfolio
Whether you are in the market to look for a new home, a condominium, or a custom-built one, you would want to make sure that your home contractor or builder would also be an effective partner that would suit your taste and lifestyle. Montgomery Homes for example, is a home builder that you can work with. Reliable contractors often have their portfolios on their website for easy viewing.
2. Good Reviews and Feedback
Just like any product, home builders have reviews. Search for any reviews from sites of the homes they built. And if they have bad reviews it does not necessarily mean that they are bad contractors. Since building houses is very difficult, it is possible there are one or two things that the client is unsatisfied with. You can also actually visit a recently-built home by the contractor. You can also try to introduce yourself to the owners as someone that is planning to buy or build from the same home builder as theirs.
3. Model Homes
If walk-ins are not possible, try watching home building shows that showcase their works. This way you could see how they build homes, some shows even do homes from scratch.
This way you can see how the paint, the cabinets, and even the carpets were done, giving ideas how they use the space and how you could use it too if you plan on having renovations or you want a knock down rebuild.
Many model homes are displayed fully furnished because they want the clients to experience ideas on maximizing the spaces. However, you could always ask the home builder for a sample of their unfurnished homes.
4. Standard Operating Process
There are many things you have to consider when building or renovating a home. Your contractor should be able to present a standard operating procedure that can guide both you and your home builder on how the house should be built, the insurances, the product options and other tips on what to use or not to use.
Some usually have written processes, others have guidelines or flow charts. But if they do not have any of these, you may want to reconsider. The standard operational process is sort of “your eye” over the project, not having it will blind you on the process.
Even in the early stage of your negotiation you could already notice warning signs. If they do or respond to your emails or calls quickly or they are not able to answer your questions reasonably then worse could happen if you have already signed on the dotted line.
5. Flexible Custom Home
You are cashing out a significant investment on building a home so you have to make sure that the home contractor or builder will be able to deliver the house plan that you want. Many production planners have their traditional plans. They want to follow their own plan. You must make it clear a customized home is what you prefer.
The home builders have been doing their jobs for a very long time and it may be your first time so make sure that you also listen to their advice to come up with the best results for your home. However, the bottom line is you are the client so what you are is what should be delivered by the home contractor.
6. Professional Staff
Clients always look for professional home builders. This way they are assured that the work will go on smoothly, it will be done on its due date and with less to zero renovations and headaches.
With being professional comes good service. They should be able to answer your queries and be able to show you how the project works. It is simply because at the end of the day, you really are blinded on what is going on. So a professional home builder will be able to guide you and help you understand the progress and process of your home.
Conclusion
Contractors are primarily responsible for building the house of your dreams. As with every service provider, you should look only for the best to provide you with quality service. If you’re looking for the best contractor, the six qualities mentioned above can greatly help you narrow down your search.
