It is important that you choose the right contractor when building your dream home. Choosing a builder/contractor affects every aspect of the project. Whether you are building on your land or a lot the builder/contractor owns, there are many contractors in the marketplace and to have a well-built home and enjoy the building process you need to hire the right one. Whether you have purchased vacant land for sale yourself, or plan to build on a lot owned by the contractor, location is everything. You need to love where you are building! That’s first and foremost. You’ll never love your new home if you don’t love its location!
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A CONTRACTOR
- Experience: Make sure the contractor you want to choose has experience. Look at the years that the contractor has been in the construction industry. It is important that you align the skills of the contractor with the home you want to be built. New contractors might not have the experience and skills to provide the quality service that you want. An experienced building contractor will have the skills and the facilities to build your home.
- Reputation: The contractor’s reputation is a valuable asset. Look at the reputation of the contractor. A contractor gets a good reputation from consistently providing quality services. Look at online reviews of the contractor and try to interact with the contractor’s previous customers. Know more about what they think of the contractor. Word of mouth is also a good way to know about the contractor’s reputation. Talk to people that have worked with contractor, used the contractor and worked alongside the contractor e.g. building inspectors
- Past work: Look at past works of the contractor. Most contractors put the pictures and details of previous houses they have constructed on their website. Before you choose a contractor visit completed projects and make sure they are up to par with your expectations, visit jobs in progress and see the construction taking place, look for ideas that you have not thought of and get an impression of the contractor’s work, professionalism and culture. If you like what you see, then you can choose that contractor.
- Time: Make sure the contractor you want to build your home in the land for sale that you bought is time conscious. Time is important. Make it clear that you do not negotiate your deadline, you do not want excuses and you will not tolerate delay. Make sure the contractor provides you with a start date and a completion date. Research the policies and guarantees of the contractor. Know if other customers have complained about delays and missed deadlines.
- Choose as early as possible: If you want to build a home on the vacant land for sale that you bought then it is imperative that select a contractor at the beginning. Start early. Take your time in choosing your contractor. Being in a hurry or putting yourself in an emergency that will cost you money and time. Provide clear directions on what you want.
- Ask the right questions: Have a question guide that will show the considerations and discussion you will have with the potential contractor. Questions such as what facilities does the contractor have, what differentiates the contractor from its competitors, does the contractor have insurance, how are construction schedules created, what type of contract is offered, do they have the necessary licenses and are health and safety programs complied with. Ask questions. Know if the contractor is accessible and available. Ask for references and follow up. Ask about the contractor’s area of expertise and if the contractor works with subcontractors.
Article authored by Rachel Stinson
Rachel blogs about food, fashion, home improvements and sports to name just a few.
I love that you brought up the importance of setting clear expectations regarding when your home will be completed. Now that my wife is pregnant, we would like to build a home with three bedrooms to ensure that our child will have their own place to sleep at night, but we need to make sure that the project is done before they are born this winter. We’ll find a professional that can get the job done on time.
I think it’s great that you mentioned the importance of communicating your expectations to the builder you hire so that they can complete your project by a specified deadline. Now that my wife and I have been offered a job in another city, we would like to have a house built near the office we’ll be working at and need to make sure that the project is finished before we start packing our belongings. We’ll see if we can find someone that will get the job done quickly.
I’m thankful that you talked about how you should ensure that a contractor is reputable by making sure that they have received positive feedback on the internet. My wife and I recently inherited some money from my late aunt this month and would like to use the money to build an affordable house so that our grandchildren will be able to stay with us during the summer. We’ll find a professional that will help us build the house that we need for our family.
Thank you for mentioning how reading the feedback that a contractor has received and speaking to their previous clients can help you gauge the quality of their services. Now that my uncle has decided to retire next year, he would like to have a spacious house built without any staircases since his weak knees limit his mobility options. He should find a builder that can get the job done right.
I love that you mentioned how you can decide whether or not a contractor is reputable by contacting some of the people they have worked with in the past. I remember my brother telling me that he was thinking about building a spacious home with multiple safety features since he will be having twins next year, and he needs to find an expert that can help him come up with ways to keep his property safe. He should consider finding someone that has satisfied their previous customers.
You made a good point when you said that I should start looking for a home builder as early as possible so I would have the time to choose the right one. My husband and I recently bought vacant land in the countryside. We plan to have a vacation house built there, so I’ll tell my husband to start looking for a home builder. Thanks.