Building a new home is a complex project that involves a lot of decision-making and a great deal of activities that need to be well coordinated. The range of options and the scope of the work can leave some homeowners stuck in a cycle of deliberation that lasts months or even years.
In truth, getting started really only involves a few simple but important decisions to consider. There are three key steps for starting the process of building a house:
1. Define your vision and priorities
Essentially, you need to define the things that matter most to you.
2. Assess feasibility
Conduct a gut-check on your priorities to make sure your must-haves don’t add up to more than your allowable budget.
3. Finalize the Plan
An experienced builder will have the expertise to guide you through the complexities of planning and building a new home.
The key point is to focus exclusively on these key decision points in order to have a firm plan and have the right experts engaged to guide you. You don’t need to have every home detail decided at this point - save that debate over wood versus vinyl windows for later. Momentum is everything and each day you delay project initiation is another lost day before you break ground.
1. Define your Vision and Priorities
Start with a simple question: why do we want to build a house? Is it for the ability to make it distinctly your own? A legacy to leave to your children? A unique location that hasn’t been developed? Review these carefully and determine which priorities jump to the top of the list.
Consider location. Are there specific features that are important to make your home a success? You don’t need to pinpoint a particular building lot, but be sure to note the aspects of location that are important to you. It might be proximity to a lake or a park, freeway access, or hospitals or schools in the vicinity. These factors will be relevant when choosing a builder. As an example, some builders offer neighborhood homes in a variety of communities.
Think about the size and style of the home you’d like to build too, but you don’t need to be exact at this point. You’ll explore plenty of options later on.
2. Assess the Feasibility of your Plan
In step 1, you considered some important questions:
Why do I want to build a home?
Where do I want to build a home?
What sort of home do I want to build?
It may not seem like much, but it’s enough information to get a productive conversation going with some experienced industry professionals who can help you narrow down your options. So who should you talk to?
You’ll need an architect to complete a finished design for your home. You’ll also need a builder to build it, likely with many subcontractors to help with specialized work like plumbing and electrical. Natale Builders has an integrated team with Architectural Design professionals in-house to ensure a seamless connection between the design and build of a custom home.
An experienced home building team will work with you to make your dream home a reality. If your ambitions prove to exceed your budget, the builder can model different options for you. For example, the builder may offer a range of elegantly designed floor plans that can reduce costs and accelerate the construction timeline.
3. Finalize the Plan
Now that you’ve worked with the building experts to determine the most important home specifications and features, these decisions are documented in the form of a contract. This gives the green light for an architectural designer to begin designing your home.
During a pre-construction meeting with the project manager you’ll have the opportunity to review the floor plans. During these early stages you’ll also meet with an Interior Designer to select interior and exterior finishes.
Don’t Defer your Dream Home
Starting the process of building a home can certainly seem intimidating, but with the right focus on a few fundamental questions and an experienced building partner to guide you through, you may wonder later why you hesitated at all.
With over 50 years of building experience, Natale Builders has the team depth and the experience to make your dream home a reality. Contact us to get your plan started.
