Home Remodeling Tips & Tricks

A custom home builder can turn your dream home into a reality, but finding the exact home builder that's right for you can take some time and research. Different home builders have different styles and ways of doing business, so you'll want to shop around and take time to schedule consultations with at least a few builders before you make a decision. As you speak with prospective builders, there are a few questions you'll want to ask that can sometimes be overlooked.

How Do You Prioritize Energy Efficiency?

You don't want to be unpleasantly surprised with sky-high heating and cooling costs when you get settled into your beautiful custom home. This is why it's so important to find out what measures your builder will take to optimize energy efficiency during the design and building process. Specifically, be sure to find out about what kind of insulation will be used and where it will be installed within your home. For example, will the walls and ceiling of your garage be insulated? If not, any rooms above your garage may struggle to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the year.

What Comes Standard With My Home?

This is especially important to ask if you're walking through a model home as part of your consultation. More than likely, the fixtures and finishes in the model home are high-end upgrades that do not come standard. Don't hesitate to ask for a detailed list of every fixture and feature that comes standard in every home your builder designs. This will help you better budget for your project.

How Often Will I Get to See the Home?

While you should be able to drive by the home at any time while it's under construction, you may be limited in how often you can actually perform a walkthrough of the home to check out its progress. Be sure to ask your builder how often they allow for walkthroughs; it is not uncommon to schedule one when the framing is complete and another before finishes and fixtures are installed. And of course, you should always be able to do a thorough walkthrough and inspection before you close and move in.

Choosing a custom home builder can be a nerve-racking decision, but once you find the builder that's good for your needs and budget, you can begin the exciting process of designing and building the home of your dreams at last.

To learn more, contact a custom home building contractor.