Home Builders' Advantage: 7 Surefire Strategies To Make Homebuilding A Snap!

When I work with people preparing to build a home, I often ask them if they're committed to having a great home building experience. The doubtful stares tell me they have no clue how to ensure that their home building experience is a good one!nnHorror stories of lost money, poor quality, divorce, and projects that weren't completed are often passed one to another. And they keep many people from building the home of their dreams. What about you?nnOver the years, I've developed seven surefire strategies that have been exceptionally useful for my clients and make building a home a snap! nnSTRATEGY #1: HOME BUILDING RESEARCH, STUDY, LEARNnnNothing replaces knowledge when you attempt to build or remodel. You need to learn things about building materials, home design, contractors, home values, financing, and building sites to name the most important ones. nnBooks, internet sites, magazines, and articles are just a few of your resources. The more you learn, the better choices you'll make, the better home you'll build, and the better your experience will be.nnSTRATEGY #2: AS A HOME OWNER BUILDER, DECIDE WHAT YOU REALLY WANTnnTake what you're learning and combine that with what you want in a home and list your priorities. If you're building or remodeling with a spouse or partner, this becomes even more crucial.nnHave a mutual understanding of what you both want and merge your goals together into one. Do it before you pick a home plan or involve an architect. Starting with the end in mind has the tremendous advantage of having a clear goal that doesn't keep changing on you. A moving target is hard to hit!nnSTRATEGY #3: CHOOSE A GOOD PARCEL OF LAND TO BUYnnWhere you want to live is quite personal. Real estate agents can give you some help but even there, most of them will want to give you some areas to look at and then suggest you drive around and decide what areas suit you. Consider the following: nn-- Make sure there is an available power source nearbyn-- Determine the value of the land and homes in the arean-- Evaluate the parcel for a suitable building siten-- Be sure you're happy with its proximity to entertainment and servicesnnSTRATEGY #4: GET CLEAR ON YOUR HOME BUILDING BUDGETnnIf you're working within a budget, you need to know what that budget is! The guiding principle is to figure what you want your monthly payment to be. Then, you can easily find out what amount of mortgage that will get you. nnWhen you're building, there are more variables in costs than when you're buying an existing home. So, allow for some wiggle room. In other words, don't set your building budget to the max. This will allow you to enjoy your experience far more.nnSTRATEGY #5: SELECT OR DESIGN YOUR OWN HOUSE PLANnnNow is the time to hone in on everything you want in the home and its design. Having great clarity here is vital but not always easy. I recommend that you look at a lot of existing homes as well as a lot of plans. I suggest you look at model homes which will help you visualize what certain house plans actually look like.n nThe right home plan also means it's one that can be built within budget. If you have prioritized the list of things you want it becomes far easier to make decisions on what stays and what has to go to fit that budget.nnSTRATEGY #6: WORK WITH GOOD HELP – FIND THE RIGHT BUILDERSnnEveryone at times needs good help. When we need a doctor, or a lawyer, or an accountant, we get one. Building a home is no exception. Get good help! n nThe most important professionals to consider using include the following:nn-- Architects, designers, drafters and engineersn-- Bank officers, Mortgage Brokers, and other lendersn-- General Contractors, developers, and subcontractorsn-- Real estate agents, real estate lawyersnnSTRATEGY #7: MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONSn nUnderstand that because of the complexity of the project and the number of people that will be involved, you will likely experience some challenges. This final principle is often the determining factor in whether or not your experience is a struggle or a pleasant experience that you'll treasure. No one can control every aspect at all times.nnThe number one key to managing your expectations is to take the position that your professionals are there to minimize mistakes and problems, but more importantly, they should be there to communicate them to you and to solve them when they arise. If your expectations are reasonable, you'll be far more likely to enjoy the process. And, of course, you *are* committed to having a great home building experience, aren't you?n