Things to Consider

For most of us, building a home is a huge step and a scary one too. There are many things to consider along the way. Remember the old 5 W's from English class in grade school?

As adults, these are the same questions we need to ask ourselves before taking on a project as big as a new home. Let's run through these questions, although I am going to change the order just a bit.

1. When - When is it time to build a new home?
   1. When the family has outgrown the current one. (bigger)
   2. When the kids have grown and left home. (smaller)
   3. When you have to relocate due to a new job.
   4. When the interest rates are good and you are now ready to make the move.
2. Where - Where am I going to build this new home?
   1. Where we will have a view and be above the ice fog. (only Alaskans know this one)
   2. Where I will be closer to work.
   3. Where we will have a fire service district to protect our home.
   4. Where we will have more privacy and room for dogs and horses.
3. Why - Why am I wanting to build a new home?
   1. Why can't I find anything on the market exactly like I want?
   2. Why does my job keep moving me?
   3. Why did we say we wanted 5 kids??
4. What - What is my dream home like?
   1. What style of home do I want?
   2. What home plan will work on my land?
   3. What do we do next?
5. Who - Who are we going to get to build us this new dream home?
   1. This question is just as important as all the others, maybe even more so. There are a lot of contractors out there, so how do you choose?
      1. We are firm believer's in "you get what you pay for." Not only will you have a very close relationship with your builder for 6 months to a year but in a lot of cases, we have become great friends with people that we have built for.
      2. When choosing a contractor for you new home, don't just look at the bottom line dollar amount. Read the fine print on the contract you are given. (Our contracts do not have any fine print) Make sure when you compare contractors, you are comparing apples to apples, so to speak.
      3. Ask around town; ask Bankers, Realtors, Title Companies, the guy down the street that just had a new home built.
      4. And most importantly, talk to the builder. You have to feel like you can trust this person to follow the job through from beginning to end. You need to feel comfortable telling him if there is a problem. You have to trust that this person is going to have your best interest in mind when he chooses subcontractors and materials for your home. You need to feel confident that he has the knowledge and experience to do the best possible job for you.

We may not be the right builder for everyone and that is fine. We are a small contractor, and we only build up to 6 homes per year. People who choose us as their contractor want quality in their homes, special features that only we do and the assurance that the job will be done right, the first time.