Building process

Selecting the right lot to accommodate your needs is critical. You can always renovate a home, but your land is your land. Things to consider include: 

• Amount of acreage
• Location in the community
• Orientation of the property
• The views
• Gated or non-gated
• Amount of frontage

Once you’ve locked down your homesite, it’s time to decide who’s going to build your home. You can:

• Work with your builder of choice 

 It’s time to schedule your design meeting.

This is where the fun begins, since the home in your head (or in the design file you’ve been building) will soon be the home on your land. In developing the design, you’ll want to think about: 

• The size of the home
• The number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• One story or two?
• Any other necessities, like a wine cellar or gourmet kitchen
• The general look and style of the architecture
• Material must-haves
• How the home will sit on the land
• Your budget

Don’t want to design your home from scratch? Your builder should have existing floorplans for you to choose from.

 Once the design decisions are made, your builder will be able to price the home. Once you’re happy with it, you’ll sign your purchase agreement. Tip: If the price is beyond your budget, easy edits can often make the difference. Your builder should be able to recommend material, architectural, or floorplan changes to get you where you need to be. 

Now, it's time to get financing. Your land professional should be able to refer you to a lender if you don’t have one. Good news: you may be able to do a one-time close for your land loan and home mortgage, which will streamline paperwork. 

The bulk of decisions about what your home is going should have been made during the design step, but now you get to make final finish and fixture choices for everything from countertops to flooring to kitchen and bath hardware. For many people, this is the best part of the whole process. If you’re not one of them, your builder should be able to help guide your choices or refer you to a designer who can help. 

 It’s almost time to start building, but first you’ll need to have your plans approved by our committee for accuracy.   It’s the committee’s job to make sure your plans are sound and everything complies with the Building Code. 

 It’s the day you’ve been waiting for! From the time the first scoop of dirt is scooped out of the ground, it will be a whirlwind of activity. You can expect several milestones:

• Site preparation—excavation of the land and lot staking to mark where your home will sit
• Foundation and framing—The home is starting to take shape.
• The “meat” of the house—installation of the mechanicals (your heating and cooling, plumbing, and electric), insulation and drywall
• Flooring and paint—Finishing touches like cabinets and trim are also going in.
• Fixtures and appliances—It’s time for lighting, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, and appliances. Landscaping may also go in now.  

 When your house is finished, you’ll do a walk through. This is the time to inspect every inch of the house and ask questions. Once you have all the answers and all the details addressed, it's time to close.