Are you building a new custom home? Maybe a second dwelling? Or planning an extensive remodeling?
“There are so many things to focus on. From breaking ground to setting up electricity and plumbing, there are plenty of steps to take until the move-in day,” points out Big Horn Rentals. “Even if you are just remodeling, you still face a lot of decisions on the way.” In this article, we’ll list some smart construction tips for homeowners like you so you’ll be better equipped for dealing with construction challenges.
Tip #1: Leave Room in The Budget
When you are constructing a home you could face more expenses expected. Of course, the base costs are the materials and time it takes to build or remodel the home, but there are more potential expenses that may be hard to consider, at first. Here are a few examples of these expenses:
- Your builder might have to obtain special permits to continue the work. This incurs extra fees.
- Labor costs may change when you have a longer project. The work hours of subcontractors may increase along the way.
- Land altering comes with additional expenses. Sometimes you can’t start the construction without clearing trees and removing large rocks.
Tip #2: Find the Best Builder
You’ll face an array of options when looking for the right builder. It’s best to opt for a builder who regularly works with the type of home you are planning to have built or remodeled. Take care to ensure that your builder is bonded and insured. The relevant insurances are Builder’s Risk, General Liability, and Worker’s Compensation. They should also know local level regulations for the municipalities, regional, or county regulatory jurisdictions construction is being done in – the municipal and local governments typically follow the Uniform Building Code; plumbing or electrical contractors are regulated within the state level.
Tip #3: Plan According to your Lifestyle
Hope for the best, plan for the worst! Sometimes, delays happen, and these might be due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control; for example, a major storm may hit the area, or a sub-contractor may exit the business. Reliable construction companies do their best to overcome challenges, but you can still experience delays.
Tip #4: Design Planning
Home design is an important step in any home construction. Even if you are doing an extensive revamp, you should still think through every aspect of your home’s design. Focus on the long-term plans. When you look through the lens of today’s lifestyle, you might regret some planning choices tomorrow. Making this work means accounting for life events, such as having young children or getting ready for retirement. Working with a trusted interior designer can help ensure a house becomes a home.
Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Construction Company
Here is a list of questions that helps you find the best service provider for your needs.
- Do you have an established office? You might want to ensure that your construction company has a permanent address. It’s better to remove any prospective companies that haven’t secured a permanent physical location.
- Do you hold a license and are you registered? Holding a license shows that your contractor takes courses and participates in training events. Additionally, you could ask about the educational efforts, certifications held, and ongoing training courses and events.
- Do you provide a safety plan? Quality contractors provide you with a detailed and highly specific safety plan. This plan ensures that the on-site work stands up to the environment, health, and safety standards. Also, a safety plan should incorporate information related to insurance coverage.
- How long have you done this? Opt for an experienced company that has references to show for their quality and work. Don’t rely only on new or old references – it’s better to see a wider mix because for more reliable data.
- What are your terms of payment? Price is an essential part of every agreement. It’s very important to clearly define payment terms. Every detail relating to payments should get reflected in your agreement with the service provider. This includes payment timeline and specified methods.
In a Nutshell: Smart Construction Tips for Homeowners
Regardless, if you are building a custom home or getting a major revamp done, there are ways you can make everything run a little bit smoother.
Summary
- Find the best builder for your needs and ask a lot of relevant questions.
- Plan the home build or remodeling project based on your lifestyle.
- Absorb the negative effects of any delays by working with your contractor on how to get back on track.
- Always leave extra room in your construction budget.
5 Comments
It makes sense that you would want to work with a builder that had experience with the type of home that you wanted. My husband and I are thinking about building a custom home soon so that we can have a house that fits our family and our lifestyle better. We’ll have to look for builders that have experience with custom homes because I think that would help make sure that the whole process would go smoother, and that we’d end up with a better final result.
That’s a good point that you should leave extra room in the budget for things like labor costs. My husband and I are talking about building a custom home on the outskirts of town next year. We will be sure to leave a safety cushion in the budget and keep this in mind as we start the design process.
I never knew that there might be more expenses than we expected once the construction project had started until you mentioned it. We thought that setting a final budget for the dream house we want would suffice, but I guess that isn’t enough. It might be better to ask for estimates from construction companies first so we can at least provide more budget than the expected total cost for the project.
Quick tip, before hiring a builder, drive past their previous jobs and speak to the homeowners. 🙂 You’re welcome!
In my limited experience having a custom home built, things are always more expensive than you think they will be. From conversations i’ve had with others who are more experienced than me, unexpected costs will always be a part of the game, it’s how you budget for them that makes the difference between a success build and a poor investment. Nice post!