Are you in the process of building a new home? After the initial few steps are completed like deciding where you will build, finalizing architecture plans, and choosing a builder the next few months before breaking ground can seem frustrating and mundane. In short you are ready for things to get moving! Read this blog to get our top home building tips!
There are several items that need to be addressed and completed during this time that you may not realize.
Here are some things that need to be handled before your builder can break ground that you can help with:
Home Building Tips: Permits
For the most part, if you have a reliable general contractor (GC) and builder you should not be left to fend for yourself when it comes to permits. Sometimes you can assist to get things moving. A new home build requires electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permits.
Most of the time your builder and GC will get these permits in their names meaning you are off the hook. However, if they ask you to apply for them you can do so after they provide you with the necessary information like building schedule, building requirements, and final inspection information.
Home Building Tips: Survey, Boundary Locating, and Utility Layout
These items are an absolute must! They are often at the bottom of the list for your builder so any help you can provide in obtaining these will only benefit you in the long run. Before breaking ground, your builder needs an official site plan prepared by a surveyor. After getting a recommendation from your builder you can easily get this done on your own.
You will want to make sure that this site plan package includes verification of your property’s boundaries.
The final piece of documentation required by your lender and permit authorities is a buried cable report. This locates any and all gas and electrical lines to prevent any damage during the initial ground breaking.
Home Building Tips: Building material purchasing and Delivery schedule
Most of the time your GC and builder have a supplier(s) that they generally work with. If this is the case with your builder and GC take advantage of it because these relationships will come in handy for prompt delivery or ordering additional material.
Making sure that your builder and GC have ordered all necessary materials in enough time to meet the date for breaking ground is something that you can keep on top of.
You will also want to make sure that they have allotted enough time for special order or hard to find items.
Home Building Tips: Organization
As the homeowner it is your responsibility to choose lighting, plumbing fixtures, paint/stain colors, cabinetry, siding, carpeting, decking, and flooring at various stages during the construction process.
Many builders will provide you with the timeline but if they do not you can easily make your own. By keeping a journal of these dates and your selections you can easily refer to them whenever you need to throughout the building process.
And…when you home is finished this is a tangible timeline for the creation of your new home that you can keep! You can also include before and after photos along the way.
Building a new home is exciting but can also be one of the most stressful things that you will do in your life! By staying on top of things you will prevent surprises and make sure that things go as expected!
