How to build a custom home with a custom home builder
Can a custom home builder make your dreams come true? Building a home to your own design and specifications can be not only inspiring but also scary. Acting as your own builder can mean all the decisions come down to you, along with the risks. That’s why it’s important to choose a custom home builder with the reputation and knowledge to give you the house of your dreams.
If you have to finance the building of a custom home, you’ll have to get a construction loan or construction mortgage. Be aware not all lenders offer these. You’ll need an excellent credit rating and a 20 to 25 percent down payment for the land (unless you already own a lot) and construction costs. If you buy the materials yourself, you might end up paying more than a custom home builder, who can buy them in bulk.
Choose the location for your custom home builder
Location, location, location—that’s what Realtors will tell you. You might want a home that’s well away from any neighbors, or you might want your custom home to be part of a vibrant and established community. Not every custom home builder can build wherever you like, so be clear about your desires for location.
Your custom home also needs to match the landscape, rather than the other way around. Match the design and the layout to meet the lay of the land.
If you own a property on which you want to build a home, you can start looking for a custom home builder. Check references and visit other homes the builder has constructed to ensure the business is capable of delivering the kind of home you dream of.
Decide on your needs
What kind of home do you need? How many bedrooms? Bathrooms? A custom home builder needs to understand what you require and want in a home to deliver a great final product.
You also need to communicate the features that will make your custom-built home your dream. Such options might include the size of your garage, balconies, hobby rooms, space for a workshop and in-law apartments.
Get to know the basic floor plans
You could hire an architect, or you can work with a builder who provides you with a range of realistic, fully customizable basic home layouts.
Rainey Homes has 76 variations in custom home layouts. These are starting points for your custom-built home. Our basic layouts have models with two, three, four or five bedrooms in a range of styles that fit into the Daybreak communities, for example, and others that truly stand out and reflect owners’ unique tastes.
Rainey’s homes also range in size from 1,500 to over 4,700 finished square feet. That range affords a lot of different options and features to accommodate many variations in family size and needs.
Sustainable building
For many homeowners today, it’s important their homes be built with environmentally sustainable materials and practices. To a quality builder, energy efficiency and green building practices mean a more durable, energy efficient and livable home.
For example, the choice of windows can make a huge difference in a home. Energy efficient windows and doors save a homeowner money over the long term in heating and air-conditioning costs.
Durable roofing materials that last 40 or 50 years reduce long-term maintenance and repair costs for homeowners, and using recycled materials for decks means they’ll never need to be repainted or stained again.
Environmentally conscious choices in flooring and paints can reduce emissions of potentially harmful chemicals in the interior of a home over time, making it more livable.
Get to know the finishes
Often, it’s the final choices that make the difference in a home: factors such as hardwood floors, granite countertops, paints, baseboards and other finishing touches.
Before you choose a custom home builder in North Salt Lake Utah, take a careful look at the builder’s existing homes and talk to the owners. Then choose a builder such as Rainey Homes that will help make your home ownership dream come true.