Friday, July 8, 2016

Things You Need to Know About Building Your Own Home


Planning to build a new home? You need to be well prepared for the huge financial task that it takes to construct a new home. Here are some expert tips from mortgage lenders about financing a newly built home.

Save up for at least 70% of the construction cost

It is not unusual to begin construction if you do not have the entire amount to pay for the whole house. However, you should begin construction when you already have at least 70% of the cost in the bag. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when building a new home is starting construction with less than 50% of the cost of construction at their disposal. It therefore, becomes difficult to keep up the costs with the speed of construction. If you do not want any delays or getting into tiffs with your constructors, start off with 70% and work on getting the other 30% as the construction continues. This plan is only suitable if you have a steady income and are sure that you will be able to raise the rest within the construction time.

Use a great contractor

Using a professional and highly accredited contractor may sound very expensive but in the long run, it will be the best decision you will make. Great contractors know how to save you money. They know the best materials in the market to buy affordably; they are also very efficient in construction and will ensure a great job done within the shortest time possible. Resources are also spent more wisely in the hands of an expert professional. If you skim on the cost of hiring a great contractor, you may end up with a construction project that takes longer than it should and a lot of wasted materials that cost a lot of money.

Get a full service contractor

Getting a full service contractor is better than working with different contractors. Dealing with many different contractors can make the entire construction a lot more expensive than it should be. It is also more difficult to keep up with all of them, especially if there are any issues at the job site. A full service construction company will assign a project manager to your construction site. You only have one number to call in case of any kind of problem in the work site or if you need progress updates on the construction which makes everything much easier.

Get involved

Building a new home is all about customizing your new house to the way you want to live. Do not simply hand over the building plans to the contractor and wait for the finished product. Be more involved in the decision-making processes, find out what is going on at the work site and stay updated. You may find a few details in the construction plans that do not meet your requirements in application and get a few modification tips from the contractor that work great.

Posted By: Bruce Johnson Residential Construction http://bjrcinc.com/

Friday, March 18, 2016

Know Your Home Construction Team

Behind every successful home construction is a team of talented professionals who worked hard to make it happen. Building your own home is an exciting process to getting the house of your dreams, but it is also a detailed process and there are many steps involved. Making sure that these steps occur in a well-planned sequence involves finding the right professionals for the job. The various key members of the construction team complete their own elements and hand off to the next contractor in line for the next element. They all work under the direction of one project manager or construction superintendent.

Project manager
The job title varies depending on the company you choose to handle the construction, but there will always be a key team member who acts as the overall team manager or the construction superintended. They are also called the construction or field manager. This project manager is often highly qualified in each phase of home construction making them an important element in the entire process. They work closely with each contractor, building product suppliers and other key employees. This is the person to go to when you want to find out the overall state of things in the construction process, whether things are on schedule, quality control and if you have any concerns about the implementation of your architect’s building plans.

Architect
Architects sometimes work for the construction team or in an independent architectural firm. These professionals create home design plans. They can create a new plan or tailor a previously used plan to your needs. This is the person to talk to if you have any special design ideas such as open kitchens, bigger baths, higher ceilings or spiral stairways. They will implement your design ideas into the blueprints of the house in order to create something that meets your standards and desires.

Sales consultant and designer consultant
The sales consultant is very knowledgeable about the home construction process as well. They will help you understand various approaches towards construction for energy efficiency, standard options and upgrades to your home. They can help you select one among the various model homes that the builder creates. Once you have settled on the model and signed the purchase contract, the designer consultant will help you choose the various colors, flooring, ceilings, doors and other home finishing that will give your house the unique individuality and style you are looking for.

Trade contractors
These professionals are responsible for the different stages of the construction process. They will raise the home construction from ground up. The duties performed by trade contractors include, but not limited to:
  • Site preparation
  • Foundation building
  • Framing (exterior walls and Roof)
  • Exterior siding
  • HVAC and insulation
  • Electrical and plumbing work
  • Drywall and ceilings
  • Painting
  • Interior trim and cabinetry
  • Flooring and countertops
  • Driveways and walkways
  • Landscaping
Inspectors
There are also inspectors involved in the construction process. The first inspection occurs before the drywall is hung and another one before you move in. This inspection ensures that your home meets the local building code requirements, which varies depending on your location.

Posted By: Bruce Johnson Residential Construction http://bjrcinc.com/

Sunday, January 31, 2016

What You Need to Know About Building Your Own Home

When it comes to getting a new home, you have the choice of buying or building a new home. If you have access to a piece of land in a good location, constructing your own building is the best way to get the home of your dreams. You can custom build every part of the house to your own specifications and here is how to do it:

Find the right contractor for the job
The success of your project will greatly depend on the contractor you chose for the job. Your contractor will oversee the entire construction, advise you on which materials to use and see your home to completion making this choice very crucial. If you know of any friends or family who have built new homes recently, you can ask them for references to the contractors they used. You should hire contractors with a wealth of experience, good communication and decision-making and great customer services. A good contractor should involve you in every step of the construction and major decision-making process for ultimate success.

Finances
The idea of building a house exactly the way you want it sounds great, but there is something even more important to think about, finances. Building your own home is not cheap, but there are various ways you can cut costs to make it more affordable. You need to think of all the cash you have available, what you are willing to put towards the project along with monthly payments you are willing to make towards the project. Remember that the finances available for this project will be affected by your income level, current bills, credit card and loan payment. Be realistic with your budget and total figure to avoid any hiccups once construction has started. You should discuss this figure with the architect and contractor to see how they can envision your home idea within your budget.

Elemental design elements
Before going into the design and drawing up plans, you need to think of five design elements you must have in your new home and construct the rest of the house concept on these elements. This will help you focus on getting the home that matches your desires and ideas. These elemental design elements should be the must-haves but you can also create another list with elements you would like to have if there is enough left over from your budget.

Important contacts to have
There are so many different things to keep tabs on during new home construction. You should rely on the help of professionals to make sure everything is in order; to alert you whenever important decisions need to be made. You need to have your architect, contractor, landscape designer, engineer, plumber and electrician on speed dial during your home construction. Keep a list of all the people involved in your construction along with their contacts and keep it on site or even in your car to make it easy to communicate with them whenever necessary. 

Posted By: Bruce Johnson  http://bjrcinc.com/