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Building A Home in Austin? A Summary of What To Do and When to Do ItWhether you have been living with someone, renting an apartment, or have a small starter home, it is not uncommon that many people decide they are ready for their next major change and desire a larger home, which meet their specific needs. Custom building your dream home does have its rewards, although you must be prepared to track, organize and be on top of all the details at all times or you will easily become overwhelmed with the project. Watch the video below to learn about effective and efficient design plans and read the article below to learn more about the custom home building process.
Your first step to ensure proper planning is to have a good set of blueprints. This will allow you to have a good grasp of what you want, and how to achieve it. Taking the time to plan this out will certainly be most beneficial during the building of your new home. Consumers shopping around for their dream home sometimes feel they will know when the right one has come along, while others use a more direct approach creating what they want. To ensure you do not go off track you should create a list of everything you want in your home (number of rooms, bathrooms, kitchen size, split levels, garages, media rooms etc). This will help keep you focused on the necessities. You will compile this list and refer to it as you browse prospective homes and their designs. Make sure to update changes accordingly to meet your family’s needs.
The question on everyone’s mind when purchasing anything is always: “Does it have the features I want?” No! That’s not it… It’s without a doubt: “So how much is this going to set me back?” That’s the one question asked, no matter what it is you’re about to purchase… Although during the home buying process it should be revised into: “How much can I really afford?” Unfortunately for most the answer is: “Not as much as you’d think.” Unless, you are one of the few that have been planning for years saving to have your dream home, or are fortunate enough to say: “Money is no object!” Yeah Right!
Most likely your bank will be willing to extend you a home loan, but remember their not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, their there to make money. They do this by approving you for the largest possible loan. Remember, the greater the amount the more interest you pay them. Realistically you do not have to accept that sum. It is your choice to decline and request a smaller loan amount. This will substantially help your future financial status and prevent you from overextending yourself. In order to prevent this you should determine your budget. The basis for this will be your income and expenses. One easily overlooked expense will be the new items you need to purchase for your new home. Make sure to take such items into account: new appliances, landscaping, home furnishings, interior design etc. You cannot have the home without the land and it is just as important. Keep in mind when purchasing property that it will be easier to alter the home’s design than the land.
If you determine common ground between design and the land itself you will achieve spectacular results. Other things to consider when purchasing land are: location, utilities (water/gas/electric/telephone/cable), school districts, commute to work, property taxes, parks, trails, lakes, shopping, homeowners associations, and deed restrictions. Research the history of any land that interests you prior to purchase, very carefully. During the creation of your dream home you must have a good rapport with your builder as you will be entering a relationship that demands a lot of patience and trust. It is important to take the time to find a builder you are able to instill your confidence. Begin your search for a builder early. Contact the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), generate leads from: local builders’ association, friends, colleagues, loan officers, appraisers, and any other people who are able to divulge trustworthy experiences. Investigate popular builders as well as those whom have incurred difficulties. Log all investigative information you have learned. After you have a substantial amount of information, review it to see which builders seem to have the best reputations, and are able to construct the type of home you are looking for. Now you must narrow your list, and set up a few tours of their recently built homes. Compare the competitors to each other to find the one that most suits you. Once completed, you should feel more at ease and know which of the builders you are partial to. Two of the most important things needed to construct your new home are an attorney and a building contract. The contract is crucial to document all of your concerns, needs, specifications, assets and more. This contract after being put in writing will be signed off by you and your contractor. Your goal is to negotiate terms that you can live with, without alienating a good, honest contractor in the process. The contract contents should stipulate but is not limited to the following: Who will clear the site, and obtain permits. Define acceptable delays (due to weather, manufacturer delays, etc.) Calculate a payment schedule that is flexible, but gives you some control over the process and final product. Specify products and services that your contractor should provide in the construction of your home. A clause should be included, which states actions to be taken if the agreement is breached. When you have taken the next step and decided that you would like to design your dream home, make sure to plan… Plan everything, every detail, be aware, and fully investigate the people you will be dealing with and possibly handing your nest egg too. It should not be overwhelming if you have a plan of attack. Sometimes things are easier said than done, but in this case, it is absolutely imperative that you take action. For your dream and home is at stake… ~CJ Salgado Back to Home Services Main Page So...did you get the information you needed? Our goal is to get more and better information out to Austin residents everyday. We can't improve without your help....Please let us know what you like, dislike and what we could be doing better. Email at feedback@austinsmartconsumer.com
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Did you know? You can check out what it would cost to build a new home or replace a home yourself at www.Building-Cost.net.
Be Prepared! When negotiating a contract, make sure to not pay more than 10 percent of the total cost in advance. 
Tip! A real estate agent may be a good source to find a builder. Real estate agents sometimes have previous experience with builders and can give a good recommendation. 
Austin Money Savers Tip Before bidding for a professional think hard about the tasks you may be able to do yourself. For instance, you may need a professional to make an addition, but you could paint it yourself. You'll find that all those tasks could add up to a whole lot of savings. Privacy / Legal + Disclaimer