When planning to build your custom home, there are always good ways to maximize your dollar. What makes a home “Custom”? Custom is a word that is applied to any home that has even one change from the original floor plan. Custom designs can be gained by simply taking an existing floor plan from a floor plan book, from a website, or even a magazine, and then adding and subtracting rooms, square footage, or even a garage to make it reflect your home ideas. A custom home is supposed to reflect what YOU want, not what the builder thinks you should have, or what your great Aunt Tilly says she always wanted in a home.

Custom home designs can also originate from tip of your own pencil and a sheet of white paper. After you sketch out what you see for your home in your minds eye it is time to go and talk with a builder. A builder can look at your drawings and tell you if they will work or not. He can also make suggestions of ways to improve your plans so that they are structurally sound, or take advantage of a certain view you are trying to capture. Other things a builder can give you is reasonable cost estimates. An informed homeowner not only has an idea of the square footage of a home, but he or she also has an informed estimate as to what it will cost.

In the long run, choosing a pre manufactured home or a ‘double wide’ is not a wise investment choice. These homes actually depreciate over time. Some salesmen try to convince buyers that a double wide will appreciate if it is on a full basement or even a crawl space. Though this does improve the home somewhat, it does not make the home improve in value. Now in areas where the entire home market is greatly gaining, the pre-manufactured home will increase some, but it is really the land that is increasing in value, not the home itself.

Pre-manufactured homes are made typically made from the least quality material available. Thin tubes pass for plumbing and electric wiring has many many outlets run from the same wire source. The floors of these homes tend to sag, the roofs tend to leak over time because of the very slight roof slope they have.

A better choice is to build a small stick frame home. Or even purchase an older home that has to be moved. Some developers will purchase a piece of property for development and then they will sell the original buildings and homes that are on it. Though older, these more quality built homes will satisfy your families needs for more years than a pre-made homes. Most stick built homes have a life span of over 70 0r more years, where as the double wides do not last much past 30 years.

Custom homes can come in the form of one you build yourself, or it can be a relocated older home, or a manufactured home. Whatever your choice be sure to weight out the pros and cons of each selection.

 This post is tailored to point out common problems many, many homeowners face when trying to choose a custom home builder, even if you are going to build part or most of your home 

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yourself, there is always a  time that you will need to hire someone. From digging basements, to pouring cement floors, to installing cabinets, to running your electric, contractors are an integral part of nearly every home building project. 

There is no lack of builders in the phone book, or on line, or with model homes in commercial sections of town. But how do you weed out those that will really partner with you for the duration of your custom home journey, but will not cost an exorbitant amount? 

First let me outline some ground rules that EVERYONE should incorporate into your home building plans:  

1. Always talk to a few different builders. Two to three contractors are usually sufficient. Get a feeling if they are someone you would like to work with. If you can never get them to call you back, just imagine what the construction phase will be like. But on the other hand, remember to give them a reasonable time to get back with you. A week or more is not uncommon as they are out working and not in an office all the time. 

2. Try to get at least three bids on a project. Beware of contractors who quote you very low prices. Many times they will either walk off the job when they run out of money, or they will be asking for more funds during the project. A good contractor is very capable of bidding a job accurately. Even as builders ourselves, we sub out some things. We always look for a few bids very close together in price. I can’t tell you how many times we have come behind other contractors who have treated really wonderful home owners terribly. In the end it is much harder to win their trust. So be smart and don’t just go with someone because they are the cheapest. 

3. Talk to other people who have used the contractor. There is nothing like personal referral. Also try to see other projects the contractor has built. This will show if he has the skills to handle your construction. (Thank you to Diego of Nubilt from Colorado, USA for improving this point for me) 

4. When talking to different builders, ask for an estimated price per square foot range that they usually work within. Of course, thing such as bathrooms and kitchens can really change the price, but still there should be an underlying rule of thumb that they use. In just a 60 mile radius I have personally found general contractors who differ in price by as much as $100 per square foot. So do your homework and don’t be turned off if you stumble on the most expensive builders first. 

5. Try to visit homes they have worked on. Even a drive-by can be insightful into their ability. 

The journey of your custom home should be exciting and enjoyable for you. Many individuals will only get to build one or two custom homes in their lifetimes. So, choose a general contractor you feel you can trust and who has evidence of their craftsmanship. 

Building Dreams, Sue Lemmon 

Mike Lemmon of Cowboy Log Buildesr LLC ~My personal favorite contractor

Cape Cod Custom Home

Hello! And WELCOME to About Custom Homes! When considering building a custom home the very best thing you can do is research, research, research, before you ever start. From start to finish, there are a multitude of options and ideas to explore.  

But, with some pointers, we can help guide you to important decisions and eliminate some of the “extra” that is not necessary. From building lot selection to home furnishings, custom home builders to custom home plans, this site will help equip you with some very important and realistic advice to help you along the way.