There are roughly 8,000 components to every home — and when you build your own, you are in control of almost all of them. From major decisions like the floor plan, roof and siding, to relatively minor elements like electrical outlet covers and the number of pantry shelves, the customer is in the driver’s seat.
“What I’ve seen — and it’s evident on HGTV shows like House Hunters — is people are walking into [existing] homes, and inevitably they’re making a list of what they want to change,” said Philip J. Nanula, president of Essex Homes, a family-owned building company that has constructed more than 1,000 homes since 1992. “You don’t do any of those things when you build because they’re exactly like you want them, down to even the most minute thing.”
The first step in constructing your own home is to find someone who can build it. Customers should investigate at least three companies and size up their skills and reputation by touring model homes or even asking to see homes they have constructed for other clients.
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After selecting a builder, the first things to discuss are budget and location. Nanula recommends that clients get preapproved for a mortgage before meeting with their salesperson and have an idea of the town in which they’d like to build; the community will affect the price, and the lot size sometimes dictates what type of home can be built.
“Cul-de-sac lots are very, very popular, and they sell quickly. Water-view lots are also very attractive to a certain type of buyer,” said John Manns, vice president of sales and marketing for Marrano Homes, which has constructed more than 15,000 houses in Western New York over its 58-year history.
While clients can select from any vacant lot on the market, Manns notes that it’s usually cheaper to buy one within a builder’s community. Marrano, for example, currently has more than 1,200 sites in its inventory, with maps of its communities available online.
Next, families choose a floor plan based on their current and future needs. For those on a tight budget, Manns advised that this is not the place to skimp.
“Build the house the way you want structurally, the way you’re going to live,” he said. “If it’s between a four-bedroom and a three-bedroom home, and you know your family is going to grow, build that four-bedroom home now. Then maybe back off on some of the extras, like a patio or upgraded flooring, [because] you can’t change that foundation…and when you do you remodel later, it’s at a higher cost.”
At Essex Homes, clients can then alter their selected floor plan based on their individual needs, select upgrades like a sunroom or higher ceilings, and go room by room to pick features. At Marrano, customers work with a design consultant to select from hundreds of features and finishes at the company’s 3,500-square-foot design center.
“We guide the customer through that process with the terminology ‘nice to haves’ and ‘gotta haves,’” said Nanula. “If you don’t segregate it that way, and the price grows beyond the comfort level of the budget, it makes it more difficult to go back and alter it.”
While today’s building codes require higher efficiency standards than ever before, customers can also make their new home even more green with options like two-stage heating systems or upgraded insulation.
With the floor plan finalized and the selection process underway, the builder secures the necessary permits and construction begins. Both Manns and Nanula said a typical home takes four to six months to build from the time the permit is granted, but weather or last-minute design changes can cause delays.
“There’s a process for building a home, and it takes time to do it right,” Manns said. “There are times when it seems like nothing is happening, but it is. There are going to be ugly-duckling stages at drywall, and there may be things that people see that are a concern for them.” He continued, “Don’t be afraid to contact your customer coordinator or construction manager, and ask those questions.”
During construction, builders typically invite customers for multiple walkthroughs: once after the house is framed, and later after the drywall is hung or trim starts to go up (when the house really begins to feel like a home). During an initial walkthrough with Essex Homes, clients also meet with other tradespeople like electricians, plumbers and heating contractors to decide (within building code regulations) where outlets, fixtures and more will go.
After construction is complete and the customer closes on the home, the keys are handed over and the house is theirs.
The price tag on all of this customization? According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average new home nationwide cost $324,000 in 2013, while the average existing home sold for $245,000. Manns and Nanula point out, however, that while a custom build will be more expensive up front, an older home may require costly renovations or repairs that can add up quickly.
“You’re getting a brand new house that no one has lived in, built to modern construction standards, with warranties on the products from both the builder and the manufacturer,” Nanula said. “If the customer tells us what their vision is, we can make that happen."
