| Questions
for and about your builder
The following discussion is intended to answer some of the more common
questions that homeowners may have about building a custom home or a remodeling
project and a brief overview of the process.
How do I know which builder to
use?
Just like most questions in life, there is no one single
best answer as to how to find a builder. Instead, there are a number of
options to use when selecting a builder. For example, if you have an existing
relationship with a realtor who has worked with a number of different
builders, this would be an excellent starting point. Also, if any of your
friends or neighbors have recently remodeled or built a new custom home,
talk to them. I believe that you will find them eager to tell you how
positive or how poor their experiences were. Look closely at the quality
of your friends' or neighbors' homes to determine if the quality level
of the work would meet your personal standards.
Ask your friends and neighbors the following questions:
Would they use that builder again
on future projects?
(If
the answer to this question is "no", it's time to keep looking.)
How responsive was the builder to their concerns?
You
should be looking for someone who listens to your concerns and responds
with clear, understandable solutions or explanations.
How long did it take for the builder to return
their phone calls?
At BCH you have direct access to the company owner seven
days a week.
Did the builder complete the project within
the estimated time period and within the original budget?
If not, be sure there were logical and reasonable explanations
for any deviations.
When construction issues came up, how did
the builder handle them? Did they quickly inform the homeowners and were
they able to offer timely solutions?
Just as no human is perfect, no project is perfect. Remodeling
and new construction projects will always have a few unforeseen glitches.
For example the architectural plans may call for certain items that work
better on the drawing than in actual application. Certain remodeling issues
can only be known once we get inside the existing walls. EVERY project
will have a few of these.
The real question
becomes,
How
did your builder address and resolve these issues?
If the issue was the responsibility of the builder, did
the builder acknowledge this fact and quickly resolve the problem? If
the issue could not have been foreseen by the builder, and truly should
reflect additional construction costs, was the builder fair and reasonable
in the pricing of such additional costs?
Was the builder receptive to the
homeowners' change order requests?
Most homeowners will make some changes to the agreed upon
pre-construction project after construction begins. A quality builder
understands this fact and should be able to adjust accordingly. Before
a change work order is started, the builder and the homeowner should agree
to the amount of any additional costs associated with the requested change
and any additional anticipated delays to the original estimated completion
date. All change orders should be in writing and signed by both the homeowner
and the builder before any work begins.
What did the construction project
look like; did it look like it was well maintained?
For example, was trash properly placed in containers? For
remodel projects (while the homeowners live in the house), it is very
important that the project is swept up and any hazards such as exposed
nails, etc. are removed at the end of each day's work. Sloppy job sites
are not only hazardous, but they are also costly in that good unused material
is often discarded with the rubbish. In addition, it is more difficult
to properly inspect the quality of construction at a sloppy work site.
If you don't have realtors, friends, or neighbors to give you referrals,
then go out and look at areas where construction is in progress. Walk
through some spec or model homes, paying close attention to the detail
work and checking for quality.
When looking at furnished
model homes, try to ignore the furniture and window treatments (these
items won't be included in your new house). Instead, look for the little
details such as, are the miter cuts on molding joints tight or do they
have gaps filled with caulk, do the cased openings and walls, where they
meet the floor, have accurate 90-degree corners? Look inside closets and
pantry areas to see if they were well finished; look inside upstairs attic
areas for trash and debris. A quality builder is going to spend the time
and money to make sure that even the less obvious areas of the house also
receive his attention. Some builders spend more money on furnishing and
accessorizing their model homes than the model home itself. That's because
prospective buyers will focus their attention on what's "in"
the house rather than the house itself.
Once you have identified a prospective builder/remodeler, you should ask
to speak to some of his clients and ask them some of the above questions.
You should also check with the local Better Business Bureau to see if
there have been complaints filed against them. Having done that, the final
and MOST IMPORTANT factor to consider is, "Do I feel comfortable
with this person?" This becomes more of a "gut feel." You
need to be sure you feel comfortable with the builder and that this is
someone you believe you can work well with for the next several months.
COMMUNICATION,
COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, becomes the critical factor. Good rapport
and good communication with your builder, is as important to the building
process, as is Location, Location, Location, is to ensuring the future
value of your new home. Make sure the person listens to what you have
to say.
Do I need to have my own lot?
No, you do not have to have your own lot. We have lots
available for homeowners to build on. In addition, if one of our existing
lots does not meet your needs, we will work with you to identify and secure
a lot to build on. However, we will gladly build on the homeowner's existing
lot.
After we select a lot and our builder, what's
next?
Once you have your lot selection, we need to design preliminary
architectural plans. (Since every BCH home is a uniquely designed plan,
each home will have its own distinctive design.) However, we will gladly
work with any architectural design plans that the homeowner brings to
us. We will also listen to you to assist in designing your new dream home.
For remodel work that does not include structurally changing walls or
adding rooms, detailed architectural drawn plans will not generally be
required.
At BCH, we will arrange meetings with the architect, the homeowner, and
builder, John Balthazar, to design preliminary plans. It can be helpful
if the homeowner brings any photographs, or pictures of items they would
like to include in their home. From these meetings we will create a block-out
plan (1/4 inch scale drawings with total square footages) and a detailed
front elevation (how the front of the house is going to look). We will
have follow-up meetings and revise the plan until we have the plan that
the homeowners like.
After the block-out and elevation is completed we will then have the necessary
information to prepare a construction contract. This contract will specify
the total price of the home, as well as, the detailed building specifications
(flooring material, countertops, appliances, etc.) included in the house.
The contract will also include any budgets for specific homeowner choices,
such as decorative lighting, appliances, plumbing fixtures, etc. After
we sign the contract we will have the architect prepare complete detailed
plans which will be used to build the house.
After the architectural plans are completed how long will it take
before we start construction?
For new construction this process can vary. The timing
has a lot to do with the level of building activity in the area. In areas
where there is lots of building activity, local municipalities can be
slower in their building permit application process. Typically it will
take between 3 to 4 weeks to get city building permits once the plans
have been finalized. This includes the time required to obtain the necessary
engineered drawings for the foundation, heating and air conditioning systems,
framing, etc. Once we receive the city permit we can start construction.
Generally, the permit process for remodel work is a shorter process.
Will I be given enough time to make my homeowner
selections?
We provide our homeowners with a detailed list of those
items requiring homeowner choices, and the approximate time when these
homeowner choices should be made in order to not delay the building process.
(Some builders call these "Homeowner Allowances", at BCH we
refer to these as "homeowner choices" because we never forget
that this is your home.) We will work closely with you and your designer
to ensure this process goes very smoothly.
Why should I choose Balthazar Custom Homes
& Remodeling over some of the larger volume builders?
The main reason for choosing BCH over larger volume custom
builders is the added value and personal attention that we provide our
homeowners. Any "custom" builder building more than 10 homes
a year is going to be very limited in the amount of time he can personally
devote to each one of those houses. They will be forced to hire building
superintendents to manage there projects. This restricts the homebuyers'
ability to directly deal with the decision maker of the company. Even
the most qualified superintendents cannot share the owners' personal pride,
passion, and commitment to develop homeowner loyalty for his company.
The more office personnel a "custom" home building company has,
the more overhead costs must be added into the price of their houses.
These overhead costs simply translate into higher prices with no corresponding
added value for the homeowners.
At Balthazar Custom Homes & Remodeling, the owner, John Balthazar,
is still directly involved with each and every one of the homeowners.
Home-building is John's passion. He takes personal pride in giving his
homeowners the highest quality homes with the highest possible value.
"With our homes it's never going to come down to 'bean-counting'
to increase profits, but instead, what do we need to do to make the homeowners
happy and excited about their new or remodeled home?"
For more information
please call John Balthazar @ 214-577-3562, or you can email requests to
contactus@balthazarcustomhomes.com
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