Building a home in Nashville can seem overwhelming, the process of building what you want can be a difficult and stressful job. Here are some helpful hints:
- Obtain the services of a qualified realtor — one who specializes in new home construction and land search. By taking this first step, you will save yourself untold hours and headaches.
- Sit down with that realtor and make a list of all the things you like and dislike about your present home.
- Use this criteria to develop a description of room configuration. For example, laundry adjacent to kitchen.
- Develop a description of the homesite using the following criteria: Size, topography, wooded, open, and convenience to work and play.
- Develop a budget based on realistic expectations. For example, a $5000 lighting allowance and commercial grade kitchen appliances do not come close to being realistic. If you are going to live in your home more than 10 years, the appliances and lights will need to be updated when you get ready to sell your home and move on to the next one.
- Visit the web sites of certified builders recommended by your realtor. Many builders now display their portfolio of plans.
- Try to find a plan that meets 65% of your criteria. If the builder has the capability to customize the remaining 35%, then you’re getting closer to building your new dream home.
- Ask your realtor to set an appointment with the builder or builder’s sales-person to determine if changes can be made to the plan, and if the builder has the capability to build on your lot. Many tract builders do not build outside their own sub-divisions.
- Conduct a lot search via your realtor and the homesite description you developed in Step 4. Again, be realistic. A hilltop view may be spectacular, but such views often break your budget. Engineered foundations, elevated parking pads, lengthy driveways, and retaining walls can easily exceed the cost of the home.
- Make your selections (flooring, cabinetry, doors, trim, brick, roofing, etc.) prior to construction. And ensure they are listed in your contract with the builder. The more decisions you make prior to construction the less problems during construction.
Good luck and have fun. - Call me, and let me help. I will ask the important question and guide you through the process of financing, site selection, selecting a home plan and builder, and then monitor the process.
One other thing you need to know. It will cost you more in almost every case to build a home than it does to buy a home already built. The cost to build had not gone down, but the prices of resale houses have been reduced in some area by 15 to 20 percent in the last 3 years. Material cost is the same or higher than ever, fees and taxes to the local government are higher than ever, labor costs are as high as ever, so the price of a new home is still as high as it ever was, think about that before you start building. More that likely your home will have negative equity in the beginning.
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