Nowadays, more and more homeowners are opting to buy custom homes for themselves and their families solely because it would be easier to just purchase a property instead of having one built from scratch.
However, there are still a few homeowners who are opting for custom home construction instead of buying. If you’re one of those would-be homeowners who are considering building a home from the ground up, it’s best that you know what you’re getting into and how long such a construction project would take.
Phase 1
Most custom home construction projects go through two phases before they are finished. The first phase usually involves pre-construction planning and can take two or three months to complete. Before anything, however, the first step that you need to take is to choose your contractor.
Once you’ve made your pick, contact them once you’re ready to start planning for your new home. Once you’re in touch with each other, they’ll ask you a few questions over the phone, email or face-to-face if you wish.
Often, the first question your custom home construction contractor will ask you is if you have a plan for your dream home. If you answer yes, then you’ll skip the basic questions and move on to picking the materials and finishes for your home. If you don’t have a plan yet, don’t worry.
They’ll sit down with you and help you sift through their catalog of plans so you can get some ideas, or they’ll bring in a designer to help meet with you and draw up your plans from scratch. If you’re uncertain where to begin, meanwhile, you can always start with the basics, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and how much square footage you need.
After you’ve got your home plans in order, you and your contractor will sit down once more and decide on the finishes for your new home. At this stage, you’ll be making decisions about your doors, windows, flooring, bathroom fixtures, lighting, cabinets, appliances, heating and air, exterior and interior selections, and any other important components that your home needs.
Once you’ve decided on your home’s finishes, your custom home experts will take the information they’ve gathered and talk to their vendors and construction team to get prices for everything your project needs.
Afterwards, they’ll present you with a 20 to 30 page proposal so you can see everything that is included and decide if the price is still within the budget. If everything is in order, and you agree with the quote they’ve given you, most home build companies will then give you a contract to sign and finalize your partnership for the construction project.
Phase 2
Compared to Phase 1, the second phase of a custom home build project takes significantly longer. In fact, it could take anywhere from eight to twelve months to complete depending on the size of your home. Once you’re at this stage, the construction of your home could truly start, and a lot of work is involved at this point of the project.
First off, your construction company will have to start excavation and sitework on your lot. Depending on its condition, the site prep and excavation could take a few days to a few weeks to complete.
After excavation and site prep are done, the next steps can commence. At this stage, your home contractors will lay down the foundation before putting up the framing and roof of your home, at which point your home will really begin looking like a house.
Once the framing is up, the mechanical rough-ins like the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical will be put in place. Insulation and drywall will also be installed once this is done.
Once the framing and walls are put up, your contractors can begin to add the exterior finishes to your house, including the stone, brick or siding that’ll make up your exterior walls. If needed, they’ll paint these exterior finishes as well. For your home’s interior, on the other hand, they’ll also begin to add the trim and flooring, mechanical installations like light switches and bathroom fixtures, carpeting and appliances to your home.
After the exterior and interior of your custom home has been completed, your custom home builder will first perform an internal spot-check to see if the work on your home was done correctly or if there’s anything else that needs to be modified or repaired.
Once that’s done, your builder will take you on a final walkthrough of the property for a more formal inspection. If you have any questions to ask, concerns to voice out or additional requests to make, the walkthrough would be the best time to field them to your contractor. If you’re satisfied with the overall outcome of the project, you can give the final payment to your home construction company.
Our Process
True, there are many custom home build companies out there for you to consider enlisting, but when you turn to Peartree Homes, you can rest assured that you won’t receive anything but the best service possible.
If you turn to us for your custom home building needs, we’ll meet with you as soon as possible to discuss the scope of work, finalize your project plans and give you a quote for the project while making sure that you have a full understanding of what’s about to happen. Afterwards, the construction of your custom home will commence, and you’ll receive regular updates about the project from our crew to keep you in the loop as your home is being built.
Once your home has been completed, we’ll meet with you once again for a final walkthrough and address any questions and concerns you may have in regards to how your home was built.
Planning to build your home from the ground up? Turn to Peartree Homes for professional handcrafted custom home. With a collective experience of over 50 years, we are dedicated to giving homeowners such as yourself nothing but the best customer service and quality workmanship possible.
Give us a call at (843) 343-5808, or fill out our contact form to request a consultation from us today! We look forward to working with you on your next project!