Are you in the market for a custom home builder or home building company to build your luxury dream home?
To begin, try to focus on finding a local home contractor or home building company. This is important for many reasons. Accountability is a major one. You can see actual examples of the home builder’s work and speak with other people in the community who’ve worked with that builder. In addition, they’re close by in case there are issues of any kind.
Out of Tyler and Bullard East Texas, Sam Vercher is a prime example of a trusted, local craftsman in East Texas. For over thirty years, the community has entrusted Sam Vercher with their luxury home building needs. As a result, beautiful examples of his work are visible in the community. His emphasis on quality and integrity is evident in his customer satisfaction.
Once you’ve found your luxury home contractor and have embarked on your home building journey, how do you keep the communication open and clear?
First impressions really are everything. What’s your impression at your first meeting with your home builder? Do you immediately feel comfortable communicating with them? Do they listen to you? Are they receptive to your ideas? Do you feel like they’re someone you can trust? Are they on time? Are they respectful and polite in conversation?
Communication starts at the very beginning during the first meeting. Put everything on the table:
Designing and building your dream home is a major life undertaking that you want to be a positive experience. You will be working with your home builder on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. You want them to share your vision for the luxury home building process, as well as the finished home itself. Again, pay attention to the details of your first impression, and let that help guide your decision. Here’s 5 tips to keep in mind for clear communication with your custom home builder:
1. Methods of Communication with Your Home Builder:
Establish right away the ways you’re going to communicate. In today’s technological world, you have many options: text, calling, email, in-person, or even combinations. What times are best to get in touch with each other? Put your desired modes of communication with your home contractor into writing so that the communication expectations are clearly spelled out for both parties.
2. Set Up a Schedule with Your Custom Builder
Write out a clear timeline for the building project, along with all the other necessary planning details. But! Also, realize that sometimes even the best plans can be impacted by unexpected things. For example, in East Texas, the weather always has to be taken into consideration. Rain, winds, and even tornadoes can significantly impact a building process. As can supply shortages, equipment malfunctions, etc. So, it’s important to be understanding and flexible. Realize some things are out of your control—and the home builder’s.
Schedule weekly meetings for regular updates on progress, any potential problems, etc. These weekly updates are a great way to keep communication open between yourself and the builder. The regular meetings with your custom home builder will also keep the need for other communications to a minimum, simplifying things for both of you.
3. Write Everything Down
While you’re meeting and talking, take notes by hand or on your phone. Take notes and note down details. This can help if there are questions or discrepancies down the road. Transparency is a key component of good communication with your contractor during the building process.
Know how to communicate what you want and put it in writing. While planning and building are a process you work on together, you also need to have a good idea going into things of what you want as an end product. This way, both you and your luxury home builder can refer back to your detailed contract if there’s a question about a design detail.
4. Speak Up!
If there’s something you don’t like within the process—from the building process to paint color—you must speak up. Right away. Most aspects of building a home are fairly permanent once put into place. So, it’s crucial you speak up immediately if something is happening you’re unhappy with.
5. Trust the Home Builder and the Process
All this being said, it’s also important to remember not to be so involved that you’re complicating the building process. When you hired your experienced local builder, you made the decision to put your trust in them. Honor that trust and find a balance between good communication and stepping back to enjoy your luxury dream home being built smoothly and efficiently.