Top Five Questions to Ask Your Builder

by Craig Axelrod
August 31, 2009

For many, buying a newly built house can be a fantastic experience. You'll be moving in to real estate that has never been lived in by anyone else, with everything fresh and to your liking. It should not need renovation and should suit your needs today.

To get your dream home, make sure you ask your contractor these five questions:

1. How Long Will the House Take to Build? Depending upon the time of year, the stage of construction and a range of other factors, you should expect that your home may take 8 to 12 months to build. Anything in this range can be normal, depending upon the size of the home, the number of homes being built, whether homes are being built in advance of sale and so on. While there is no right answer, try to get a realistic expectation, and add one to three months for delays. Harsh weather, cabinetry not being delivered, permits and zoning and dozens of other issues can come up unexpectedly-which are not the fault of the builder.

2. Are There Models Available to Look At? The builder is putting up a new housing development, there may be models or actual customer homes that may be available for you to look at. If the contractor does homes on a one off basis, there may be homes that he is completing now that you can visit. Blueprints and drawings are great, and whenever possible, visit the physical home.

3. How Long Have You Been Building? Generally speaking, you will want to work with an experienced builder. A new builder may have 20 years experience in the industry, but if he is just starting out he may lack the resources and connections to get your project done quickly. Many builders were previously carpenters or other craftsmen who are now "taking it to the next level." While their skills may be fantastic, running a construction business is very different than being a carpenter. Try to work with someone experienced in the business side of building homes.

4. What Options Are Available? Given contractor may have different sets of blueprints for you to choose from or the ability for you to make customizations to the home before construction begins. For example, you may want the living room 2 feet smaller in the family room 2 feet larger. In general, a small change such as this (assuming you're not moving the load bearing wall) should not be a big issue preconstruction. Making these changes after construction is underway can become extremely expensive. Plan ahead of time.

5. What Upgrades Are Available? Can You Choose Your Own Upgrades? Some builders may offer you a choice of appliances. Others may only offer one. If that is the case, speak with your builder to find out if they will give you an allowance towards choosing your own appliances. For example, they may be including a refrigerator that sells for $1200. Their wholesale cost is $800. You want one that is $1500. They may be able to order it for you or allow you to order it and give you a credit of $800 towards the buy price. Typically, you will want the construction company to purchase the appliances for you so that they are included in the overall warrantee and responsibilities of the builder.

Save yourself a lot of time and headache and ask the important questions ahead of time. When working with a new homebuilder, such as Emmy Homes, who offers new construction in Commack New York, you may find great flexibility and cooperation-provided you ask the right questions at the early stages.