Top 5 Things to Consider When Planning to Build a Custom Home

Blog submitted by Bali Brothers in Richmond 

As a homeowner, building a custom home can be an exciting process. However, it can also be very time-consuming and difficult to balance between work and personal commitments. There are many things to consider and countless decisions to be made. The top 5 things to consider when planning to build a custom home are as follows:

General Contractor

One of the most important things to consider is hiring a suitable general contractor. From the design phase to completion, you will be working with the general contractor for at least 12 months. Thus, it is important to work with someone you connect with and trust who has a track record of building high-quality homes and all of the required certifications, including a home builder’s license, 2-5-10 warranty, and contractor’s general liability insurance. It is helpful to meet face-to-face with the general contractor and compile a list of questions to ask to see if they would be a good fit for your custom home build.

Timeline

From the initial design phase to getting the keys to your new home, the entire process can take anywhere from 12-15 months, which does not include the time it takes to get city-approved permits in hand. The timeline can be broken down as follows:

– Design: 2-3 months
– Permits: Varies by the municipality
– Construction: 9-12+ months

As experienced custom homebuilders in Vancouver, we provide our client with a detailed project schedule outlining the work to be completed each week and updates if we are ahead of schedule or if there are expected delays. This allows our clients to be in the loop with the project schedule and keeps them excited for what’s in store at their custom home build!

Budget

With rampant inflation, the construction sector was not immune and experienced a series of price increases across the board for construction materials. The cost to build even three years ago is quite different than it is today. As building a custom home is a significant financial investment, it is imperative to set a detailed budget.

At Bali Brothers Construction, we work with our clients to not only set a detailed, line-by-line budget but also assist with weekly cost tracking against budget. This makes our clients aware of any cost overages or savings. This allows our clients to know in real-time how they are doing against budget and if they need to make changes to material selections in other categories due to any cost overages or savings.

Project Planning

Planning is the most important part of the home-building process. While waiting for permits, it is the ideal time to finalize materials for both the interior and the exterior of the home. This step often involves consultations with our team, the architect, interior designer and visiting various supplier showrooms.

Having material selections finalized prior to construction helps ensure that there will be no schedule delays due to material selection or procurement. The selection of materials is a time-consuming endeavour. Therefore, giving yourself as much time as possible prior to construction commencing will ensure you have sufficient time to make decisions. It ensures these decisions are not holding up construction progress on site.

Design

This is your overall vision for your custom home build project. And your architect and interior designer will help bring your vision to life! It always helps to find ideas for interior/exterior design on the internet. Then, you can accurately showcase to your architect and interior designer what you are looking for. The interior and exterior design of your home has a direct impact on the cost of the project. So depending on the budget, you may need to decide between “must-haves” and “nice to haves” when finalizing the overall design.

Let Us Help with Your Next Custom Home Project!

We hope that the information provided will help you when planning your next custom home project.

If you are thinking of starting a custom home build and need some help, please feel free to contact us directly via email or phone and we would be happy to help! You can also learn more about Bali Brothers Construction by visiting our website: https://www.balibrothersconstruction.com/