Choosing a Custom Home Builder

Construction / Custom Homes

Embarking on a custom home project is one of the most exciting things a homeowner can be a part of. There are, of course, lots of things to consider, but at the top of the list is choosing the right home builder for your project. All builders work a bit differently from one another, and choosing the right one can be critical to the success of your project. Working with a team that produces high quality work is great, but if they can’t (or won’t) communicate with you in a timely fashion you can quickly end up feeling disconnected from the process.

We’ve assembled a small list of things to consider as your family prepares to embark on the journey of a new home. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is this: You should choose a home builder as you carefully as you would purchase a new (pre-built) home.

Look for builders to work with

Start by making a list of possible builders that you might be interested in working with. You can do some local searches on Google for home builders in your community, which will result in lots of options. This will be begin to let you know what is available in terms of local talent and quickly help you to put together a short list of your favorites. Spend some time going through the builders work and looking for elements, details and styles that speak to you. You’ve got some ideas in your head, and this is your chance to begin to match those to what you’re seeing online.

Examine the work

Once you have a rough list of custom home builders you’re interested in, spend some time exploring their portfolio of work. It might not be possible to go to the actual home sites, but a quality web builder will give you the next best thing through a well stocked portfolio that strongly represents the quality of their work.

Setup time to talk with a few of your favorites

Your list should be getting much more manageable by now. Take a few minutes to set up meetings with the builders on your list. They should have some time to talk to you about your project while beginning to explore the possibilities available. Get a feel for each builder as you talk with them. How they communicate with you during this first meeting can be an indication of how they will respond throughout the course of the project.

Re-Examine the work

When you manage to get your list down to 2-3 solid possibilities ask the builder if you can go with them to one of their build sites. Allow them to take you through the home explaining their process and attention to detail. These are the things you can expect from during your own project.

Choose the highest quality builder that fits within your budget

Just because you have the means of building a custom home doesn’t mean that you don’t have a budget you have to adhere to. Choosing a custom home builder that can work within your budget is paramount. Working with a team that is respectful of the project budget while explaining when, where and why additional costs can be incurred will help to keep everything as transparent and realistic as possible.

If you’re starting to think about building a new home the list of things that need to be done can seem immense. The critical first step, though, is choosing the right custom home builder. They can take that seemingly insurmountable project and make it attainable.

ACT is the premiere custom home builder in Southwest Washington. With over 60 years of combined building experience, our highly skilled team can create the home of your dreams.