What You Need to Know About the New Home Building Process

The new home building process involves many moving parts, which can feel like a major undertaking for a homeowner. The steps to building a new home require expertise, skill, and knowledge from unique specialists and teams (i.e. architects, contractor, designers, etc.). With your financial and personal investments at the centerfold, it’s understandable why you’d need to ensure your best interests are consistently represented and reflected throughout every phase of the project.

 

For many homeowners, what makes the experience challenging is not knowing what to expect. If you’re considering  new home construction for your future property, it helps to understand what the specific steps to building a new home entail, so you’ll know how to go about building your new home and feel more confident moving forward.

 

To give you more insight into the process, here is a new home building checklist, so you can best prepare yourself for your home building experience:

New Home Building Checklist

    

1.     Determine Your Budget & GoalsMoney

Your budget is the driving force when building a new home. It helps you determine what’s feasible and within your means. There are a variety of costs that go into building a new home, including the cost of materials, lot, labor, taxes, etc. Similar to buying an existing house, you’ll need to determine what financing option works best for you. There are a variety of mortgage loans out there, so it may be helpful to discuss the options with your banking institution(s) before moving forward in the new home building process. While most of your costs will be included in your financing, you’ll likely also need a down payment to secure the loan.

 

Once you know your budget, begin brainstorming ideas and goals for the new home.

  • How many rooms are you hoping to include?
  • What aspects of the new build take priority?
  • What are your must-have components?

This is your opportunity to note everything that’s important to you and your family, and this list will later help your homebuilding team create designs that meet your needs and wants, while also fitting within the budget.

 

2.     Find Your Building TeamBuilder

Once you’ve determined your budget and set goals for your new home, begin interviewing professional contractors, builders, architects, etc., and find a company that aligns with your needs, goals, and vision. At Stonegate Builders, our team consists of our own architects, project managers, designers, and more, so we can provide our customers with as stress-free of a homebuilding process as possible. By having a company like Stonegate provide and manage your professional team, you won’t have to worry about miscommunications between subcontractors or delays in progressing through the various construction stages as work changes hands.

 

  • While many people may recommend securing a lot as the next logical step after determining your budget, we recommend interviewing homebuilding companies before solidifying your home’s location because experienced builders are often a wealth of knowledge regarding local neighborhoods, zoning and building requirements, and unique communities that would best fit you, your family, and your lifestyle.

3.     Secure a LotShovel

If you’re working with an experienced homebuilding company, ask if they can recommend where you should begin your search. For example, we have many unique neighborhoods in the Twin Cities metro and surrounding suburbs, all featuring great amenities. This allows our Stonegate customers to find a lot in a neighborhood that will meet their current and evolving needs and preferences.

 

As you begin narrowing down potential lot locations for your new-home build, you’ll want to assess the current condition of the lot, as not all lots are prepped and primed for new home construction; some lots may require additional expenses towards leveling the lot or installing new resources, such as water, electric, cable, septic, etc. It’s often helpful to bring your architect and/or builder with you when making the decision, as their experiences can help you determine if the lot could work for you or what other investments you may need to make.

 

Before you decide on a lot, be sure its characteristics also align with your goals and plans for your new home. For example, you’ll want to consider:

 

  • Neighborhood Amenities
  • School Districts
  • Lot Dimensions
  • Access to Conveniences (i.e. grocery stores)
  • Surrounding Views
  • Neighboring Homes
  • Level of Privacy
  • Community Fees

4.     Begin Design ProcessHouse

After you’ve secured a lot, you can begin the different stages of the design process. You’ll first need an architect to create design plans that will work within your specific location. You can expect to work with your architect to determine layout, size, number of stories, number of rooms, etc. Oftentimes, homebuilding companies utilize a variety of floorplans that their team’s architect can customize to suit the needs and lifestyle of a particular homeowner.

 

  • Once you’ve selected your floor plan and structural design, you’ll likely begin discussions with an interior designer about preliminary design finishes and personalization options. During this stage, you start crafting the character of your new home. An experienced designer will incorporate elements that will add to and complement your lifestyle.

5.    Permit Submission and Building ProcessCheck List

After designs have been completed, your homebuilding team can submit for a permit and begin building your
new home. Your general contractor or homebuilding team can better prepare you with an estimated timeline, so you’ll always know what to expect.

 

  • At Stonegate, we use an online project management system that allows our customers to track the entire building process. It’s important to understand that every project is different and the timeline and approach may vary. You can expect the initial construction process to include foundation pouring, framing, and installing mechanical systems and insulation. From there, your homebuilding team will begin hanging drywall, painting, and installing finishes to bring your vision to life.

Conversation
6.    Stay Involved

It’s important to remember that this is your project, and you should be involved in every aspect. Always feel comfortable to address any questions and concerns you have with your homebuilding team.

The Stonegate Difference

At Stonegate Builders, we’re dedicated to providing superior customer service and quality work, down to the details. We promise to always deliver an exceptional home building experience, and that commitment to our customers is what continues to set us apart as a trusted leader in new home construction in the Twin Cities.

 

With years of experience in the industry, we can offer valuable guidance and expertise to help you navigate the new home building process. We take pride in our superior streamlined home building process and always hold every aspect of your project to the highest standards, from selecting the right neighborhoods and monitoring the permit process to creating innovative designs inspired by your lifestyle and managing subcontractors, deadlines, and more on your behalf. 

 

For customer testimonials and more information or to schedule a consultation with a member of our team, contact us today.

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