I’m at the pricing stage and the estimates I’ve received vary greatly. Why?
All the builders you have spoken with may not have the same idea as to what you want in your home. Building a house is just like buying a car. The price of the same model can vary depending what options you want on it. At Bella Vita Construction, we have a check sheet that allows customers to quickly choose from a large number of items they may want in their home. This helps to eliminate adding a lot of extras down the line or you can request a specifications sheet from your designer.
If we like a floor plan of a house but not the elevation, are we just out of luck?
Certainly not. Any designer can change the front of the house (or any other elevation you don’t like) to just about anything.
How do I know what items are actually going into my home?
The builder you choose should provide you with a “Description of Materials”. A DOM will explain line by line what items are going into you house. Some descriptions may simply be an allowance to let you know how much the builder is going to pay toward that specific item. Anything over the builders allowance would be your responsibility. At Bella Vita we make sure the allowances given will cover the items you specified for your home.
How long does it take to build my home?
The time it takes to build a custom home varies as much as the price. This variation is due to several factors including, weather, availability of quality subcontractors and availability of the materials you choose. At Bella Vita Construction we build a high quality custom home, using experienced craftsmen, as promptly as possible. We do not waste time.
I want to make sure that my loan covers the cost of my home so that I can avoid a lot of out-of –pocket expenses. How can I do this?
Make your decisions up front. Take time to look over your plans and make sure they are exactly what you want. We will sit down with you and go over your plans to make sure the allowances we give you are sufficient and to see if there is anything you would like to change or add before we price your home. Also remember, little things add up. Try to stick to your budget and allowances. A few hundred dollars here and there can add up quickly. We do our best to work with you on extras and make sure the pricing is fair.
What warranties come with your homes?
Homes are warranted for one year for materials and workmanship. Many items in your home will come with their own extended warranties.
The price I was quoted was much lower than I expected. Is it too good to be true?
It may be. Most quality builders pay similar prices for supplies and labor. If you’ve talked with a few builders, and one comes in unrealistically low, there’s a good chance something you wanted in your home may have been overlooked. Be careful to make sure all the items you wanted are included in your Description of Materials when comparing bids.
Will your price change from the rough bid to the actual quote?
Maybe, a rough bid is just that. If you haven’t made any changes to the project between the rough bid and the final, price changes should be nominal if at all.
If I add items to my home after the initial bid, will the price go up?
Yes.
How can I get what I want for the price I was quoted?
Just follow these simple rules:
• 1. Try to make sure you builder is aware of all the items you want in your home.
• 2. When you receive your bid, ask for a “Description of Materials”. This should outline the items that are going into your home, either by actual description or an allowance. Then when you compare bids you can compare apples to apples and you know what you’re paying for. That way, if your builder missed an item you can get the price corrected before you go to contract.
What about financing?
Generally you will go to a lending institution and make application for a “Construction Perm” loan (it starts out as a construction loan and then rolls into a permanent mortgage when construction is complete). Check around because interest rates can vary greatly. Also, you’ll want to get a definite answer as to when you can lock in your interest rate. Different lenders have different lock times and this can affect the rate you end up with. Once financing is secured the lender will pay your builder according to the work completed and lenders draw schedule.
How fast can we get started?
Plans take from two and a half to four weeks to develop (depending on whether they are drawn from scratch or you have a set you want modified). Estimating takes one and a half to two weeks. Permitting will take from one to three weeks depending on the backlog at county plan review (usually somewhere in the middle).