Selecting a Custom Home Builder

By Kim Ray

A home is by far the largest single investment most people make in their lifetime, and it's for this reason that it's important to find just the right custom builder. Whether you're considering a 900 square foot ranch or the 4,000 square foot home of your dreams, selecting a qualified custom builder that will meet your needs as well as your budget is imperative.

Finding a Custom Home Builder

There are a number of ways to locate a qualified custom builder. Many custom builders have model homes on display for those considering a new home. Model homes enable people to thoroughly inspect all aspects of homes including quality of construction and materials.

Look for custom-built model homes in your area by consulting your local yellow pages under builders, or contact your county building department. They will gladly provide you with names of reputable custom homebuilders, and they'll be able to provide information regarding the quality of their work and overall customer satisfaction.

You can also find custom homebuilders by picking up free real estate supplement guides that are available through realty professionals and home improvement stores. They're loaded with ads, color photos, and information provided by custom homebuilders. Scanning ads is a great way to see what homebuilders in the area have to offer.

Real estate professionals can also provide names and contact information for custom builders. Chances are real estate professionals will have some familiarity with local builders whose homes they've shown. They'll also have listings of ready-built homes available for touring and inspection.

Interviewing Prospective Builders

Once you've located custom builders that spark your interest, it's important to talk to them in an effort to find out how well they communicate what they have to offer. If you aren't comfortable with a particular builder, it's best to move on to the next candidate. Homes can take several months to build, and a pleasant experience and satisfactory results relies largely upon the relationship between the customer and the builder.

Don't hesitate to ask specific questions regarding the building process, and take detailed notes. In addition, save any notes provided by potential builders. The notes will come in handy when comparing companies, and they're also a good source of reference after hiring someone to build your home.

Checking References

While in the process of interviewing custom homebuilders, asks for a list of previous customers along with contact information. Don't just obtain the list and assume previous customers were satisfied. Call past customers and ask the following three very important questions:

How happy are you with your home and the building experience?
After the home was finished, were there any problems, and if there were, how quickly did the builder respond to correct the problems?
Would you consider hiring this builder to construct another home?

Take detailed notes while checking references, and if you're happy with the answers to the questions you ask, then consider that custom homebuilder for your building requirements. Word of mouth means a lot, and the outcome of prior projects is a good indication of how a custom homebuilder will meet your needs and wishes.

In addition to contacting references provided by the custom builder, contact your local building department if you haven't already done so. They'll be able to tell you if a builder was ever ordered to stop work on a particular project and why. They'll also be able to tell you if they've had complaints against specific builders.

The Better Business Bureau is also a good source of reference when searching for a custom builder. The BBB website provides a handy search tool where you'll be able to find out if a builder had complaints filed against them as well as how those complaints were resolved. The Better Business Bureau in your area will provide you with valuable feedback that will greatly help when selecting a custom homebuilder.