6 Steps to Building A New Home

Most people don’t realize how much work and energy go into building a home. It requires numerous meetings and many decisions to ensure buyers get everything they want with their new home.

I recently took some first-time buyers to meet with Doug Darton of Woodside Homes to discuss building a home.

First Builder Meeting

First, Doug walked us through the different floor plans, upgrade options, and pricing. We also discussed the exterior options and packages for a new construction build.

Once all of that was discussed, and the buyers decided to move forward, they signed the contracts and submitted the construction deposit. The estimated completion date for this home was about nine months.

Home & Design Meeting

The next step was heading to Woodside’s Design Center. This was a 3-hour meeting to make all home and design decisions.

Here’s what’s covered in that long but critical meeting:

Selecting everything for the home: flooring, cabinetry, countertops, hardware, faucets, etc.
Make decisions about electrical features: type of internet, placement of outlets, etc.
Interior and exterior paint colors, trim, and siding
Type of windows, furnace, water heater, and AC

Upgrade options (homes come with a standard package, but there is an option to upgrade most items)

Dig Meeting

We had a Dig Meeting with the foreman who would be overseeing the build. We walked the lot to confirm the placement of the home on the lot. We also reviewed the buyers’ selections to ensure all had been communicated correctly from the design center.

Then construction began!

Four-Way Walkthrough

Mid-way through the project is a Four-Way Walkthrough. This is where the builder and homeowner walk through the home’s framing, electrical, plumbing, heating, and AC systems. The city inspector also inspects at this time.

After this meeting, the builder is given the go-ahead to install the insulation and drywall.

Final Inspection & Walkthrough

Woodside managed the process well and actually completed the work about two months earlier than expected. It was very exciting!

During the final inspection and walkthrough, the buyers go through the home to verify that no problems need to be corrected. For any problems with the finish work, they will use blue painter’s tape to mark where the appropriate subcontractor needs to make repairs. If there are any scuff marks or dings, the builder will take care of them.

Sometimes other issues are found. On this particular home, one of the stucco panels on an exterior wall home differed from the others. It took the builder about a week to fix it.

The buyer returns one last time to check off the identified repairs. The building supervisor reviews what the warranty covers and how to hook up utilities, get mail keys, and other details of taking possession of the home.

Title Company Meeting

The last step of buying a new home is signing all the documents with the title company. It takes about 30 minutes and requires a lot of signatures!

Once everything is signed, the title company facilitates the transfer of funds and documentation sent to the country to record the buyer as the official owner of the home.

As you can see, it’s an extensive process to build a home. But it can be manageable and a positive experience with the right realtor and builder guiding you through the process.