Home Building Process

The list below includes most of the key steps and details you'll need when building a new home.

Choose a Professional

With over 200 Mel Foster Co. real estate experts in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas, we are one of the leading real estate companies in the area! Our knowledge of the area and subdivisions available to fit your family's lifestyle are key advantages.

Design the Perfect House Plan

To start the process, consider these questions:

• How many people will live in the house?
• Do you have children or plan to in the future?
• How many bathrooms are necessary for the family's daily needs?
• Will you have overnight visitors regularly? How long will they typically stay?
• Do you need a home office?
• Do you entertain regularly? How many guests?
• What are your formal and casual space needs?
• What kind of laundry space do you need?
  
  

Calculate Your New Home Budget

• Write down your monthly expenses and monthly income
• Your lender will be able to calculate the price range of your home loan based on your monthly credits and debits.
  
  

Find a Suitable Contractor/Builder

• Consult your Mel Foster Co. professional
• Get references
• Make sure your personalities mesh
• Drive through neighborhoods where the contractor has built homes
• Is the contractor efficient and professional?
• How much experience do they have?
  
  

Establish Financing

Choosing the right mortgage consultant is essential to your home financing transaction. Questions to ask the mortgage consultant:

• How long has the lender been in the mortgage business?
• What are their professional credentials?
• Do they have professional designations and education in the mortgage field?
• What financial tools do they use to aid in helping clients choose mortgage rates and programs?
  
  

Purchase a Lot

Consult your Mel Foster Co. professional

• Is the school district desirable to you?
• What is your commute time to and from work?
• What are the property taxes for the area?
• Are there parks, golf courses, lakes, and other recreation facilities nearby?
• What is the area's proximity of shopping?
• What are the zoning requirements and limitations?
• Are there homeowner's associations, fees, or covenants?
• Will the home I want to build fit on the lot?
  
  

Construction Timetable

*Time frame is based on a 2,000 square foot home; larger homes may take 2-3 times as long. Time frame reflects best case scenario. Delays such as weather and lack of materials or labor can add considerable amount of time.

Ten Reasons to Build Your Own Home

If you've been thinking about buying your own home, maybe you should also consider building your own home. A home that you design and build on your own means more than a house that was built and designed by someone else. The following ten reasons will explain why it's best to build your own home.

1. Cost
   Building your own home is a lot cheaper than buying a pre-built home, especially if you are looking for certain things. Finding a pre-built home that has everything you want may lead you to buying a home in a very expensive neighborhood, but when you build your own house, you can choose a piece of land in a casual neighborhood and build what you want for a lot less.

2. Customize
   When you build your own home you can have anything that you want. If you want a library or an indoor pool, you simply have to add it to your floor plan. You can also put the rooms exactly where you want.

3. Size
   If you want a home with huge rooms, you can build it. It you want a large open kitchen, it's yours. When you build your own home, you can make everything the size you want, rather than settling for a house that has a bathroom that is too small.

4. Your Very Own
   When you build your own home, you can personalize it to where it's perfect for you and your family. You may want a large deck, a second floor, a finished basement, a modern touch, a colonial home, etc. Whatever you want, you can design.

5. Your own Two Hands
   There is something very satisfying about living in a home that you designed and built with your own two hands. It's a nice feeling to look around your house and think that you did all that work.
   

6. Time That It Takes
   When you find someone to build a house for you or even when you try to find the perfect pre-built home, it can take forever. Building your own house will only take as long as you want it to take. You are able to decide the hours that you want to work on the house and if you want to work overtime on it, you can.

7. Materials
   Building your own house allows you to choose materials that you know will last. When you have someone else do this job, you have no idea what materials they may be using to cut costs. You are also able to shop around and find the best deals for the materials that you will need.

8. Exactly What You Want
   When you try to find a pre-built home to move into, you will find that you have to settle, but when you build a house from scratch, you can have everything that you want. Everything will also be exactly where you want it. The house will be situated on the property the way you would like, the windows will be where you want, etc.

9. Worth More
   Your house will end up being worth more than what you put into it. You will be able to save money on materials and the labor you do didn't cost you a penny. This means the house will be worth a lot more than what you invested.

10. Built for Your Needs
    Buying a pre-built home may mean that the kitchen cabinets are too tall or the counters too low. When you build your own house, you are able to design areas for your own needs. For example, if you are really tall, you can add taller kitchen counters.
    

    As you can see, there are several advantages to building your own home. Please be aware that if you don't plan on staying the house forever, you may not want to build your own home because you'll find it very hard to leave your masterpiece.Source: The Ultimate D.I.Y. Project, Amy Brantley