According to figures released by the US Census Bureau and HUD, local municipalities issued over 1,4 million building permits during March 2023. Around the same number of homes came to completion during this time. In light of increasing home prices and ongoing shortages, many potential homeowners are opting to build a home instead of buying one. Fortunately, the home-building process is getting a lot easier as pandemic-induced material shortages start to wane.

Have you always dreamed of designing and constructing your dream abode? It’s not always as simple as you think.

Here’s what you need to know about building a house.

1. Pre-Construction Considerations

One of the benefits of custom homes is that you have more control over the final look of your home, but it also involves a lot more thought and pre-planning than buying a ready-built building.

Some of these extra steps include:

• Deciding whether to find a lot first or design your home first
• Agreeing on a design with your significant other
• Acquiring the necessary building permits and zoning permission (if required)
• Choosing a team of professionals, e.g., architects and contractors
• Applying for a mortgage to build a home
• Sourcing multiple quotes on everything to do with the home build
• Researching and vetting your teams
• Researching extra costs for utility hookups, septic, and internet

If you’re selling your existing home to help pay for your new build, you’ll need to find alternative accommodation for as long as it takes to get your new home move-in-ready. This can get tricky if you have pets and children to consider.

2. Steps in the Home Building Process

When you build a home, you’ll experience long periods where it seems like nothing’s happening on site. Understanding the process can help alleviate any frustration caused by this.

These are the major home-building steps you need to know:

• Leveling the site and pouring the foundation
• Allowing the concrete to cure (up to 28 days)
• Installing waterproofing and plumbing in the foundation
• Rough framing of floors, walls, and roof
• Applying sheathing to the exterior
• Rough plumbing, HVAC, and electrical
• Installing insulation
• Completing dry walling and interior finishes
• Finalizing exterior finishes, flooring, and countertops

You can only start with the fun stuff like installing bathroom fittings, painting, and landscaping after these stages are complete. You’ll need to wait until your home passes a home inspection before you can move in.

3. Manage Your Expectations

In an ideal world, your home build would run smoothly from start to finish, and you could move in on your desired date. In truth, this rarely happens.

You must understand the inevitable delays you’re likely to encounter along the way. This will alleviate much of the stress and frustration that can occur during your home-building journey.

Although periods of cool, dry weather are ideal for construction activities, it’s difficult to determine the best time to build a home. Unpredictable weather patterns and unexpected delays mean that your home’s construction could span several seasons or even years.

Frozen ground and rainy weather can all cause delays in your home build, and you may come across supply and labor issues along the way, too.

In addition, zoning laws and building permits can impact the ultimate design of custom-built homes, so you should always approach the home-building process with a flexible mindset.

Effective communication is another way to ease some of the uncertainties involved in home construction. It’s vital to choose a contractor who’s committed to keeping you in the loop and who has a communication style you can relate to.

Start Planning Your Dream Home Today

Despite the challenges you might encounter along the way, building a custom home is a rewarding and exciting time, especially when you work with experienced and reliable professionals from the start.

We offer an extensive range of construction services to help smooth the home-building process. Get in touch for assistance with building your custom home right away.