Design and construct quality is what makes a house the home of your dreams. Making those choices can be daunting, but certainly does not have to be. Where do you start when picking a Builder and Architect that meets your needs, sees your vision, and can create the home of your dreams? You start with a Realtor who is an expert in both your neighborhood and in new construction.
Realtors can offer much experience in guiding you to a perfect location and can share with you their knowledge on who is building in that area. The first step in this journey is sitting down with your Realtor and discussing where you want to build and the style and size of your desired home. A Realtor who is an area expert can save you a great deal of time, money and heartache in this process. She can help you with your budgeting to know what you can realistically expect along the way. She can also point you toward the Builder who is best at building the style of house that you want and the Architect who can best design it. These two folks should not be chosen independently of one another. You will generally have the best results by working with a Builder and Architect who have worked together before. The Builder can also work with you and the Architect during the design process in order to keep the build cost within your budget. There is no sense in designing space and features that are outside of your budget and then paying the Architect to change it.
It can be tempting to try to cut corners in this process to keep costs down. The risk is that you may spend more money in the long run by having to revise plans, fix mistakes, and then there are the dreaded “change order” which can rack up considerable penalties and extra cost. Worse than missing your budget, you might not get the house you wanted.
It takes a team effort to make your vision become a reality. A Realtor who is an expert in your neighborhood and an expert with new construction is the coordinator of that team (or the Quarterback for you sports fans). Your Realtor will coordinate, Builder, Architect and Interior Designer, help you navigate negotiations and contracts. An additional critical service that your Realtor will provide is assistance in making sure that your plans are created with an eye for resale. Chances are good that no matter how much you love your home, you will want to sell it one day. You don’t want the space or the finishes to be so tailored to your preferences that it will make it difficult for someone else to call home. Architects and Builders are not as in tune with what buyers are looking for in a home, so their inclination is simply to design the home as you envision it and not with that eye for resale.
At Circa Real Estate, we have assisted many homeowners embark on this journey. We can help your vision become a reality. Contact us if you are interested in building your dream home or would just like more information on building a home. We are happy to talk with you about your desired project and give you a complimentary copy of The Greater Houston Builder’s Association Guide to Custom Building and Renovation.