The process of building a custom home involves literally hundreds of steps, scores of professionals and tradespeople and thousands
of individual components. Clearly, you cannot be involved in every minute detail; that’s where we come in. We’ll keep an eye on all
those details, allowing you to focus on the most important parts of the process.
What we have tried to do on this page is summarize
those critical steps in the building process that will most require your attention, and what we can do to make the process as enjoyable
and stress-free as possible.
Selection of a Builder
Some might believe that this step should fall further down the list, after
a site has been selected, a home has been designed and financing is in place. However, we believe our years of experience can be very
helpful in the earlier stages of the process, and in fact can end up saving our clients significant sums by preventing costly mistakes.
As a builder and developer, Steve Fennell has been involved in the purchase and sale of hundreds of single family lots, he has an
extensive background in real estate finance and he has worked with countless residential architects and designers during his 25+ years
in the industry. Why not take advantage of his wealth of experience?
Site Selection
After selecting a builder, we believe site
selection is the most important factor in ensuring the long term enjoyment and investment value of your home. Certainly, the old real
estate adage “location, location, location” is critical, but there are other equally important issues to address such as lot size
and its ability to accommodate your dream home, zoning and set back requirements, building codes and permit availability, soil conditions,
tree preservation requirements, and location and availability of utilities. We have experience and knowledge in all of these areas
and can complement the services of your realtor.
Design
There are several different options, methods and sources for custom home
designs, ranging from plan books and magazines to engaging an architect or designer to develop a true, one-of-a-kind custom home plan.
No one of these sources is necessarily better than any other; it all depends on your needs and desires. We can help you decide which
is best for you and, if you select an existing plan, we can help you make the changes that will make your home truly unique and suited
to your needs. If, on the other hand, you elect to employ an architect or professional designer, we can help you select the designer
and work with him or her to make certain you end up with a cost-effective plan that works for you. With plans and specifications in
hand, we can now arrive at a reasonable total cost budget for your new home and move on to the financing stage.
Financing
Available
financing options for new home construction change constantly. We have years of experience in such financing and can provide advice
and guidance throughout the process to help make sure you end up with a loan that meets your needs. Alternatively, in some instances
we can arrange financing through our own sources, eliminating the need for you to secure financing.
Construction
One of the most
frequently asked questions is: “how long will it take to build my new home?” The answer: it depends. The factors that most often result
in construction delays are weather (uncontrollable), selection of finishes (controllable) and lack of coordination and site supervision
by the builder (highly controllable). Once a home is “dried in” (roof is on and windows are in place), weather should not really be
a factor again until it’s time to install landscaping. Prior to beginning construction, we will provide you with a schedule for the
selection of finishes, and we will work with you to ensure that the process works smoothly. We believe our small size and personalized
approach to building eliminates the final factor in construction delays. All of this having been said, unless a home design is unusually
complex, the homes we build usually take about 7 to 8 months to complete.
Move-In!!
Corrections and Adjustments
The construction
of a custom home is a complicated endeavor, involving scores of skilled craftsmen and thousands of individual components. The need
for corrections and adjustments after completion of your home is inevitable; we’ll be there to make sure these are done in a timely
and professional manner.
