Do I Need Help With Selections?

Q. Tim, about how long should it take to finish our new home?

Some underestimate the time a project will require, while others expect it to take a lot longer.

Design Matters

The biggest variables in projects are size and design. For a custom builder, no two projects are the same. It’s no surprise that a big, complex home is more challenging and will take longer than a smaller and simpler one.

If homeowners already have a complete set of plans and specs from an architect, that will speed up the builder’s design phase. If not, they need to budget time for that planning and design work.

Selections…

Ask builders what causes most construction delays and the answer will likely be a toss-up between weather and homeowner selections. While no builder has control of the weather, the best professionals have a tried-and-true selection process that they’ve spent countless hours perfecting.

I know what you’re thinking… Selections? How hard can that be? Why spend so much time constructing a bulletproof selection process? We already know what we want. Right?

Think about how many decisions you had to make the last time you walked into a coffee shop for a cup of joe.

What size? What blend? Regular or decaf? (Duh, regular.) Room for cream? For here or to go? Cash or credit?

Most of us know what we want, but we’re sometimes unprepared for the “nested” decisions that accompany the primary decision. We know we want hardwood floors, but the best builders will also prepare us for the nested decisions that accompany the hardwood decision, such as:

• Wood species?
• Board width?
• Engineered or solid?
• Pre-finished or sand-in-place?

What Homeowners Can Do

The most important decision the homeowner will make is selecting a builder with well-designed processes and procedures in place to guide you through the building process smoothly.

After the project is underway, it’s important for homeowners to make design and product decisions on or before the deadlines set by the builder. These decisions range from choosing custom cabinets early enough for them to be built and delivered when needed, to making sure the windows are selected well before the framing carpenters need them on site.

The best builders know how to guide homeowners through these decisions without causing delays in the construction process. Homeowners who want the project to keep humming along on schedule won’t change those selections after making them. Changes made late in the design stage can delay plan completion; those made after project kickoff can delay the finish date. Homeowners who understand this will invest the time and effort needed to make firm decisions, and the best builders will help every step of the way.

With the right builder by your side and a refined selection process, your building project will be smooth sailing all the way to the finish line.