October 12, 2021

Having a custom built home is many people’s dream, but there are many things to ask before agreeing to have one built. Here are some things to ask:

 

• How many years have you been in business and how many homes have you built?

Experience is everything. Particularly in custom home building in Idaho Falls, there have been many new companies starting due to the demand for new housing in the area. When asking this question, an experienced building company will answer with pride and not be afraid to reveal that information. 

• Is the cost of the lot included with the home? 

This question is one of the most important questions since it will keep you from being surprised with additional thousands of dollars down the line. For many, lots are initially purchased and then a home is built on the lot afterwards. 

• Do you only build from your existing floor plans, or can I provide my own set of plans?

Having your perfect floor plan is one of the main reasons to have a custom built home. Floor plans will change between the amount of family members, plans of what to put into the home, even location of the home. 

If you are having a home built in the city of Idaho Falls you will have different needs than someone living in the outskirts of the city, in the more rural area. In the city you may need more storage area since you may not be able to have additional buildings on the property, in the rural area you may want a larger mudroom or entryway to keep your dirtier shoes and clothes. 

• What do I get to choose about the home?

Custom homes are an expression of you. Homebuyers always have an idea in their head of what they want their new home to look like. This question should provide you information on: appliances, hardware (drawer pulls, faucets, door handles, etc), exterior color and material, roofing, flooring, etc. Some of these details may seem miniscule and irrelevant, but everything goes into play for the look of your home. Some builders may stick to a “cookie cutter” home, where they stick to the same template, while others will allow buyers to pick details of their home. The main goal for you is to be completely in love with your new custom home. 

• How long will the building take?

This is the dreaded question, how long do I have to wait for my home to be done? Things that are accounted for in time estimates are the amount of home details, weather, availability of materials, and even the amount of builders available at the company. Weather is a large factor in building homes in Idaho Falls that may get overlooked. 

Something to keep in mind when receiving a time estimate is that there will always be things that come up that may set the time frame so it is important to remain flexible. 

 

There are an overwhelming number of questions to ask contractors when starting to build your custom home, these five questions are a good place to start and get your brain in the right place to think of more questions. Make sure to write down the questions you want to ask and record answers, especially if you are talking to different contractors.