In driving around any neighborhood, it’s hard not to notice all the new construction going on around our area. The process of building your own home can be stressful at certain times, but the opportunity of getting to choose all of your own finishes can be truly rewarding.

There are many steps to the home building process and it’s important to take each one step by step.  Before signing a contract with a specific builder, you should do your homework and know what you are getting with the base price and what additional upgrades you will be picking at the design center.  You need to walk all the lots that you like and be sure you can build the floor plan you want on this particular lot.  If you want to build a pool someday, there are even more things to consider in picking the right lot.  Be sure to take your time in choosing the right builder, as well as the lot, as there is a long list of questions and items to ask a builder when deciding the right one for your home.

Once you and the builder have both signed the builders’ contract, then the clock starts ticking.  Most build jobs take around 6-12 months to build, depending on the lot, the builder, and the weather.  After you’ve signed the contract, you then head to the design center and pick out all of your selections.  It is very helpful to see if your builder has a “browse night” before you schedule those design appointments so you have an idea of what decisions you will be making on your home and you know what to expect.  You typically have 2 design appointments to cover picking all the selections for your home.  The home has still yet to have started as you pick your selections.

Building a new home in Austin

After waiting on permits, the foundation finally gets poured, and things typically move a little quicker.  You will have a walk through with your builder once the framing is up, prior to drywall being installed, so you can see in between the walls.  Then you can have another walk through once the sheetrock has gone up to check the plumbing and electrical.

As far as inspections go, some homeowners choose to have their own third-party inspector come to inspect their new home prior to moving in but once the home is completed.  I do suggest doing so as I have seen homes with windows installed backwards (among other things) that would never have been discovered without that inspection.  Other homeowners decide to do their own home inspection after they’ve lived in the house 10 or 11 months, so they can provide a list of items all at once to the builder before their 1 year warranty runs out.  There are certain inspectors that are known to be new home construction experts and know what all to look for.

This process definitely has its ups and downs, and you do have to pack your patience when building your own home, but when all said and done its nice to see what you have accomplished.